It is early in the morning and still dark outside, but you cannot find a way back to sleep. You have been tossing and turning for hours and still wide awake. Your big day at work tomorrow is sure to suffer if you cannot fall back to sleep soon.
There are several issues that can prevent you from getting a full night's sleep and stop you from falling back to sleep after waking. Health problems can be a major issue along with diet and stress. So, what do you do to get back to sleep and get the fitful night of rest that you crave?
1. Deep breathing
It is easy to get stressed out and tense when you cannot fall asleep. The more you worry about falling back to sleep, the more worried you become about the next day at work. Deep breathing gives you the chance to relax from your toes to the top of your head. Deep breathing can clear your mind and help you focus on something else besides constantly worrying about falling asleep.
2. Ignore the clock
One of the most difficult things to do is to ignore the alarm clock. The clock can stress you out and keep you awake much longer. When you become more stressed out, it makes you more alert mentally and physically. This causes you to stay awake rather than fall asleep. The best thing to do is to turn the alarm clock away from you preventing you from continually looking at it.
3. Say no to the smartphone
It is likely you have a smartphone that distracts you when you pick it up. Don't immediately reach for the iPhone when you cannot get shut eye. Scrolling through your Instagram or Facebook account can stimulate you and prevent sleep. If you cannot sleep, do not reach for the smartphone as you lie in bed. A smartphone can have you up all night as you scroll through social media posts.
4. Move around
You may think that lying in bed is the right thing to do when you cannot get back to sleep. However, if you cannot get back to sleep within 20 to 30 minutes, get up and go into another room. Do not do any major movements or exercise. Quiet music or reading are great ways to relax before returning to your bed. One tip is to make your bed before moving to another room. By making your bed, you can fool yourself into thinking you are going to bed for the first time rather than returning to toss and turn once more.
5. Make sure the room is dark
The darker the room, the better the chance you have of falling back to sleep. Light activates the senses and prevents you from getting to sleep. If you do get up during the night, do not turn on bright lights. The dimmer the lights, the better. You may need to go to the bathroom with the lights off or using the dim glow from a nightlight. In addition, do not use an e-book or e-reader device as the lights from the screen can keep you awake longer.
6. Meditation
Meditation is a great way to clear your mind and prepare your body to return to sleep. Meditation allows you to clear your mind and destress. One way to clear the mind is to repeat a phrase or picture something relaxing as you keep your eyes closed. Visualization is a tool much like meditation that allows you to picture something peaceful and quiet. Grab a comfortable pillow and fall asleep picturing something enjoyable in your mind.
7. Sleep machine
A sleep machine is a device that plays natural sounds such as rainstorms, birds singing, and other noises that help you fall asleep. The sounds are distracting and soothing and can clear your mind. If you do not want to purchase a sleep machine, there are plenty of different apps available to download that will play relaxing sounds. You can also find sleep noises via YouTube.
8. Mindfulness apps
A mindfulness app can be downloaded from the Apple App or Google Play Stores. Mindfulness apps are great ways to de-stress and fall back to sleep. Mindfulness apps typically feature coaches that talk you through relaxation or meditation. Although using your smartphone is the opposite of what you should do when awake in the middle of the night, employing a mindfulness app can improve your chances of getting back to sleep.
9. Relax the muscles
You can make the mind sleepy by relaxing the body. If the body is tense, then relaxing the muscles can make you fall asleep after waking up in the night. A progressive muscle relaxation method can be just the thing you need to fall back to sleep quickly. You can do this while lying in bed. Muscle relaxation can be accomplished by tensing up one muscle group at a time, counting to five, and then slowly letting the muscle group go. Start with your feet before moving up the leg and onto other muscle groups. Adding deep breathing to the muscle exercises can further reduce the stress and take you back to sleep.
10 Turn on music
Music is a great distraction and low-level tunes can bring on the ZZZs. The music should be without lyrics and completely instrumental. It should also be played quietly to give your brain the chance to clear. Research has found that music is a great way to relax the mind and body as it is capable of slowing down the heart rate and breathing. If you can slow down these items, you can get back to sleep quickly and easily.
11. Eye rolls
A simple eye exercise can put you back to sleep. After closing your eyes, slowly roll your eyeballs upwards. By moving your eyeballs upward at 20 degrees, it changes the brain from being alert to relaxed. Research shows shifting the eyeballs upwards slows brain waves. Once brain waves are slowed down, it can help you fall asleep.
