It can be difficult to get back to sleep after awakening during the night as you become more anxious to enjoy dreamland once again. More frustration arises as you stare at the clock watching your precious sleep time drift away.
For the occasional bout of insomnia that we all get at times, try these tips shared by The Huffington Post to put an end to obsessing over sleep at 4 a.m.:
- Don’t stay in bed: It is important not to lie in bed any longer than 15-20 minutes when you can’t sleep because it breaks the association between your bed and sleep, possibly leading to more insomnia problems. Leave your bedroom to spend time doing a relaxing, non-stimulating activity. Try reading a magazine, doing the dishes, taking a warm bath or listening to soothing music.
- Practice relaxation techniques: Try learning calming yoga poses, mindfulness and other forms of meditation, as you focus on loosening your muscles and the rise and fall of your breathing. Visualization, the “mental distraction technique,” can also be effective. By picturing yourself some place, you aren’t focusing on the fact that you can’t sleep.
- Let go of your anxiety: Obsessive thoughts about a big meeting, your bank account, and social ties can have you up for hours. Try keeping a worry journal, setting a time to write in it a couple of hours before bed and close the book on those thoughts. If you are worried about something happening the next day, don’t count down to it, turn your clock around and visualize a relaxing, positive scene.
- Be careful with medications: If you need to go this route, proceed with caution. Make sure that you are taking the medication early enough to sleep it off, taking it to close to your wake up time will lead to grogginess. Additionally, never use over-the-counter medications as a long term option, and always check with a doctor to ensure you aren’t causing a synergistic effect with other medications you are taking.
- Consult with a doctor: If your lack of sleep is becoming the norm, don’t hesitate to see a doctor immediately. A lack of sleep does affect your daytime behavior and can place yourself and others in danger, especially when it comes to driving.
Consistently getting quality sleep leads to better health, more happiness and higher levels of productivity in all areas of your life! We at Gallery Furniture want you to be your best! Turn off those lights and get to bed early tonight!
Soft Christian music and positive thoughts. Deep breathing.
Those are excellent sleep tips Melody! Any soothing activity that clears your mind and relaxes your body is going to help you get back to sleep. Thank you for sharing with us!
I have the “lie in bed awake til 3am not being able to sleep” problem, I think it’s cause I bought a cheap mattress and within the year, I felt the springs and it had dents. Unfortunately, I still own that matress but when I’m able to afford another one , I’ll know better than to go cheap.
We are sorry to hear that Lilian! A great way to improve your sleep without making a big purchase on a much needed new mattress, is to get a mattress topper.There are some that cost as little as $30-40 and can have a significant impact on your comfort level throughout the night, giving you a higher quality of sleep. Also, we recommend a relaxing routine before bed time and getting out of bed when you can’t sleep. You don’t want your body to think it’s ok to remain awake in bed. We’d love to hear how those tips work for you Lilian! Enjoy your Saturday!
I wake up through-out the night 2-3 times and its annoying since i have to wake up at 4 to go to work. Plus, if you add that on tuesdays and thursdays I go to school and dont get home until pass 9 pm! I need some zzz’s!!!
An inconsistent schedule does make it harder to get the quality of sleep you need Adri! We recommend cutting off caffeine at 2 pm, eating dinner at least 2 hours before you bedtime and watching your liquid intake before climbing into bed. Develop a soothing bedtime routine that will be a signal to your body that it’s time to sleep. Also, when you wake up in them middle of the night, be sure to go into a different room until your feel sleepy again. We hope this article will help you get the sleep you deserve!
Love the tips
We are glad to hear that Marilyn! Thank you for your feeback and we hope that these tips will help you out if ever you find yourself awake in the middle of the night.
Great tips! Will try them tonight, since I yet to have fallen asleep!
We hope these tips helped you sleep last night Lindy! Consistency and remaining relaxed at night do work wonders for your sleep. Stay persistent and patient, it can take a little time to really feel how small changes are impacting your sleep quality. Thank you for your feedback! Have a great Saturday!
I agree don’t fight it you’ll just get frustrated.
Definitely Teresa! The more you think about falling asleep, the harder it’ll be to achieve. Stay relaxed and let your body do its job.
Have tried just about everything to get s little shut eye. I do even get out of bed, but unfortunately hit the candy jar. So just try to stay in bed. And I am on my 2nd tempurpedic. Love the mattress,, but not the candy.
You don’t have to feel guilty about craving a late night snack Brenda! Many people are the same way! Instead of candy, we encourage you to try this list of sleep-inducing snacks and let us know how it works for you: http://sleep.galleryfurniture.com/sleep-inducing-snack-options-for-the-perfect-snooze/
These are great tips, thanks Gallery Furniture. I suffer from insomnia all the time at 4am, and never thought about getting out of bed and separating myself from it, I’ll try that next time.
Thanks for your feedback Pamela! We certainly hope that these tips help you get the high-quality sleep you deserve! Insomnia isn’t the same for everyone so, it’s always great to try to new things. Cutting off your caffeine intake early in the afternoon, practicing yoga and maintaining a consistent bedtime routine should also reduce your nights with insomnia. Let us know how it works out for you! Have a great Saturday!