8 Tips for Getting Back to Sleep

Do your nights consist of struggling to fall asleep and waking up easily? Are you waking up feeling tired and groggy? Well, you’re not alone – although waking up in the middle of the night is a common occurrence, it is still extremely frustrating to have your sleep interrupted and then struggle to fall back into slumber. 

Even though waking up might not be your fault, there are several things you could be doing that cause you to struggle to fall back asleep. Fortunately, we have gathered some tips to help you get your z’s back in no time. Keep reading to find out more!

Try Breathing Exercises

Oftentimes, struggling to fall back asleep is caused by our minds becoming active, causing our brain to fully wake up and our heart rate to speed up. As a result, breathing exercises are the perfect way to relax your mind, allowing it to focus on breathing and slowing down your heart rate. 

Breathing exercises usually consist of counting your breaths. One method of breathing to slow down your heart rate is 5-5-5: breathe in for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and exhale for another 5 seconds. While you may not see the benefits of this right away, breathing in 5-5-5 several times will slow down your heart rate and help you fall asleep faster. [1]

Avoid Screens

In the age of technology, it is almost impossible to avoid checking our phones as soon as we wake up. Whether it be to check our email or simply check the time, looking at screens has a drastic effect on our sleep cycle. 

Not only is blue light bad for your vision, but it can also slow down the production of melatonin [2,3]. Melatonin is the hormone that controls your circadian rhythm and, therefore, is affected poorly when interrupted by technology. Technology should be avoided for at least thirty minutes before bed, all throughout the night, and even when waking up in the morning, seeing as it has negative effects on our behavior for the rest of the day. 

The blue light emitted by our smartphones disrupts our circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is what controls our sleep cycles to make us sleepy at night and active during the day. Essentially, the blue light from our phones mimics sunlight, tricking our brains into thinking it is daytime and making it more difficult to fall asleep [2]. Overall, avoiding electronics can help you fall asleep when you wake up at night. 

Avoid Clocks

It is frustrating to wake up thinking it is time to get out of bed, only for you to check the clock and see it’s only 2 AM. Now you’re annoyed that you’re awake and stressed out about not being able to fall back asleep. If counting sheep doesn't work, it might be because you’re conscious about counting and still not able to fall asleep. 

Therefore, avoid having clocks around your room, and especially avoid checking your phone, for the reasons previously mentioned. If you do wake up and you’re not sure what time it is, you're better off trying to fall back asleep immediately. 

Optimal Temperature

Doctors recommend that we sleep with the temperature set between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit. Although this might vary from person to person, it is known that cooler temperatures make for better sleep [4]. As a result, sleeping in high temperatures may cause night sweats and waking up in the middle of the night. 

Fortunately, Cosy House’s Luxury Bed Sheets are made with light and breathable bamboo viscose material with thermal-regulating properties. Your sheets will stay cool and light throughout the night while working to regulate your body’s temperature to avoid waking up in a sweat. 

Additionally, the Luxury Sheets are hypoallergenic, warding off common household non-living allergens and helping you avoid waking up because of allergies as well. With our Luxury Sheets, wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested while having slept through the night! 

Fake it Till You Make It

If you wake up in the middle of the night, the first thing you might want to try is pretending to be asleep. By mimicking your sleeping habits, you’re telling your body to settle down, breathe, and slow down your heart rate, eventually leading to you falling right back asleep. Clear your mind and pretend until you’ve drifted off until you have!

Take A Warm Shower

If you’ve tried several methods but can’t seem to fall asleep, you could try getting out of bed to take a warm shower. Not only will a warm shower relax your body, but it will also help let your body know that it is time for bed. Researchers say that warm water can increase blood flow to our extremities (hands and feet), therefore making our body temperature escape faster and cool our body down for bed [5].

In addition to cooling down our bodies, taking a shower at night can also lower blood pressure and relieve nasal congestion [5].

Utilize Your Senses 

When waking up in the middle of the night, we often feel disoriented and confused. As a result, a way to help us easily fall back asleep is to use our senses to relax our body and mind. For instance, aromatherapy is known to have a calming effect on the mind, even reducing feelings of anxiety [6]. Therefore, using products such as Cosy House’s Lavender Linen Spray can help soothe you back to sleep. Other essential oils that can help with sleep include: 

• Chamomile
• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood 
• Peppermint 

Listen to Calming Music 

Music has the ability to affect how a person feels, consciously and subconsciously. Just as you listen to happy music when you’re in a good mood, listening to calming music can help you fall asleep faster. 

However, keep in mind that not all music will have a calming effect on your body and mind – for instance, dance music might not have the best effects on sleeping. To help you fall asleep, it is recommended you listen to white noise or music with a slow tempo (98 BPM) [7]. In addition to helping you fall asleep, slow music can also calm the nervous system, slow breathing, lower heart rate, and reduce blood pressure [8]. So turn on the sounds of a soft guitar or a calming piano and voila – peaceful sleep at last. 

Although the tips on this list do not guarantee you won't wake up in the middle of the night, they might help you reduce the feeling of restlessness when you wake up in the morning. The more you incorporate these into your routine, the less you will need them in the long run. You might be trying every tip to get back to sleep, while it is often your environment that is disrupting your slumber. With light and breathable sheets, a soft and supportive pillow, and relaxing aromas, you’ll decrease the chances of waking in the middle of the night. 

Cosy House has got you covered! Click here to start shopping.

Let us know which methods work best for you! 

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Sources

1. Miller, M. (2022, March 7). Box breathing: 5-5-5 breathing technique for a calm mind. Pure Placid. Retrieved from https://pureplacid.com/blogs/pure-placid-blog/5-5-5-breathing-technique-for-a-calm-mind  

2. Cleveland Clinic. (2022, May 20). 3 reasons to ditch your phone before bed. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/put-the-phone-away-3-reasons-why-looking-at-it-before-bed-is-a-bad-habit/?billing_country=undefined  

3. Why it's time to ditch the phone before bed. SCL Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/2019/09/why-it-is-time-to-ditch-the-phone-before-bed/#:~:text=Blue%20light%20is%20harmful%20to,wake%20up%20the%20next%20day. 

4. Pacheco, D. (2022, March 11). The best temperature for sleep: Advice & tips. Sleep Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/best-temperature-for-sleep#:~:text=The%20best%20bedroom%20temperature%20for,for%20the%20most%20comfortable%20sleep.  

5. Pacheco, D. (2022, April 19). Do cold showers help you get more sleep? Sleep Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/shower-before-bed#:~:text=Those%20who%20bathe%20or%20shower,heat%20to%20escape%20more%20quickly.  

6. Malcolm, B. J., & Tallian, K. (2018, March 26). Essential Oil of Lavender in anxiety disorders: Ready for prime time? The mental health clinician. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007527/ 

7. Dodds, L. (2019, September 26). The soundtrack to A better night's sleep. The Soundtrack To A Better Night's Sleep | Mattress Online. Retrieved from https://www.mattressonline.co.uk/blog/sleep-science/soundtrack-to-a-better-nights-sleep/  

8. Newsom, R. (2022, April 14). Music and sleep: Can music help you sleep better? Sleep Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/noise-and-sleep/music#:~:text=Music%20improves%20sleep%20through%20calming,rate%2C%20and%20reduced%20blood%20pressure.  

9. Rai, J. (2021, December 10). Council Post: Why you should stop checking your phone in the morning (and what to do instead). Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/04/02/why-you-should-stop-checking-your-phone-in-the-morning-and-what-to-do-instead/?sh=e86b0e126842