The 1 thing you shouldn’t do when you wake up in the middle of the night, according to doctors

Bad dreams, sirens blaring, weak bladders; There are many reasons why people cannot sleep from 11 at night until 7 the next morning. Doctors say this is completely normal, but how you deal with these sleep disorders can mean the difference between feeling rested and refreshed or feeling groggy and cranky. If you want to save your sleep, here’s what to do and what not to do when you wake up in the middle of the night.

What not to do if you wake up in the middle of the night

check the time

The number one, most important thing Negative What should you do when your sleep is interrupted? Check the time. As tempting as it may be to peek in on your way back from the bathroom or when your mind is racing, don’t give in to the temptation.

“Avoid looking at the clock occasionally when you wake up. Watching the clock can increase anxiety and make it harder to fall back asleep,” he says. Dr. Harneet WaliaHe is a board-certified family physician and medical director of sleep medicine at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute.

Dr. B Stephen SandersA board-certified men’s health doctor based in Florida suggests going one step further. “Put the clock somewhere you can’t see it and let your alarm do its thing,” he says. “Every time you check the clock, you’re trying to calculate how many hours you have left, which feeds the anxiety cycle.”

Look at your phone

Who among us isn’t guilty of turning on a device when sleep seems elusive? However, all doctors agree on this; This is a very bad habit that needs to be corrected. Dr. Bijoy E. JohnA board-certified sleep physician in Nashville, Tenn., explains that exposure to light from screens signals wakefulness to the brain, which can make it more difficult to fall asleep. “Don’t reach for your phone,” he urges.

Panic

Are you ready for good news? It’s pretty common to not sleep through the night, so resist the urge to freak out if you don’t fall asleep right away.

Dr. Julia WhitakerDo your best to stay relaxed and calm, says a board-certified sleep medicine specialist based in Colorado. “It’s normal to wake up once or twice. The real problem is the response. Looking at the clock and thinking, ‘Oh no, I’ll be too tired tomorrow,’ triggers stress hormones and makes it harder to fall back asleep,” he says.

What should you do if you wake up in the middle of the night?

Give your body time

It can be frustrating to stay awake when you could (and should) be sleeping, but be patient, stay calm, and give yourself time to return to peaceful sleep.

“The goal is to bring your mind back to a relaxing, restful state without stressing the fact that you’re awake or overstimulating your mind,” he says. Dr. Sergio GuiteauA board-certified physician based in Florida.

get out of bed

The unfortunate truth is that there will be nights when it takes longer than you’d like to fall asleep again. When this happens, don’t force it.

“If you’ve been awake for about 20 minutes and can’t go back to sleep, get out of bed,” Walia advises. “Only return to bed when you feel sleepy again. This helps train your brain to associate bed with sleep rather than wakefulness or frustration.”

Relax with low-light, low-stress activities

So, should you start a horror movie or scroll through TikTok at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep? NO! If you need to get out of bed to give yourself time to get tired again, doctors recommend low-light, low-stimulus activities to pass the time.

Dr. José Noktagconeurologist and sleep medicine specialist hoagGood options include reading a few pages of a plain book, listening to soft music or a calming podcast at low volume, doing gentle stretching, or doing slow breathing or meditation, says Dr. You can also try working on a puzzle or knitting.

One last note…

While occasional sleep interruptions are normal, long, repetitive periods of rest are worth discussing with your doctor. “If night wakings become more frequent or persistent, this may indicate an underlying medical disorder or sleep disorder and should be evaluated,” Walia notes.

Shop for midnight events to relax your mind

Is there something you need to do while you wait for your sleep to return? Try these finds that customers love.

Amazon

Rest assured, Amazon customers say no prior skills are required to enjoy this cute little crochet set. It’s great for beginners, and you can work on it in short, midnight spurts until your little penguin friend (or one of the other little crochet creatures) is complete.

“I recently entered the world of crochet as a complete beginner and the Dinosaur Woobles Kit was a complete game changer for me. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.” a fan commented.

Another one added“Great project for beginners – you’ll learn so much! I had no experience with crocheting and ended up with a cute gift for a friend’s birthday! It was definitely challenging but enough to keep going.”

Amazon

If you notice your mind racing, jumping from thought to thought, it may help to write it down. This journal includes tips that can help you focus and relieve underlying stress.

“A life-changing diary!” one shopper explained. “This is a must for everyone!!! This journal will change your brain to see the good and stop looking for the bad! It’s so easy to use and organized to keep you on track. My husband and I have been using these for almost a year now and they are one of my favorite things to gift anyone going through a tough time!”

Someone else shared it“I was looking for something simple and intentional to help me focus on gratitude and positivity without feeling overwhelming, and this journal fits that perfectly.”

Amazon

everyone going analog Why don’t you join the bandwagon these days with this needlework set? It includes everything you’ll need to create three different projects, and shoppers say it’s easy for beginners to complete.

“Great product! Everything you need to learn embroidery and the tutorials make it easy to learn all the stitches. I would definitely recommend it for beginners.” one commenter wrote.

“I had never embroidered before and this kit was SO easy to follow with plenty of embroidery floss in case you mess up! The pictures and videos of the techniques were excellent.” someone else added.

Amazon

Are you a puzzle person? Me too! These are exactly what I turn to when I need to slow my brain down and find some zen. I’m currently looking at this gorgeous design, which has earned 4.7 out of 5 stars from shoppers who say it’s as beautiful IRL as pictured and is the perfect balance of challenging but not impossible.

“Loved this puzzle. Bold colors with endless variety. Made solving both challenging and approachable. Great product.” one customer commented.

someone else wrote“I absolutely love the design of this puzzle; the colors are vibrant and really satisfying to work with. The pieces are well cut and solid, with no peeling or fraying around the edges, which makes a huge difference to a 1000 piece build. Everything fits together nicely and feels like a quality product from start to finish. I would definitely buy this brand again.”

Amazon

This book contains more than 40 relaxing stories and guided meditations designed to help you relax and prepare your body for sleep. On that front, shoppers say delivery is happening. Choose from the Kindle edition for $3, or you can get it in audiobook and other forms.

“I found this book helpful and calming” one person wrote. “Sometimes I suffer from insomnia. Often I don’t know what to do. With this book, it has become easier to cope with insomnia, or rather, it has become easier to calm the flow of thoughts in my head.”