When it’s time to go to bed many people have no problem closing their eyes and falling asleep. The trouble is staying asleep.
According to Philip Cheng, clinical psychologist and research scientist at the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Health System, there are several Do’s and Don’ts to follow in order to stay asleep throughout the night.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, he suggests getting out of bed and going to a different room to do something peaceful until you feel tired enough to return to your bed.
Don’t watch the clock. Once you realize how little time you have until the alarm goes off, you’ll become more stressed and less likely to fall back asleep.
When insomnia kicks in, some may be tempted to visit social media pages. That’s not a great idea because electronics interfere with the natural rhythm of the body—thus making it harder to get back to sleep.
Also avoid anything that makes you more awake like chores, work or hobbies, which may turn waking up in the middle of the night into a bad habit.
Do not drink coffee in the afternoon as it can stay in your system up to eight hours and make for a difficult night’s sleep. And while alcoholic beverages might help you relax and make you tired, the reality is they do interfere with sleep.
Light and undemanding television shows can help pass time until you get tired again. While we’re taught to turn off television before bedtime, it’s okay to get up and go to the living room where the set is positioned at a safe distance from your eyes. Reading a real book—not an e-book or material from a tablet—can soothe you back to sleep as well.
People who get enough sleep are those who keep the same sleeping schedule—including weekends. It’s also a good idea to get in the habit of using relaxation techniques to help you chill out such as meditation.
If you’re waking up during the night three or more times per week, taking longer than 30 minutes to get back to sleep, or waking up in the middle of the night for at least 30 days, Cheng suggests going to a sleep specialist.
