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How to Sleep Again After Waking Up

Buzzle Staff
Studies have shown that insomnia can spur creativity. Creative insomnia, though helpful, may not be healthy in the long run. It has been observed that, creative people take longer to sleep and come up with innovative ideas at night. Of course, this cannot be generalized for everyone.
"I've always envied people who sleep easily. Their brains must be cleaner, the floorboards of the skull well swept, all the little monsters closed up in a steamer trunk at the foot of the bed."
― David Benioff, City of Thieves
You suddenly get up, it's still dark. You check the time, it's just 3:30 in the morning. You realize that you have almost 4 more hours to sleep. You go back to sleep. But do you immediately sleep again? Most of us don't. Tick tock goes the clock, and so does your mind.
Did I close the door properly? Is Jon really interested in me? Oh shoot! I forgot to send that important mail to the client. My boss is going to kill me. I won't be able to go to the gym tomorrow. I need the extra sleep. Why the hell am I not sleeping??? I shouldn't have had the entire chocolate pastry yesterday.
May be Jon thinks I'm fat! Sleep deprivation makes us fat. Damn, I need to sleep!

There's literally no limit to how much your mind can wander when you are desperately trying to get some shut-eye. Going to sleep is okay, but going back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night can be a Herculean task.

How to Fall Back to Sleep in the Middle of the Night
The longer you are unable to sleep, the harder it will be. Instead of twisting and turning, or getting frustrated, just get out of the bed.
The bed should be associated only with sleep, so no point in just lying awake there. Sit on a chair and read a boring book, or watch a boring movie. Once you start feeling drowsy again, hop back into bed.
Stop calculating the hours of sleep you can get. It will make you lose more. Clocks can be very distracting when trying to sleep in the middle of the night.
They constantly remind you how much time is getting wasted, and frustrate you more. Ensure that the clock is not right in front of your eyes. If it is, just turn it around while trying to sleep.
Thinking about the breakfast meeting scheduled by your boss will torment you more. Instead, try meditation or deep-breathing exercises. Even if you don't fall asleep immediately, it will relax your mind and calm you down. All the unnecessary thoughts will start fading away, making it easier to catch some shut-eye.
Our brain associates light with waking up, so switch off any possible light sources. The best way to ensure an undisturbed sleep is wearing an eye mask. Don't check your phone, as the blue light from electronic devices hampers the production of the sleep hormone - melatonin.
Is some noise disturbing you? All sounds tend to get amplified in the eerie night silence. Get up and close the window if there are distractions outside. If your eccentric neighbor or nocturnal roomy bothers you often, invest in good quality earplugs.
More often than not, we get up in the middle of the night to pee. But of course, getting out of bed is a torture. Don't try to sleep when you know you gotta answer nature's call. Just get up, take a leak, and go back to sleep. Even if you don't strongly feel like going, there's no harm in taking a washroom break.
Lie down on the bed in a relaxed state. Slowly roll your eyes upwards. This will put your brain in a relaxed state, as slow brain waves will be produced, making you drowsy.
There's an acupuncture point on the upper part of the ear. Stimulate it by slowly massaging both your ears. This will reduce anxiety and make you fall asleep sooner.
Lie down comfortably and start relaxing each and every muscle of your body. Begin with the toes. First tense the muscles and then release them slowly. Continue doing this with each and every part of the body. Finally, ease up your face. With this technique, you'll be dozing peacefully in no time.
Think about the things you love. Imagine holidaying on a secluded beach with your partner, or indulging in your favorite dessert. This will not only distract your mind from all those sleep thoughts, but also help you relax. Then tell yourself you are happy and you are going to sleep now.
Listening to relaxing sleep audio will help you sleep better. You can also make a playlist of some soothing songs in your MP3 player and keep it at your bedside. Music will calm you down and ensure that your mind doesn't wander too much.
Are you waking up in the middle of the night too often? Is there some kind of pattern to your nocturnal troubles?
Recording the exact timings will help you keep a track of events that make you lose sleep. May be some particular activity is letting you sleep less. The record will be very helpful in understanding the cause of deprivation, and thereby taking necessary action.
If 3 a.m. has become your new best friend, it's time to get some help. Sleep deprivation for a prolonged period can have serious repercussions. It will affect your performance and make you cranky. In such cases, it is better to talk to a counselor who will analyze the problem and suggest appropriate remedies.