It’s late in the night, and you have a big day tomorrow, so you’re thinking about it, making it harder for you to fall asleep. Somehow, you succeed and doze off. But soon after you are up again, maybe it is for drinking water, or going to the bathroom, you look at the clock, and there’s enough time for you to get some sleep. But the real problem is going back to sleep. Your mind starts racing, the more you try to sleep, the farther you go from slumber.
Waking up in the middle of the night is common, but it becomes a problem when you have trouble going back to sleep. When this occurs frequently, it can lead to exhaustion, fatigue, and trouble in decision-making in your daily life. From lifestyle to stress to external noise, there can be many reasons why going back to sleep after waking in the night becomes a problem. So here we are to your rescue, with effective tips to help you go back to sleep.
Why is Waking Up at Midnight So Common?
Waking up in the middle of the night is far more common than most people realize. We naturally tend to sleep in cycles, and it is common to wake up briefly in between these cycles. You may not even remember them very often. Stress, anxiety, light, noise, temperature changes, hormonal changes, or an overworked mind can all cause these awakenings to last longer and become more noticeable. Sometimes, even a heavy dinner can lead to disrupted sleep at night, causing bloating or acidity. Moreover, it is natural for sleep to get lighter with age; older individuals are more likely to wake up during the night than youngsters.
The issue starts when it becomes hard to fall back asleep. Lying awake for long periods of time might train the brain to identify the bed with wakefulness rather than sleep, raising stress hormones and frustration. Frequent overnight awakenings might eventually affect mood, focus, immunity, and overall well-being. Fortunately, a few mild strategies can help relax the nervous system and guide the body back into deep sleep.
Tips To Fall Back To Sleep Quickly
1- Do Not Watch Time
The first thing we do when we wake up in the middle of the night is to see what the time is. While it may sound like a good idea to get an estimate of how much time you have, it actually contributes to disturbing your sleep. The moment you see the clock, your brain goes into calculation mode about the hours you have left to sleep, which can increase anxiety. Instead of worrying about lost sleep, put your clock and your phone out of reach, close your eyes, and try to doze off.
2- Distract Your Mind With Visualisation
Sometimes, the more you try to get back to sleep, the more difficult it becomes. In such a case, it is best to shift your focus to something else. Whether you’re counting to a thousand or imagining yourself on a lovely island beach, the concept remains the same. You’re shifting your focus away from ‘I can’t sleep; I can’t sleep; I can’t sleep,’ and towards something else. Any sort of visualisation or repetition, like counting your breaths, or even repeating poems you remember from childhood, can induce your brain into relaxation and help you fall asleep.
3- Listen To Relaxing Music
You don’t need scientific research to know that listening to music can help you relax and calm your thoughts. Yet, there is research available that shows that music can have a direct impact on the parasympathetic nervous system, signalling your body to shut down and get ready for sleep. Relaxing music can promote sleep by blocking noises that might be interfering with your sleep, much like white noise. It can slow your heart rate, breathing, and relax your mind. Music doesn’t work the same way for everybody. As a result, you may want to experiment with a variety of music genres until you find one that suits you.
4- Focus On Your Breath
Your breathing may become shallow and tense without you realising it when sleep seems far away. Breathing deliberately and slowly tells the body it’s safe to unwind. Try taking four slow breaths through your nose, holding them for a short while, and then gently exhaling for six. This rhythm should be repeated multiple times. Your mind has a calming anchor when you concentrate on your breath, which also slows down racing thoughts. This eventually triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and gets the body ready for sleep.
5- Avoid Screens
When your sleep is disrupted in the night, it is very tempting to reach for your phone, check messages, or scroll for a few minutes. Many people assume that a few minutes of scrolling will help them fall back to sleep. But it does the exact opposite. Screens are one of the biggest enemies of your sleep. Checking messages or scrolling through social media sends your brain back to alert mode, instead of relaxing, which is vital for sleep.
Moreover, screens emit blue light that has been linked to suppressing the sleep hormone called melatonin, which disrupts your sleep. Even a few minutes of midnight scrolling can ruin your sleep for the night and keep you awake for longer durations.
6- If Nothing Works, Get Out Of Bed
It may not sound like the obvious thing to do, but if you can’t get back to sleep within 20 minutes and are still wide-awake, feeling annoyed or frustrated, getting out of bed might be a better option. Take a small walk around the house or try lying in a different room or on the couch. Do something calming like reading a few pages of a book, stretching lightly, or listening to soft music.
FAQs
Why do I wake up in the middle of the night?
Waking up in the middle of the night is common. It can happen due to various reasons, including stress, noise, temperature changes, or digestive issues.
Does checking the time make it harder to fall asleep again?
Yes. Seeing the time typically increases stress about missing sleep, which engages the brain and makes relaxation more difficult.
Is using a phone bad for sleep?
Yes, blue light emitted from the screen can disrupt the secretion of melatonin, which hampers your sleep.
Does age affect night-time sleep patterns?
Yes. As people get older, sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented, which increases the likelihood of waking up during the night.
(The article is written by Ehsan Siddiqui, Team Lead and reviewed by Monalisa Deka, Deputy Manager, Clinical Health & Content, Medical Affairs)
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