Top Tips and Mistakes to Know About If You Can't Sleep at Night

 Adequate sleep is an integral part of maintaining physical and mental health.

However, sometimes situations happen when we suddenly wake up at night. And instead of calmly returning “to the arms of Morpheus,” we make a number of mistakes that only aggravate the situation. Experts in the field of somnology (the science of sleep) warn against certain actions after waking up unexpectedly in the night. This was reported by Medicalanswers.

One of the most common mistakes is the desire to know the exact time. This only aggravates anxiety, because the person begins to count how many hours are left before his usual wake-up time. In addition, most of us use a smartphone for this, and the bright backlight of the screen negatively affects the brain and makes it difficult to fall back to sleep.

It is not recommended to turn on the lights, watch the news, go to the kitchen or eat. Such actions will only activate the nervous system and will distract from the process of falling asleep.

There are simple and effective techniques that will help you relax and fall asleep quickly. Somnologists recommend doing breathing exercises. You need to press the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, inhale through your nose, hold your breath, and then exhale through your mouth slowly counting to four.

Next, you should repeat the exercise, but exhaling for a count of seven or eight.

Another way is visualization. You need to relax, close your eyes and imagine that your body is becoming heavy and as if “drowning” in bed. By focusing on this sensation, it will be easier to fall back into sleep.

If none of the methods work, it is better to leave the bed for a while and engage in quiet activity for 15-20 minutes. You can drink herbal tea and read a book. However, it is strictly not recommended to use gadgets or watch TV, because this will only excite the nervous system.