Not being able to get to sleep is frustrating, at best.
At worst, it’s the most horrendous thing to have ever happened in the whole entire world and nothing will ever be more painful or irritating.
Waking up in the middle of the night is somehow even worse though.
You’ve managed to get to sleep, enjoyed your few hours of slumbered bliss, only to find yourself awake and frustrated again.
It’s grim situation, and one that we’ve all experienced one time or another, so we may as well share all our tips and tricks to getting yourself back to sleep while we can.
While some of them are pretty obvious (meditation), others aren’t – and to be honest, when you’re that desperate for a bit of kip, you’ll try anything once.
1. Play some nice, relaxing sounds
No, we don’t mean blast some tunes and hope for the best.
There’s a plethora of calming and soothing music out there on the World Wide Web ready for you to listen to and doze off while you do so.
Or if music isn’t your thing, podcast Sleep With Me tells an incredibly boring 90 minute story that’s sure to send you over the edge – sleep-wise and maybe annoyance-wise too, it’s hard to tell sometimes.
2. Make the room darker
Make sure your curtains are drawn, stick an eyemask on, and burrow yourself deep under the covers to give yourself the best chance of falling unconscious again.
Exposure to harsh lighting can not only leave us a bit shook, but it also has the potential to wake us up a lot faster.
If you need to use the bathroom, consider going in the dark – or, if you can’t trust yourself to that, try use a dim light to ensure you don’t wake yourself up more than needed.
It goes without saying too that you absolutely shouldn’t pick up your phone for a scroll if you’re trying to get a bit of shut-eye.
3. Meditate
Focusing on your thoughts and the way your body feels should make it easier to calm yourself down if you’ve awoken feeling stressed or anxious.
Dr Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 breath meditation technique is also a decent shout if you really need to get back to sleep immediately.
It involves taking a deep breath through your nose for four seconds, holding it for seven seconds, then releasing it via your mouth for eight seconds.
The technique will send a good bit of oxygen to your brain, hopefully making it easier to fall back to sleep.
4. Have sex
Maybe the most appealing of the above suggestions, having sex not only tires you out, but it also releases a load of oxytocin that will act as a sedative and knock you right out.
Orgasming also releases a hormone called prolactin which makes you drowsy as well as a load of oestrogen that enhances the REM cycle.
Sound.
If any of the above don’t do anything for you though, you could also buy yourself a pot of Lush’s sleepy cream.
It smells like lavender and will send you into the deepest, most bliss-filled night’s sleep you’ve ever experienced.
Ideal.
