Sleep is majorly important to your health and wellbeing, but little did you know that you can self-sabotage yourself by doing one thing.
A sleep expert has come out to share the number one no-no that you’re doing at night and it’s time to stop.
Sleeping doesn’t come naturally for all of us, and some people find that it’s hit and miss whether they get a full night of kip.
Whether it’s becoming increasingly difficult to go to sleep or to stop waking up during the night, it’s rare that people have a blissful eight hours.
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Even though there have been experts that tout things you can do to mitigate these challenges, such as following your circadian rhythm, not drinking coffee and limiting your alcohol, sometimes it’s impossible not to wake up in the early hours feeling like a gremlin.
But if you can’t help but wake up, here’s what you absolutely should not do if you know what’s good for you.
Don’t try to initiate round two
OK, so we all want to get a good few hours’ of sleep every night, and when you’re up at 2am and have no idea why your body has chosen today to be the day it betrays your trust, most of the time you’ll roll over and try to force yourself back to snooze-ville.
It’s something that we’ve all probably tried, but a sleep expert has condemned this act.
“Thinking about the fact that you’re not sleeping can rouse your mind and make you more anxious. A better move is to accept your situation—don’t resist being awake—and find an alternative focus,” Dr Fiona Barwick told Self.
Apparently, the act of forcing yourself back to sleep can disrupt your sleep cycle, leading to more issues in that department.
Don’t stay in bed
Sleep expert Luis F. Buenaver writes in a post published on John Hopkins medicine, it’s ‘important not to stay in bed.’
He explained: “Doing this will lead your brain and body to associate your bed with wakefulness instead of with sleep. It can be difficult leaving a warm, comfortable bed after waking up in the middle of the night.
“But think of this step as an investment in better sleep—if not tonight then tomorrow night and in the future.”
Ditch the phone
So, this is an obvious one.
Experts have been telling us to stay away from phones before bed for ever, but when you wake up in the middle of the night, you definitely shouldn’t be reaching for the screen.
This is because the blue light shining out from your mobile device is a recipe for disaster and can wake you up even further.
If you wake up at night, you should instead opt for an activity that helps you feel calm so that you can take your mind off of the fact you’re no longer sleeping.
Once your mind is completely off your sleep ordeal, you might just find yourself slipping back off into the land of three Zs.
Britt Jones