Waking Up At Night: Strategies To Get Back To Sleep

Instead of getting nervous about not being able to sleep, try to relax and visualize calming images that will get you back to sleep.

Waking up at night can be very uncomfortable. This often leads to nervousness, tiredness and the question of why you cannot go back to sleep.

Many people suffer from nocturnal insomnia and have great difficulty getting back to sleep when they wake up .

In this case, the third phase of sleep, in which REM sleep occurs, is usually not reached at all.

How can you go back to sleep after waking up at night?

John Lloyd is a BBC television producer who became well known for his popular science programs.

He has also written the book “Denkste”: Wrong knowledge cleared up ”, in which, among other things, the  following wrong strategies are examined, which should help to fall asleep again: 

• Get up and then take a walk around the apartment.
• Focus on getting back to sleep by repeating the phrase “I’m going to sleep now, I need to rest”.
• Say series of numbers to yourself.
• Watch TV for a moment and hope that you will fall asleep.

All of these strategies are known as the “pink elephant”. Suffice it to say “don’t think of a pink elephant” to focus your mind on this very subject. The same thing happens with insomnia.

1. The importance of the ambient temperature

The ambient temperature may seem unimportant at first, but science has found that it is best to sleep between 19 and 22 degrees Celsius.

• Light freezing can promote relaxation and increase  the oxygen supply to the brain.

• You can cover your upper body. Don’t forget to wear light pajamas made from natural fibers.
• If you are in the habit of sleeping with socks on, you can put one foot out of the blanket to help regulate your body temperature.
• If you like, you can of course also open the window a little to let in fresh air.

2. Sleeping position

The sleeping position also plays an important role in guaranteeing restful sleep and being able to fall asleep faster again.

Make a habit of sleeping on your left side. In this way, the liver is not compressed and the processes in the organism can be carried out unhindered and without pressure.

• Place a small pillow between your legs. So you can take care of your back and your spine and take a balanced position.
• In this position, muscle tension is also loosened and you feel more relaxed.

3. Avoid thoughts that make you nervous

When you wake up at night, you may bury yourself in the pillow or roll over in bed hoping to go back to sleep.

• Thoughts like “I have to sleep, I have to get up and go to work in 4 hours” only make you nervous and this is exactly what should be prevented.

• Replace your thoughts with pictures.
• You can accomplish a lot more by visualizing calming, enjoyable images.

Words require other activities that overly stimulate the brain. Therefore, if you wake up in the middle of the night, it is best to imagine a calming picture.

The castle of rest

• Visualize a beautiful dream castle. You gradually approach and then enter a white room with calm light.
• This room has large windows that give you a view of a relaxing environment. You are watching a sunset.
• In this pleasant environment you will hear the babbling of a small brook.
• The temperature is perfect, nothing can disturb this balance. There are no problems here, they are far away. Nothing can disturb the calm in the white room.

• You feel light and relaxed. You lie down on a sofa to let yourself be enveloped by this magic.

These images can relax your mind as well as your body. People who meditate also use this technique during the day to switch off briefly and then relax. With practice, this strategy can be very effective.

When you wake up at night, you should first get into a comfortable position and then you can do this simple visualization.