Prevent restless nights: top tips to help you get back to sleep

Lying in bed at night and not being able to sleep is one of the most frustrating situations to be in. Especially if you know you have a long day ahead and want to be properly rested. Well, the fact of the matter is that everyone experiences this inability to sleep every now and then, and so your frustrations are well known. Here are some top tips to help you get back to sleep next time this problem arises.

restless nights

What you should not do

Don’t pick up your phone

Nowadays, most people are so addicted to their phones that they think picking it up and scrolling through social media is a way to distract themselves and lull into a deep sleep. The light will just confuse your brain and stimulate you to help you stay awake, rather than fall asleep.

Don’t check the clock

Checking the clock and seeing that the night is rolling on is just going to frustrate you and make you even more aware of your inability to sleep. Instead, you need to distract yourself and relax, rather than become even more tightly wound.

Don’t count sheep

The old trick of counting sleep has been drilled into us at a young age that it is a great way to fall asleep. In fact, very few people ever have success with this method, as it isn’t an effective solution. Instead, try some of the points below.

What you should do

Breathe and relax

You will only be able to sleep once you are in a state of calm. Lay back and take some deep breaths and think of happy, relaxing memories. As your brain starts to let go of its worries and stresses, it will be much easier for you to drift off. There’s also breathing techniques that can help.

Get up and walk around

This may sound counterintuitive, but getting out of bed and briefly walking down the corridor and back can help ease some of your stress and allow you to hit the reset button. Then, when you return to bed, your natural reactions can kick in and you can begin the process of falling asleep again.

Use your hands as well as your head

If a brief walk down the corridor isn’t enough, you may need to do something that uses both your hands and your head for ten to fifteen minutes. Simple tasks like fixing a jigsaw or drawing a picture will take your mind away from other things, but not stimulate you too much.

Take a shower

A warm shower is a good way to take your mind off your inability to sleep and give you another attempt. There is also scientific proof that stepping out of a warm shower into cooler air helps your body temperature drop faster. In turn, this slows down your metabolism which can help you sleep.

Sadly, there is no go-to solution for everybody, and many have different tricks to help them get to sleep. The key is to avoid doing anything that is going to stimulate you further or keep you thinking about issues that are already keeping you up. Whether it’s you or your child lying awake tossing and turning in your bed or bunk beds, trying some of these low-activity tasks might help distract your mind and lull you back to sleep, without waking up too many other members of the household.