Featured Image Credit: Oleg Breslavtsev / torwai / Getty Images
Topics: Hacks, Sleep, Health, Mental Health, Life
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Hacks, Sleep, Health, Mental Health, Life
There's no better feeling than being well-rested and ready for the day ahead after rising up from a good night's sleep.
However, it seems some proper good and uninterrupted shut-eye can be harder for some people than others with many people having restless nights.
So, to remedy those sleepless snoozes, one expert has warned against two common mistakes to avoid when you wake up in the middle of the night.
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From pain and discomfort to stress and anxiety all the way to being too hot or too cold - there are a whole bunch of reasons why some of us can't stay asleep at night.
Dr. Biquan Luo, a San Francisco sleep expert, explained to The Post that 'disruption of the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle' can also lead to a disturbed sleep.
The sleep guru advises that the best thing to do if you wake up in the middle of the night is to simply stay put.
Try to relax in your bed and see if you can nod off again.
You can even try out some sleeping techniques and tricks including breathing exercises or whacking on some white noise in the background.
Luo continued: "If you can’t fall back asleep after 10 or 15 minutes, it’s time to get out of bed.
"Try going to a quiet and comfortable place at home, like the couch, and engage in a quiet, low-stimulation activity, such as reading a book or doing a calming activity, until you feel sleepy again — then return to bed."
OK - so you're up - what do you do now?
Well, the expert suggests you try your best to resist the urge to reach for your phone or look at the clock.
Luo explains that checking the time upon waking up in the middle of the night is one of the most commonly made mistakes that will make it more difficult to drift back off, adding: "Checking the time can increase stress and make it harder to sleep."
She also noted: "Additionally, if you check the time on your phone, the contents of the phone may be too stimulating, which further prevents you from relaxing and falling asleep."
Luo also shared information about our bodies' internal clock - highlighting that waking up in the middle of the night could be down to you body’s internal clock not lining up with your sleep schedule.
The expert explained: "Our sleep is governed by two key factors — early in the night, it’s the buildup of sleep pressure, our body’s need for rest, that helps us both fall and stay asleep.
"Later in the night, our internal clock, known as circadian signaling, plays a crucial role in maintaining sleep."
Ideally, you'd want both these factors to work in tandem to provide you with a long and uninterrupted kip.
"But," Luo went on, "if sleep pressure fades before the circadian signal fully kicks in, it might lead to waking up at night.
"If you’re unsure why you’re waking up during the night, you may look into adjusting your internal clock to see if it helps reduce these interruptions."