Struggling to fall asleep is not the only sleep issue I encounter as an insomnia specialist. One of the most common sleep problems I come across is people struggling to sleep through the night, falling asleep easily but then waking and struggling to drift off again.

Once we get into a pattern of waking in the night, this can begin to repeat itself, and the more time we spend awake and anxious in bed, the more we connect out bed to wakefulness and not to sleep. However, don’t panic! If you’ve found yourself waking during the night, unable to get back to sleep, there are some simple steps you can take to resolve the issue.  

1.     Shorten your time in bed
Even if you have a bad night’s sleep, get up every day at your normal time and stick to a routine as much as you can. Spending all day in your PJs and having a lie in can be tempting (especially during lockdown) but keep your bedroom for sleeping. This is really important, as if you get up late and spend too much time in bed, then your natural appetite for sleep will weaken, leaving you more likely to wake up during the night as you will feel wide awake.

2.     Don’t clock watch
If you’re waking in the night then it can be very tempting to look at the clock every time you wake. However, this increases pressure to fall back to sleep and therefore makes it less likely. Set your alarm for the morning, and then avoid looking at the time again. 

3.     Leave the room
If you wake in the night, and can’t get back to sleep, get out of bed. It may sound counterintuitive, but the longer you spend in bed tossing and turning and unable to sleep, the more you will begin to relate your bed to feeling stressed and to being awake. If you’re struggling to drift back off to sleep, get up and go to another room, read a book or do something you enjoy, and then when you’re feeling sleepy again, head back to bed. 

4.     Manage your stress
If you find yourself waking in the night because you’re anxious and stressed about things going on in your life, managing your stress is a great way to improve your sleep. Every day, allocate a 20 minute window of time to writing down everything you’re worried about. This is a great way of telling your mind that you’re not ignoring your worries but acknowledging them at a time that is suitable for you, not in the middle of the night! Always use a pen and paper, as this is a much more effective way to ‘empty’ your mind than using a digital device. Once this 20 minute window is up, move on, do something you enjoy, and if any negative thoughts or worries pop up, simply make a note of them and allow yourself to think about them during your allocated time later on.