Sleep is so important.

It's paramount for good health and getting enough will aid both stress and weight loss.

But a quick Google search will show that far too many of us struggle to nod off.

With many of us up scrolling late at night and asking the internet questions such as "how to get to sleep" and "what helps sleep" while staring at the ceiling.

Well, according to new research, there may be a way to feel like you've had extra time in bed, even when you don't get a full eight hours sleep.

Experts from Oregan State University, the University of Tennessee and Syracruse University have published a their study in the Journal of Business Venturing.

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They claim that doing just ten minutes of mindfulness exercises a day can make you feel like you've had an extra 44 minutes of sleep.

The researchers conducted two studies on busy entrepreneurs who were feeling very tired but didn't have time to sleep.

They found that "mindfulness exercises provide avenues for entrepreneurs to combat exhaustion".

Sleep and mindfulness go hand-in-hand, according to the research, with experts concluding that "these two factors compensate for one another; as the usage of one increases, the efficacy of the other decreases."

The study's lead author, Charles Munieks, explained: "You can't replace sleep with mindfulness exercises, but they might help compensate and provide a degree of relief.

"As little as 70 minutes a week, or 10 minutes a day, of mindfulness practice may have the same benefits as an extra 44 minutes of sleep a night."

However, the findings didn't work on people who were tired despite getting enough sleep.

Charles added: "If you're feeling stressed and not sleeping, you can compensate with mindfulness exercises to a point.

"But when you're not low on sleep, mindfulness doesn't improve those feelings of exhaustion."

The NHS describe mindfulness as being present in the moment, to your own thoughts and feelings and the world around you, "which can improve your mental wellbeing."

It states that reminding yourself to take notice of your thoughts, feelings, body sensations and the world around you is the first step to mindfulness.

Professor Mark Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, describes it mindfulness as the following.

He said: "It's easy to stop noticing the world around us. It's also easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living 'in our heads' – caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviour," he says.

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"An important part of mindfulness is reconnecting with our bodies and the sensations they experience. This means waking up to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment. That might be something as simple as the feel of a banister as we walk upstairs.

"Another important part of mindfulness is an awareness of our thoughts and feelings as they happen moment to moment.

"It's about allowing ourselves to see the present moment clearly. When we do that, it can positively change the way we see ourselves and our lives."

Mindfulness practices include meditation such as sitting silently and paying attention to sensations, as well as breathing techniques and yoga.

For more information, head to the NHS website .

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