If you ask someone in Canberra how they are, there's a good chance their response is "exhausted".
A new study has found that around half of Canberrans struggle to fall asleep and then stay asleep throughout the night.
We all know how important sleep is to our health, and yet we just can't seem to get enough of it.
Whether it's our partner snoring, an uncomfortable mattress or too much time spent on our phones, we're all desperate for that magical eight hours of uninterrupted snooze.
And if there's someone who knows all about our sleepless nights, it's Dr Carole Huang from Canberra Hospital.
She treats people with narcolepsy, sleep apnea and respiratory issues at her sleep clinic.
According to her, snoring is one of the most common problems that brings people in for a sleep study.
The loudest snore she ever recorded was 90 decibels, equivalent to a police siren or a hairdryer.
In her opinion, sleep deprivation is one of the biggest problems of modern life.
"Artificial light is making it worse. Screens emit blue light, which confuses our body clock," she said.
"Lifestyle factors also have an impact, people are going to bed too late, they have to get up early for work and school, and that contributes to poor-quality sleep."
Waking up on the wrong side of the bed
We're all familiar with the pain of a sleepless night; the irritability, the headaches, the inability to concentrate.
Results from ResMed's new global sleep survey found that over two-thirds of Australians are getting less than eight hours of sleep per night.
Anxiety is top of the list for keeping us up at night; three-in-four Australians said personal and financial stress were preventing them from falling asleep.
For Australia's leading sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo, the numbers are a sign of a sleepless epidemic.
Her life mission is to encourage Aussies to get a better night's rest, with her Instagram full of helpful tips and encouragements to sleep better.
She said it's sad, but not surprising that so many of us are dealing with broken sleep.
"It's having a noticeable impact on our days - we are flat, exhausted and unmotivated, which makes working to our best level near impossible." she said.
So what's the solution to a constant lack of sleep?
Many of us have no choice about the time we wake up and go to bed; we're caring for kids, managing work responsibilities, or just catching up on jobs after a busy day.
According to Jaime Sanders from Canberra's Makin Mattresses, what you're sleeping on can be the key to a good night's sleep.
"When I started working here I was sleeping on a 25-year old mattress, the springs had compacted to the point it was like sleeping on the floor, and my partner's tossing and turning would wake me up."
"Now I have a premium mattress, movement is reduced to almost nothing, and I sleep a lot better."
"Over half our sales are in our premium range, which have more support and features such as better air circulation and lower movement."
Going on a sleepcation
Hotels are also capitalising on our desperate need to get a good night's sleep, with new offers designed to give you the best night of your life.
One hotel in Canberra is even selling its custom-made mattresses to sleep-deprived customers.
Hyatt Hotels Australia has recently launched a special sleepover program that promises guests a "refreshing night's sleep". The package includes a sleep mask, herbal tea, de-stress spray mist, and bath salts, all designed to give people a better sleep.
Hyatt sales vice president Kate Atkinson said their whole business is really about sleep.
"The fact is people come to hotels to sleep, we wanted to do more to create that perfect environment to get a better night's sleep," she said.
"We're seeing a lot of hotels focus on this, whether they're investing in new mattresses or providing new sleep features,
"We definitely see people coming to our hotels just to sleep, for example new mothers getting away for the weekend, and wanting to catch up on sleep."
Hotel stays, sleepcasts, drowsy tea - we'll try anything to nod off.
For some, watching Kath & Kim puts them straight under. For others, it's making lists and journaling, or reciting the winners of the Melbourne Cup.
But Dr Huang said there are a few simple things that can help people get to sleep.
"It's really important to establish a good pattern of sleep, a regular bedtime, a regular wake-up time, and have some sort of routine to relax and wind down," she said
"If people are not asleep after 20 minutes, they should get up, get out of the bedroom and come back when they're sleepy. The bedroom should only be used for sleep.
"Having a suitable environment for sleep is critical, a bedroom that is reasonably quiet, fairly dark, a comfortable temperature, and keep off devices an hour before bed."
Which is probably easier said than done.
- You can get more tips on getting better sleep at the SleepHealth Foundation. If sleeping has become a chronic problem, talk to your GP.
