Slept for 7 or 8 hours but still exhausted? Work these 3 ‘sleep muscles’ for more energy, experts say

The main image shows a man sitting up in bed and stretching in the morning, looking well rested. In the bottom right is an ident showing a close up of a phone showing sleep tracking information.

A good night's sleep doesn't just allow you to get through the day without yawning — consistent, good quality sleep can help you live longer, as a 2026 study from Vitality and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has found.

So how do we define a good night's sleep? For many of us, it's case of racking up enough hours. But the real marker for better sleep lies elsewhere: "Sleep quality matters just as much," explains Dr. Joshua Roland, certified sleep doctor at Dreem Health.