You wake up around 2:00 a.m. and suddenly find it hard to fall back asleep. This sounds familiar. Everyone has probably had this experience at some point in their lives, and it is actually common. If you only experience this once in a while, it's fine; you don't need to worry about it, but if it happens frequently, it's a problem that needs to be solved. In this blog, we will look at different strategies for getting back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night.
Tips to Get Back to Sleep
If you have difficulty falling back asleep after waking up in the middle of the night, try to keep your mind peaceful and relaxed. Here are a few techniques to fall back to sleep quickly:
Don’t Look at the Clock
When you fail to fall back asleep and have grown tired of lying down, ideally watching the fan or ceiling, you want to know what time it is. If you keep looking at the clock to see how much sleep you've lost, you'll become stressed and stay awake. So, try to avoid checking the time on your smartphone or clock. If you keep a clock on your table. Turn it around, and avoid using your smartphone at all costs.
Avoid Checking your Phone
If we wake up in the middle of the night after lying awake for a while of time, sleep is nowhere in sight. You will want to use this time to watch anything or do some work. However, this could keep you from falling back asleep. Avoid using your computer, smartphone, laptop, or anything that emits blue light. Blue light can be harmful for you and it can disturb your sleep cycle.
Write Down your Worries
If we wake up around 2:00 a.m., we tend to overthink things that happened during the day or that make you tension. It is recommended to keep a pen and notepad near your bed so that you can write down your thoughts rather than overthink them. Try writing out all of your anxieties on paper. This way, you can relieve stress and relax your thoughts. It is simple to go asleep with a clear mind.
Do Some Relaxing Exercises
You can practice progressive muscle relaxation, a meditation-based approach. Tense each of your muscles for five seconds, beginning with your toes and working your way up to your forehead, before slowly loosening them. Do one leg and one arm at a time, paying extra attention to areas of your body that are tense, such as your jaw or neck. You can also use 4-7-8 breathing exercises to assist you fall back asleep. The idea is to slow your breathing, which causes your heart rhythm to calm, helping your body and mind to rest.
Listen to Music
Listening to music could make you feel calm and relaxed. If you've been woke up up in the middle of the night, instead of overthinking or scrolling through social media on your smartphone, turn on some relaxing music to help you fall back asleep. You can also include music in your nighttime routine. Avoid overstimulating loud music instead go for something relaxing, such as classical slow music.
Get Out of Bed
If it's been more than 20 minutes since you woke up and you still can't fall back asleep, get out of bed and go somewhere calming. You can go for a brief stroll, read a book or listen to some peaceful music before returning to bed. If you stay in your bed for too long, you may become frustrated and may find it more difficult to fall asleep again.
Conclusion
Sleep-maintenance insomnia is when you wake up in the middle of the night and fail to fall back asleep. Many people find that their attention on something calming or allowing them to empty their mind helps them fall asleep more quickly.
If you can't sleep after 20 minutes, try moving to another room for a few minutes before going back to bed. However, if your sleeplessness becomes a recurring problem, you should consult a doctor. They may be able to help you determine the source of your sleeplessness or send you to a sleep specialist.
If you've been looking for ways to get better sleep at night, one important thing you need to do is to invest in a good quality pillow and mattress. A memory foam pillow can work wonders for you if you are struggling to get quality sleep at night. Memory foam is perfect for promoting good spinal alignment and maintaining the natural curvature of your neck.