We all want to sleep well. However, there are times when we wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep. The worst part is when this happens several nights a week. Hell! So what to do when this happens? Here I offer you my 5 shrink tips that will help you better manage your nightly awakenings. I promise you will be unable to fall asleep before the end of the text!
Tip o 1: get out of bed
Researcher and psychologist Charles Morin, Ph.D., recommends that people get out of bed and the bedroom when they can’t get back to sleep after 20 minutes. Why leave your cozy bed and take refuge in another room?
This is to prevent you from creating a negative association between your bed and insomnia. And once we’re in another room, what do we do?
Tip o 2: Stay in the dark
Now is not the time to turn on the lights or electronic devices (TV, tablet, cell phone). Because of the light, your brain might mistakenly think that the day is breaking and prepare you for a morning wake-up call. We don’t want that!
Did you know that light interrupts the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone? Studies have shown that even low light can inhibit the release of melatonin for up to 90 minutes. But this hormone is important for health and for regulating the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness.
I want to create a proverb: light is good during the day and bad at night.
What to do in the dark when you wake up?
Tip 3: Meditate Pray Love
What does your brain do when you wake up?
Does he dwell on the past? Does he anticipate the future? Is he trying to solve problems? Such mental activities are incompatible with sleep.
In contrast, meditating, praying, or gratefully thinking about someone we love puts us in a better position to fall back to sleep. Speaking of meditation, would you like to know a simple technique?
I share with you the one I apply: eyes closed, I focus my attention on the area between the two eyebrows, my point of focus. This is an Indian approach. As soon as my mind wanders, I bring my attention back to that point of focus. And so on.
You could focus on your breathing instead. Do not try to modify or control it. Observe her. And that’s all. Each time you start to think about your worries, return your attention to your breathing: again observe the air coming in and out of your nostrils. Here. No more complicated than that. When should we go back to bed?
Tip 4: Wait for the signal drowsiness
Again, Dr. Charles Morin recommends waiting until you are drowsy before going to bed. What are the signs of sleepiness?
- heavy eyelids
- itchy eyes
- yawning ?
- slow-motion brain
- irresistible urge to sleep
When you see these signals, walk over to your bed and let yourself slip into sleep.
Tip 5: Play down the challenge of insomnia
What perspective should we take in the face of the challenge of insomnia?
I share with you some key ideas that you might keep in mind:
- “I am able to cope with a lack of sleep.”
- “I’ll be able to do things, even when I’m tired.”
- “If I am tired tomorrow, I will rearrange my schedule, if possible.”
- “I have tools to deal with insomnia. “
These are down-to-earth thoughts that can help us play down moments of insomnia. Are there any other constructive and realistic thoughts that should be added to this list?
In Conclusion
I have presented you 5 tips and tricks to apply in the event of nocturnal awakenings:
- 1) get out of bed;
- 2) stay in the dark;
- 3) meditate, pray or think of someone you love;
- 4) wait for drowsiness to return;
- 5) play down the challenge of insomnia.
I invite you to the assurance of these strategies on yourself. You will give me the news!