We know that not getting adequate sleep means we do a disservice to our brain and our physical and metabolic health. Unfortunately, trying to fall asleep can be a tricky, especially when we try too hard. Here are five secrets to a good night’s rest from the University of Sydney's associate professor of sleep and wellbeing, Chin Moi Chow.

From my informal survey of mums and dads, the worst part of school day mornings is packing school lunches. I’m not sure what makes it the most dreaded task — perhaps it’s the Groundhog Day nature of it all, or feeling like you’re a one-person inventory spreadsheet, or the inevitable complaints from little Hudson that he wanted roast beef and not turkey and now his day is the worst.

Here’s what you should do: Tell your kids, “You do it.”

If you're reading this in a bleary-eyed haze wondering where the morning went, there's a pretty good chance you need to rethink your waking up ritual. The way you spend the first 60 minutes of each morning can have a profound affect on the rest of the day -- especially on Mondays when any sane person would rather be in bed. Here are seven morning routines that will help you to start the day on the right foot.

Kids and parents know the routine. Heck, it's even ingrained in Daniel Tiger's "Morning Song", a catchy tune that my husband and I used to sing to help my five-year-old get ready for her day: "Clothes on. Eat breakfast. Brush teeth. Put on shoes. And off to school!"

For a full-time writer at a productivity blog, I'm pretty bad at mornings. So when we asked Lifehacker fans for their best hacks for making mornings easier, I was excited for the answers. We got some great tips!

When you're relaxing at home, there's nothing quite like an Irish coffee to get your day started. Here's how the recently-awarded best bar in the world makes theirs.

If mornings aren't your thing or you're prone to an afternoon lull, try this quick yoga routine aimed at boosting your energy. You don't need any equipment and you can do this exercise even if you don't have much room to move.

Chances are you probably already have some sort of morning routine. But maybe there's some room for improvement. On My Morning Routine, you can read hundreds of productive morning routines to see what new habits you can pick up and try infusing into your own.

We all have mornings where we want nothing more than to stay in our beds, warm and comfortable, all day. If you're having a morning like that, stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius suggests you look to your true nature as a human being.

You probably already have a morning routine, where you get up, clean up, get ready for the day and head out the door. What you may be missing is a morning ritual, or something you do to set the stage for the day and start yourself off on a positive note. Here's what we mean.

Even if you're a night owl, you can still have more productive mornings if you put in a little effort to make getting up easier. Of course, it still won't be easy, but if you like the idea of a more relaxing start to the day, here are some suggestions to get you started.

What did you do when you woke up this morning? If you crawled out of bed and trudged straight to work after hitting the snooze button numerous times, you clearly haven't begun the week on the best footing. According to the world's business elite, having a set Monday routine can pay dividends to your health, happiness and ability to get ahead -- both in your professional and personal life. Here are seven Monday hacks employed by famously successful people to start your week off in the best possible way.

Most 9-to-5 workers leave home each morning in a mad rush which can affect their happiness when they are confronted with the trail of destruction later that evening. Fortunately, with a tiny bit of effort, it's possible to maintain a welcoming abode for your return home. This infographic explains how it's done.

I am very much not a morning person, and am always looking for ways to make the A.M. just a little more bearable. This adorable suggestion of setting a "cuddle alarm" from The Kitchn is almost too cute.

Most of us could do with some improvements to our daily routine. Because nothing much changes during the work week, it's easy to slip on 'autopilot' and sleepwalk through each day. Instead, you should be adding order to all this monotony -- from your morning routine to the daily commute home. This infographic contains 44 ways to hack the daily grind.

I've always been geared towards getting up before lunchtime, but I wanted to be a real morning person. A get up before the sun person. A get 3 hours of work done before lunch everyday person.

If you're having trouble keeping a consistent morning routine, it might be too long. The shorter and more refined you can make it, the more feasible it is to stick to it.

Developing discipline is all about doing the little things right. Small wins can set the tone of your day, including the very first moment when your alarm clock goes off.

A cup of coffee can get you moving in the morning, but it's not the only way. This uplifting routine doesn't require any special exercise equipment, and will get your blood pumping so you can wake up.