hey fam, I keep waking up during the night and sometimes lie there thinking about things that stress me out. how can I get back to sleep? any strategies
This can be super frustrating so we hope this doesn’t happen for an extended period of time. If you find that it does, be sure to check it out with a GP.
When you wake up during the night DO NOT GO TO CHECK YOUR PHONE
This will make it so much harder for you to fall asleep again as the display from your phone will trigger your brain into thinking that it’s daytime and will stop releasing the hormones that help you sleep
Try and find out what’s causing you to wake up in the night:
Perhaps you got too hot (or too cold!) – to find out if this is the case, try your best to remember how you’re feeling the moment you wake up in the night so that you know what to do right then and there to help you fall asleep again
Stress is a common cause of insomniac tendencies so try your best to go to bed with a clear mind – maybe listen to calming music, drink tea, meditate, etc. before going to bed to settle down and reduce stress levels before sleep
Maintaining good sleep hygiene (habits) may help to reduce the likelihood of waking in the night
Avoid stimulants such as caffeine if you can past mid-afternoon as these can make it harder to fall asleep and also affect the quality of your sleep when you finally do fall asleep
Trying to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning may help to regulate your sleep but make sure you’re getting enough sleep (in terms of quantity)!
So far, these have been preventative methods to waking up in the middle of the night. When you have difficulty falling asleep again after waking up and don’t feel drowsy, get up and go for a walk around the house, maybe grab a glass of water or read a book until you feel sleepy again. Staying in bed when you aren’t tired and are worried about things can cause you to subconsciously create negative associations with your bed which can make going to bed feeling really awful. In terms of worrying about things, it might help to write down what’s bothering you or make a to-do list so that you aren’t focusing on these things when you’re trying to sleep.
Good luck and remember that if the situation worsens, talk to a professional about it.