How to Get Back to Sleep Once You Wake Up
Having a sleep disorder that’s ongoing can be very frustrating. You’re sick of being irritable, tired of feeling sleepy all day, and too exhausted to think straight and find a solution on your own.
Your anxiety about not sleeping will build over time. As one night turns into one month, you begin to panic, and when you wake up in the middle of the night, your anxiety contributes to you not being able to get back to sleep.
First, think about why you’re not sleeping soundly through the night. Try to remedy any exterior distractions, such as the alarm clock light that glows in your face, the noise you hear outside from the traffic, or a pet that routinely crawls in and out of your bed, waking you up every couple of hours.
Sometimes it’s a habit that you need to change. You may think you’re doing yourself a favor going to bed at 7 PM, but because it’s so early, it might actually be causing you to wake up too early.
Whatever the cause – the solution you seek when you’re awoken during the middle of the night is to get back to sleep. But how – when your frustration is at an all-time high? Make sure you don’t add anything stimulating to the mix.
Flipping on the TV or turning on the light to read a book is only waking you up further. You want to do something relaxing, but don’t lay in bed fuming over the fact that your sleep partner’s snoring woke you up again.
Instead, try visualization or self-hypnosis to calm your nerves and help you fall back asleep. You can release tension to start the visualization process by tensing and releasing different parts of your body, such as your fists, your toes, your shoulders, and more.
Then begin a series of deep breathing exercises. Breathe in deep through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Some people like to focus solely on their breathing to fall back asleep, while others prefer to visual a tranquil scene, like a brook running through a lush forest.
Others like to visualize themselves in the scene, such as a warm day at the beach, listening to the waves roll in and out. If this helps you, try to concentrate on all of your senses during the visualization process.
If you’re unfamiliar with self-hypnosis or visualization, you can invest in some downloads or CDs that provide instructions and guidance in the process as well as ideas and sounds to set the scene for you.
