How Do You Get Back To Sleep?

[Changing4Best]

I fall asleep OK when I first go to bed, but I often awaken only a few hours later and then cannot get back to sleep again for the rest of the night! How do you folks handle this problem when and if it happens to you? I can sometimes get back to sleep if I eat a midnight snack, but that is a bad habit in terms of my dieting practices!

 

[barefoot]

Sometimes changing beds helps me - I get up and go into the spare bedroom, which is usually cooler than my bedroom and often I then get back to sleep again. If you have a spare bedroom, that may be worth a try? Or, if not a spare bed, a couch?
Hope you find something....lying awake willing yourself to go to sleep for hours is miserable!

 

[Changing4Best]

Yes, it is miserable. I did figure out one thing though, I keep getting these split second flashbacks from a dream. I am betting it was a nightmare and my mind is refusing to allow me to go back to sleep, necause it does not want to suffer anymore of that. I cannot say as I blame my mind, I am not really crazy about opening up that can of worms either!

I do have a couch, but I always keep the light on next to it. I am afraid of the dark and so that light is my safety net, so to speak! I can see it or the light from it, no matter where I am in my apartment. So I don't want to turn it off. I do have a nightlight in the bathroom, so I suppose I could borrow it and use it instead of the light, but then I suppose I should just go and buy a nightlight, so I would not have to go though all that hassle!

 

[Brokensoul88]

I am afraid of the dark and so that light is my safety net, so to speak!

Me too, since moving into my house I've had no room curtains so I have had a little streetlight trickling in. My mum made beautiful blinds but it's too dark now so it's harder to sleep. I've started keeping the blinds up so I still get a bit of light. If the night light is a pain what about keeping a torch next to you?

 

[crispy362]

I used to get up and wander around the house, or turn on the tv, or read, but I found that all of these activities kept my mind awake. But now, I've found that if I close my eyes, turn on some soothing music (I personally like psychedelic trance,) and just focus on the rhythm, and the instruments, I can fall back to sleep fairly quickly. Try some tea as well. Something with chamomile is always good, and helps calm a racing mind :-)

 

[Ocean5]

Sometimes very hot shower works to calm body down, and sometimes I use stretch bands to get adrenaline out.

I'm not afraid of dark (actually can't sleep with light), so only keep small amount of light on to help return to sleep. I'd go with more nightlights than regular lights. Just research light color so it won't affect your sleep. Also, if you get on computer when waking-up install f.lux. Someone had recommended this on forum. Will adjust color temperature to make falling back asleep easier.

Not recommended, but have a drink. Sometimes works - sometimes doesn't. But I'd prefer that than medicine.

 

[Heather]

Sometimes when I wake up during the middle of the night. I'll go watch t.v.for awhile and if that doesn't help, I usually drag my butt back to bed and listen to my MP3 player.

Usually that helps and I'm able to fall back asleep. If it gets really bad I usually take something like tylenol pm which I know is not recommended for long term. But hey by that time I'm desperate for sleep.

I don't know if any of this is helpful.

I hope it gets better for you.