To wake up during the night happens to most of us, and we can all agree it can be frustrating.
However, when this happens, doctors warn that we should avoid doing one thing that prevents us from falling back asleep.
Dr. Biquan Luo, CEO of LumosTech, spoke of this issue with The New York Times, and shared a tip for those who tend waking up in the middle of the night.
“Checking the time can increase stress and make it harder to sleep. Additionally, if you check the time on your phone, the contents of the phone may be too stimulating, which further prevents you from relaxing and falling asleep,” Dr. Luo said.
Lying awake and tossing and turning for what may feel like forever before we are able to doze off again can be irritating. So, in order to keep ourselves entertained until drifting back to sleep, we tend to scroll through the social media.
Dr. Luo, however, strongly advises against doing that. “If you can’t fall back asleep after 10 or 15 minutes, it’s time to get out of bed. Try going to a quiet and comfortable place at home, like the couch, and engage in a quiet, low-stimulation activity, such as reading a book or doing a calming activity, until you feel sleepy again – then return to bed.”
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He adds that the phone’s bright light and endless stimulation can only make the process of getting back to sleep even more difficult.
Shifting our focus on something more calming if we wake up during the night is a tip another expert, Dr. Fiona Barwick, who leads the Sleep & Circadian Health Program at Stanford University School of Medicine, suggests.
“Thinking about the fact that you’re not sleeping can rouse your mind and make you more anxious. A better move is to accept your situation – don’t resist being awake – and find an alternative focus,” she says.
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Sleep specialist Luis F. Buenaver says staying in bed while wide awake can do more harm than good.
“Doing this will lead your brain and body to associate your bed with wakefulness instead of with sleep.
“It can be difficult leaving a warm, comfortable bed after waking up in the middle of the night. But think of this step as an investment in better sleep – if not tonight then tomorrow night and in the future.
“Sit in a comfortable chair in another room.”
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