10 Effective Tips for Falling Back Asleep After Waking Up at Night
Relaxing tunes, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing can help aid sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night. However, having sleep issues could require medical help.
Getting a good night’s sleep is difficult when you have maintenance insomnia, which prevents you from staying asleep through the night. Regardless, the right techniques can help you get back to sleep.
Getting Back to Sleep after Waking Up
- Restrict Clattering Sounds
Close the windows or block noice as it reminds you of your sleeping pattern that you want to break. Some options are:
- Earplugs
- A fan
- White Noise Machine
In a research paper published in 2021, it was proposed that certain people may have their sleep aided by white noise, but the findings were not conclusive, indicating that more research is required.
- Get Out of the Room
Get out of the room and engage in another activity if in 15 minutes you realize that you do not feel sleepy. Try doing something relaxing, so that when you go back to bed, you’re in a better state of mind.
- Stop Looking at the Clock
Staring at the clock will contribute to the anxiety of already being awake for more than a couple of minutes.
If the alarm clock is the source of your stress, then you might want to toss it away. A 2019 research paper on sleep issues and anxiety found that anxiety of falling asleep only serves to increase restlessness.
- Screen Time Before Bed Should Be Avoided
It’s best to entirely shut down any gadgets since notifications or other uses of electronics just serve to keep you awake. It as known that blue light tends to inhibit melatonin production and we know how important melatonin is for sleep cycle regulation.
According to a 2021 review, the role that blue light blocking glasses play is inconclusive at best.
- Work On Your Breathing or Meditation
According to a 2018 study, breathing exercises and meditation that focuses on being mindful may be beneficial in addressing the issue of sleep disturbance, in other studies more research is required. One effective method is called the 4-7-8 method:
- 4 seconds through the nose while inhaling.
- 7 seconds of breath holding.
- 8 seconds of breathing out slowly through the mouth.
- A Body Scan To Relax All the Muscles
To help with muscle and mental relaxation, start with progressive muscle relaxation. Follow Me:
- while breathing deeply, keep your eyes shut.
- One by one focus on each and every muscle group starting from your face all the way down to your feet.
- As you advance into each muscle group, aim to relax them.
- Lights Should Not Be Switched On
Try as much as possible to avoid switching on the lights, even when you are outside of your bed.
Intense light can interfere with melatonin secretion, thus delaying the process of falling back asleep.
- Participate In A Sleep Inducing Activity
Boredom is generally said to make a person sleepy and that is what researchers found out in 2018. Boring individua tasks, or counting sheep, can be used to trick the mind into falling asleep.
- Listen To Soothing Songs
Lulling some music can help to ignore annoying sounds and make you relax and fall asleep easily. According to a study conducted in 2018, genre and type of music have a big impact on sleep as well so it’s all about the person. See what kind of music works best for you by trying different kinds.
- Check Out Different Sleeping Applications
Calming stories and music or even ambient sounds are available to most apps. Test out best relaxing practices with Calm and Headspace as they are also free.
Because of this, You May Need to See a Doctor
It is common to wake up at night every now and then, however, a few times a night may be problematic. See a doctor if your constant sleep issues do not go away as the doctor can give you proper diagnosis and changes for your sleep. There are cases where patients were sent for sleep studies.
Main Benefits
There are chances that you may wake up in the middle of the night and if any of such strategies which include meditation, soft music and boredom inducing task do not help you, then you might just wait till morning.
Try to get out of bed for a short time if you have not fallen asleep after 15-20 minutes.
Sleep problems can sometimes recur owing to a health concern so it is recommended that you consult with a a doctor or a therapist in order to get diagnosis and treatment.
