As I'm sure you are well aware it isn't just the number of hours you spend in bed that makes a difference, it's the quality of the sleep you are getting.
If you allow yourself plenty of time to sleep and are finding you're still having trouble rising in the morning and are unable to stay alert and concentrate you probably need to make some changes to the environment in which you were sleeping.
Bedrooms can have a huge impact on the quality of your sleep so it is important to make sure your sleeping environment is one which will work best for you.
It's not rocket science; you probably would have guessed that you sleep better if your bedroom is nice and quiet.
People's sensitivity to noise can differ greatly from person to person, even if you have learned to sleep with a noise, studies have shown that sounds during sleep can disrupt and destroy a hearty slumber.
If you have tried to eliminate the noise in your bedroom from the outside world, such as traffic or loud neighbors you could always try to mask it with other noises such as the soothing music of relaxation tapes.
If all else fails it may be a good idea to invest in a set of comfortable ear plugs.
Ear plugs will guarantee you a decent sleep free from noise and disruption.
A Dark, Cool Environment As people, we often sleep better in the dark.
When it's time for you to go to bed, make sure that your bedroom or sleeping environment is dark.
If you don't like to sleep in the dark maybe dim the lights a little as light can often confuse the body clock.
Use heavy curtains or drapes in your Windows to help block out natural light, again if all else fails invest in an eye mask to cover your eyes.
Temperature has a drastic effect on how well you sleep so it's important to keep your bedroom slightly cool.
Using adequate ventilation, it is possible to achieve this realistically.
A bedroom which is either too hot or too cold can interfere dramatically with the length and the quality of your sleep so it is definitely important to enforce this.
How about your bed? Your bed should be big enough to provide adequate room for you to sleep comfortably, this means being able to stretch and turn even if you have a partner or someone else present in your bed.
If your bed is uncomfortable, you may seriously want to consider buying either a new bed frame or mattress as this will have the biggest impact on your sleeping cycle.
As I've mentioned your mattress is important, but so is your bedding.
If you wake up with pains in your back and neck it could be a good idea to get a mattress topper or some different pillows.
Try experimenting with different mattresses and materials along with other pillows to find which works best for you.