Most people associate insomnia with the inability to fall asleep. While that’s true, insomnia can also strike in the middle of the night, when you wake up and find yourself unable to fall back to sleep.
While the causes for waking up in the wee hours can range from hormonal shifts that increase periods of light sleep versus deep sleep, to environmental factors such as dim light and background noises, the proven methods for falling back to sleep can work for everyone. Next time you find yourself wide awake when you should be sleeping, try one of the following strategies recommended by the Sleep Foundation for falling back into a restful slumber:
Deep Breathing. Taking a few slow, deep breaths can be a simple and effective way to fall back to sleep. This type of breathing may activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is involved in relaxation and sleep. Try systemizing your deep breathing with a specific technique, such as the 4-7-8 method: Inhale for four seconds through the nose, hold the breath for seven seconds, and then exhale through the mouth for eight seconds. Repeat this several times and you just might find yourself calm enough to fall back to sleep.
Box Breathing. Another effective breathing method to help you relax and get back to sleep is referred to as box breathing. Simply breathe in for four seconds, hold the breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and hold the breath again for four seconds. Imagine working your way around each side of a square box as you perform each step in this breathing technique. Feel free to adjust the four-second interval in whatever way it works best for you.
Guided Imagery. Recreating a peaceful scene in your mind can also help calm you in the middle of the night and invite sleep to return. The idea is to visualize a place you find calming and relaxing, such as a beach. As you visualize the setting, try to imagine what you would be experiencing through all five senses—try to see, hear, smell, taste and feel the sensations you would if you were actually there.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). This technique involves progressively tensing and then relaxing each muscle in the body. You can start with your feet, then move up to your head, one muscle group at a time, or vice-versa. After you tense a muscle, try to keep it contracted for at least five seconds, then slowly release it. Guided recordings are widely available to talk you through this progressive muscle relaxation.
Calming Music. Research shows that listening to music or white noise can help people fall asleep faster and wake up less during the night. Music and white noise likely promote sleep by blocking out background noise and/or prompting a relaxation response. You can access sleep-inducing music or white noise through a plethora of YouTube videos or streaming music services, or invest in a special white noise device to keep by your bedside.
