How to fall back asleep in the middle of the night
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- If you’re one of the millions of people who wakes up in the middle of the night and can't fall back asleep, you're not alone. Did you know that your body is biologically programmed to wake up throughout the night? While waking up in the middle of the night is common, we usually fall back asleep without even realizing it's happened.
But for some of us, we wake up in the middle of the night...and we're just...UP. And it can be incredibly frustrating. In this video, sleep expert, Dr. Michael Breus, offers some tips and suggestions for how to fall asleep faster, and how to get back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night.
📺 For how to get your best sleep based on your chronotype, check out our video: • This is the BEST time ...
🧑🏻💻Take our Sleep Quiz to receive some of Dr. Breus’s personalized sleep recommendations and begin your journey to better sleep! sleepdoctor.com/
0:00 Why do I wake up at 2-3am?
1:03 Don't look at the clock
1:45 Non-sleep deep rest
2:58 4-7-8 breathing
3:58 What if I still can't sleep?
😴 Michael Breus, Ph.D., is a double board-certified clinical psychologist and sleep expert. He's been in practice since 1999 and helped thousands of patients improve their sleep. Dr. Breus has written five books on sleep and conducted over 1,000 interviews to the press and public.
#insomnia #sleeptips #sleepbetter - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
The best part about this video is that he doesn't make you feel bad about not getting enough sleep. I like the idea that it's still beneficial even to just lay there and get "non sleep deep rest". I do this a lot so that's really encouraging. All the other advice I've seen about sleep stresses how important it is and just make me feel more anxious about the fact that I'm not getting enough. Thanks for this :)
So true
Agreed :)
THERE WAS ZERO SUBSTANCE ANDOR “thanks captain obvious” dmbazz
I feel exactly the same. When I'm stressed out I turn to wake up around 3:00 - 4:00 am (I sleep around 1:00 am), during that time I always feel I want to kill myself and have all the bad thoughts. However, I'm not under stress, I can sleep until 8:00 am next morning.
It’s so nice to not hear or read how dangerous insomnia is. Nothing makes sleep harder than the fear of not sleeping. I also like to remember I’m not alone. We insomniacs are in good company.
My mom always said, “if you can’t sleep, pretend you’re asleep”. Essentially the same advice!
This is going to sound weird, but I still pretend sometimes I'm asleep and that my (older) brother is watching. The reason for that is if he thought we (two poor sisters) were awake, he'd tickle the shnizzle out of us. Sometimes now I just lay there and try to LOOK asleep, and then realize it's the next morning before I know it. My brother passed away unexpectedly a few years back but this is one of his lasting legacies. He was always pulling something like this and we still have to laugh about it!
maybe this was to let her sleep....jk
😄
That’s awesome!
That’s so cute and gets the point across efficiently to kids. Saving that, thanks!
I haven't slept well for 35 years. Started when I entered peri menopause. No other symptoms, I just stopped sleeping. I can with certainty, say that just lying in bed is NOT restful. Especially if you haven't slept in a couple of days.
I had a bad accident years ago and my dad found me wide awake sitting in the den at 3 AM. He asked "What's up" and I told him that I couldn't stop thinking of how I was going to deal with the coming challenges caused by the accident (doctor's appointments, getting rid of my totaled car, ongoing pain etc.) He told me to get a notepad and write down the troubling thoughts so that I would know that I could get up the next day and address the issues because I had the list, therefore no need to keep trying to make a mental list while trying to go to sleep. It worked for me and I still use that advice and it even helps when I have much smaller concerns.
I watched a video by Bhagwan Rajneesh about sleeplessness. He said you lie around all day on the sofa or at a desk and then you want to rest again at night?? You need to do something strenuous like gardening, brisk walking, to tire you out to get a good nights sleep.
This is one of those TH-cam videos that come out of nowhere in your feed and are actually helpful.
Im a registered nurse and most folks resting heart rate is no one near or below 60 while sleeping and the reason I know this is cause I watch there telemetry all night long on a cardiac floor. Best advice for sleep is no caffeine at least 6 hours prior to sleep. Morning caffeine only and then leave it alone the rest of the day and then you will sleep a little better.
Knowing why I wake up at 2 or 3 am is gold. I thought it was just me. I have the problem of my mind turning to negative and depressing things as I lie awake but if I can imagine I'm walking in the woods barefoot it soothes me and I can usually sleep.
I love advice from people who have never had insomnia!
Try and stay unconscious enough during bathroom visits and don't think of anything about the anxiety of modern life.
After 40+ years of chronic insomnia trying everything including sleep clinics and pills (rubbish except once in a blue moon and in an emergency), I can confirm that everything he says helps while the usual advice of, "If you can't sleep, get up and do something until you feel sleepy again " doesn't. At least for me, it doesn't. In fact, I've always been worse when I've gotten up and always been better when I've stayed in bed. "Non-sleep deep rest" is very real, so it's important to stay resting, particularly for your eyes, even if you aren't sleeping. To add to it there have been times I've been sure I was awake only to find when I looked at the clock, an hour or two had passed when to me it only seemed like a minute. If you get up you'll miss out on sleep you otherwise would have gotten.
The main sleep killer is tension. So whatever you can do to reduce that will help. First off, one night of bad or lost sleep is not going to kill you, so stop worrying. It's the worry as much as anything else that will affect your performance the following day. But do stay away from machinery, please. Find a way to distract your mind from your worries, like engaging in wild, but not so wild you get an adrenalin rush, fantasies that give you a holiday from your normal day-to-day world far away from what's troubling you.
And don't ignore physical issues. Have yourself checked for sleep apnea and restricted airways due to allergies or physiology.
Thanks so much!
Concur with ALL of this!
Muscle relaxers help
Try ayurveda..indian herbs..it is very powerful for insomnia..better than prescription drugs for sleep
I had insomnia for a couple of years, and everything you say, as well as what the Sleep Doctor says, is spot on. The only thing i'd add is that a big part of dealing with insomnia is figuring out what *your* reason for insomnia is. For example, with me, it was over-thinking and anxiety, and so for me, getting up and writing down my worries on paper at the kitchen table was the *only* way to calm my mind sometimes, and for me, it worked wonders, and even if it took 2 hrs to write it all down, I could go back to bed and basically fall off before my head hit the pillow, even if that was at 5am! All of the other tools help, some more than others depending on your situation, but I suppose that for each individual, there will be one or two tools or methods that work particularly well.
Never look at the clock. Cover yourself just enough to be warm, keep the sheets to a bare minimum and keep a warmer blanket to the side. If you are warm stick your feet out from the sheets. When u wake i n the middle of the night, DONT START THINKING ABOUT STUFF. Any thoughts that come to mind: picture that thought floating away like a dead leaf on a quiet river. If another thought comes, picture it float away also like a dead leaf on a river. Practice not thinking while focusing on breathing. Your mind is a river and you need to let those dead leaves go, practice Not Thinking every night and you'll be a sleep master in record time.
I sometimes find looking at the clock helps, because for me one of the things that tends to make it harder to fall back asleep is thinking that it must be almost morning and there isn't enough time to sleep. This is especially true in the winter when the sun isn't as much of a clue.
Agree about relaxing and just laying there. I've done that for years. I think about how comfortable I am, how I used to hate getting up for school or work when I wanted to stay in bed. So appreciating the comfort of my bed and just relaxing helps me fall back asleep.
My Mom and I were both chronically ill and she’d always say, “Ama, even if you can’t sleep, at least rest. Your body needs it.” And since pain threshold and tolerance go down after bad sleep, rest is indeed helpful. I always try to remember her words on those nights and honor them.
@when I wake up and can't go back to sleep, I tell myself, pretend like you're still working (I'm retired), and remember when you would've given your eye teeth to sleep in another hour. It works sometimes. 😎
I learned a little trick in Alanon. Start with your toes…just relax those. Move up slowly, and before you know it you are asleep
I’m glad to see you’re not the only one who agrees that just laying in bed can be amazingly restorative. I’ve been doing this for years now, and I thought it was just my imagination.😅
Yo duermo muy bien, pero quien tiene problemas para dormir es mi marido, cada noche me despierta más de dos veces. Se levanta, va a comer, abre y cierra cajones, se pone a ver TV. Y me desvelo. 😢 cada noche es una pesadilla.
Here's my strategy that I stumbled across a couple of years ago, and it actually did wonders. I'm a fan of old radio shows, and one time after waking up in the middle of the night, I decided to listen to a show, and what I noticed is, I was never catching the end of it. I realized, I actually falling back asleep without realizing it, and so I stopped worrying. I continue to do this. If I wake up in middle of the night and start listening to something, I fall asleep. Part of the trick is having the volume at the right level where it's loud enough to hear, but quiet enough that it's almost a struggle. But it works without fail.
I do that too put my ear plugs in and listen to something makes my mind stop xx thankyou for the advice x
This goes against what a sleep therapist told me to do. He said to get up out of the bed and read a "boring" book in low light for 10 to 15 minutes and then go back to bed. It was to avoid creating a negative association with the bed which could cause anxiety. However, I didn't feel like that advice was helping me much! I did notice that if I laid in bed I would drift in and out so I was getting some sleep. Whereas if I kept getting up as he suggested, I was dog tired the next day!
A bunch of those things have helped me but the one that had by far the most impact is learning breath mindfulness, so I can just focus on the sensations of the breath in the belly while noting "rising" and "falling". Puts me to sleep almost every time, there's literally nothing better on earth to slow down your heartrate while also quieting the thinking/anxious mind, which imo is sleep's biggest enemy.
Next week: How to fall asleep during important meetings.
😂
That’s easy.
I’ve mastered that 😂
Ha ha ha! Good one!!
How to not fall asleep during a BIDEN speech..
The breathing does help. It´s relaxing, absolutely, but it also keeps our mind from wandering off or thinking of something stressful. I focus on the feeling of cool air entering my nostrils, then warm air being exhaled through the nose, and before I know it, I´m asleep again. I don´t mean to make it sound simplistic because I struggled for decades, but this has been working for me lately and I´m so grateful.
All the information coming at us about how important sleep is just adds to my stress about not being able to get back to sleep. This makes me feel much better.
I have a house plan in my head for my dream home, so what I do I start by walking into the house and pick a certain room, I then image it's layout, decor etc. My favourite is the master bedroom, I start by walking into that room and start on the layout and even before I get to the ensuite bathroom I always fall asleep! Works every time!
Don't look at the clock is my number one rule. I also put on my sleep mask if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep. It definitely helps, as it's very soft and total blackout. Knowing this about heart-rate is very valuable. My mom, also an insomniac, always told me, "even if you can't sleep, you can rest". She was a scientist and didn't even know it. Thanks, Doc!
My mom was big on that too, as in, "Just close your eyes and rest, you don't have to sleep" even though I always did. Moms rule!
Great idea right here!
I can’t skip looking at the clock. What I have started doing is just telling myself that it’s ok and accepting the inevitable bad night of sleep.
I used to get way more upset about it, which of course made it worse.
Agreed that if you can just not look, it’s better. I find that when you’re seeing daylight outside, it’s a pretty big clue what time it is :)
The sleep mask is huge. I don't need it when falling asleep, but if I wake up in the middle of the night or early morning, it's so calming to put on the sleep mask and have blackout darkness. It has added countless hours of better sleep since I started this.
@@hondahirny🎉
One thing that works for me is actually trying NOT to fall asleep, literally trying to keep my eyes open. It’s counter intuitive but it works. Kind of like when you fall asleep watching tv. I read about POW’s coming to this realization when the anxiety of never knowing when they would be beaten would keep them constantly awake, yet they needed sleep, and this would give them what little sleep they could get.
Yes, a method of a secret service was to keep "the guy" awake until he provided "the information", and he did because he really wanted to sleep 😎
3:04 finally a reason for the breathing technique
Also learnt about Non-sleep deep rest being worth some sleep
Sleeping is what I look forward each days, I can't get enough of it!!
I need between 10 to 12 hours sleep to function properly during the day ❤
This can be challenging to do, but if I'm dealing with anxiety, I've found that by telling myself after getting in bed that this is the time for rest, that I can resume my worrying tomorrow and blanking out anxious thoughts, really helps.
I do that too and make a point to fall asleep thinking in-detail about the things I accomplished that day. Anything counts, for example: Today a friend and I cleaned up the broken glass, sharp plastic, and metal shards off sidewalks, yards, and the road where drunk drivers keep hitting utility poles. About one a day. Many people walk dogs through that area and I wanted to paws. I'll think about all the benefits of what we did until I bore myself to sleep. I don't allow any negative during this time.
My brain just keeps on working anyway.
Hello please tell me do you suffer from blocked nose and are you a mouth breather do you wake up with dry throat ?
Advice from Scarlett O Hara: "I won't think about that know, I can think about that tomorrow".
Oh gosh. I had that problem for years. Some of the jobs I had caused me lots of anxiety. They kept me from getting to sleep or, if I woke up in the middle of the night, my mind would instantly begin worrying about work the next day. It was horrible. My wife noticed my pillowcase was stained yellow. It wasn't that warm in our room. Then I once heard the term "weeping through my skin." That's what I believe it was.
Hey guys! I used to have really bad insomnia too. One of the helpful tips I did was to work on increasing my blue light exposure early in the morning and reduce blue light at night to regulate my circadian rhythm. Hope this helps any one of you!
That's ideal but I'll just turn all of my lights down just enough to see without eye strain.
I set my devises (phone etc) to night shift (warm light) from 00.00 to 24.59 so that it only displays blue light for 1 minute a day. This can help of you’re susceptible to blue light insomnia.
I'm having awful insomnia for 5 days now. I took quetiapine last night and I still couldn't sleep even though I was sedated. It was probably worse.
They have readers that eliminate blue light. They do work.
No this doesn’t help one bit. What the f is blue light?
The worst thing that I do is get up, and turn on the computer and read the news. That's what I'm doing right now. However, I also decided to click on this video, and it was worth it.
I've suddenly got this mid-night insomnia, and I think it was kicked off by the complicated stress of having a sibling die. So, relaxation is what I've got to focus on.
That was amazing. Valuable information without any fluff. So many TH-cam self help videos are people talking for a long time and not saying anything of use. That was concise, and helpful. Most grateful.
As someone who regularly wakes up in the middle of the night worrying about sleep, I’m going to try out these helpful tips. Thanks!
What works for me is counting down from 100 saying each time I go deeper and deeper into relaxation This takes your mind off the merry go round of thoughts and self hypnotises yourself into relaxation I rarely make it to fifty
I'm counting down from 100 to 0 in 3 languages...also it works when I feel anxious
This sometimes works for me. Usually by the third round of counting down from 100 I get so bored & frustrated I just get up for the day.
After my nightly bathroom break, I can rarely fall back to sleep. Then I'm exhausted all day.
I tried your breathing pattern to resume sleeping after that 2 am bathroom break. Finally! Something simple and free that works!
Another trick I use is what I call
Ears Eyes Toes Nose
Get comfortable.
Focus completely on Listening.
What can you hear? Really focus on each noise. Only on noises. When you have explored each with your ears
Open your eyes..wait for them to adjust.
What can you see?
Look slowly around the room. What is visible? Really focus on each thing. . When you have explored with your eyes, close them.
Toes. Wriggle your toes . All attention on your toes. Then slowly focus on each section of your body. Push each part into the bed. Slowly. Keep focusing solely on each section. All the way up to your head.
Now your breathing. Slow it down. Do whatever breathing pattern works for you. Complete focus only on gentle breathing.
Sleep time now.
Works every time for me. By the time it comes to focusing on my head I'm 80% asleep already. 😴
@@triarb5790but the only noise I can hear is my wife snoring and that drives me nuts
Ive done that dont look at the clock trick yearssssss ago and it works!
That’s good to hear that quiet resting is still rejuvenating for the body somewhat equivalent to actually sleeping.
Sometimes I can't sleep (usually because of caffeine or cayenne pepper) and I noticed that if I just lie there awake, relaxed but not sleeping, I would actually be mostly ok in the morning. I always wondered why. Thanks for the explanation. The most important thing is to not worry about not sleeping.
I didn’t know cayenne pepper could keep you up 😮
I’m guessing cutting out the caffeine or cayenne pepper before bed might help.. 🤷🏽♂️
Cayenne pepper? 😂
Same
Curious about the pepper. How does that affect you?
I don’t eat much pepper so I’m genuinely confused and interested at the same time.
I watched your video last night and tried your advice and it worked. I was surprised I could do it on the fist try. I woke up as usual sometime during the night. I suspect around 2 or 3am as usual. But instead of looking at the time or getting up, I did the breathing and fell asleep. I did wake up 2 more time, but also resisted the urge to get up to go to the bathroom, was slightly harder but manageable. So this I can say works. Thanks!
Absolutely right about not looking at the clock. I worked this out after a few months of broken sleep
A big thing I noticed after having my first child and being woken up at night regularly was that if I didn't let my eyes get exposed to bright lights I could fall back asleep much easier.
Yes! No TV or overhead lights! Any nighttime issues should be dealt with in a dim and quiet environment (unless it’s an emergency). Don’t turn on a light to use the bathroom, have a nightlight there. It’s very helpful!
When I had a challenging work project, sometimes I’d wake up in the middle of the night with an idea. It would keep me up because I was afraid I might not remember it. I solved the problem by putting pencil and paper on my nightstand. Worked great! I’d wake up, jot the idea down and my brain could relax and I’d be back asleep in seconds.
If you don't have a way to write, many cellphones have functions for typing notes to yourself. An alternative is to text the thought to yourself to remember it. Just get it out of your head. Many great inventions, ideas, and art works have come from things that people woke up thinking in the middle of the night.
Short and to the point. I will use these tips. Thank you.
Wow used to use this method years ago..did well..so well decided didn’t need the method any longer ..so happy to be reunited as was having sleep waking once again..huge thank you..🇨🇦
You described my sleep pattern to a tee! It's a given that I wake up around 2 or 3 am and it seems like it takes about an hour (if I'm lucky) to fall back to sleep.
I'm less likely to allow myself to be irritated or worried after hearing this - thank you!!!
You’re not alone!
Me too
We're glad you found this helpful! Sometimes it is the simple things that are most effective.
I read till the first yawn and off the sleep I go. Works every time!
Wonderful advice, thank you Dr. Breus!
Thank you for this advice Doctor. So often we've been told to get up and do something until we feel sleepy again. I never found this worked for me.
I had two collapsed lungs three years ago, during a botched surgery. I had several respiratory therapists work on me for several weeks in the hospital. The stuff they taught me enabled me to eventually get rid of the asthma inhaler I had been using for a decade prior. Even with lungs that still show scarring on X-rays. The breathing tip you have here is very good. From what the therapists told me, the holding beat is what does the most. You’ve filled the little air sacs and holding it in really maximizes the oxygen passing into the blood. The craziest night of sleep I had at the hospital I asked the next day what drugs they’d given me - they said just oxygen!
One trick which often works for me: I found that the routine of getting into bed, curling up and snuggling down, and particularly the warming sensation of the bedclothes served as a sleep trigger for me. Since I often wake up after a vivid dream or just a bit hot anyway, I now deliberately throw off the bedclothes if I wake in the night and allow my body to cool right down. I then put the covers back on and re-start the warming process. Quite often the next thing I know the alarm's kicking off.
Kicking off the bedsocks works for me...
Have room temp lower and try a different bedding or blanket
This is fantastic advice, especially since my capacity to go back to sleep while menopausal has gone out the window. Thanks so much for this!!
i agree dont get up if i get up it enforces the belief that cant sleep when at the same time my body and mind wants to sleep so i want my sleep back on track your advices is spot on thank you
Love the comment “looking for sleep is like looking for love … “ that made me chuckle and seems so obvious now that you’ve said it! Thank you for the breathing technique tip.
What I do sometimes is mimic what I do before going to sleep in the first place, which is to read for ten minutes or so, preferably something that isn't too interesting. I also try your 4-7-8 breathing. Thank you for that.
That 4,7,8 technique really works - thank you
I usually need to get up 1-2 times per night to use the bathroom. One strategy I use to get back to sleep more easily is to *not* turn any lights on. It's good to have something like, perhaps, a small lamp in another room, just so you can see enough to get around. I do find not turning on lights makes a difference.
Very interesting and helpful. 4-7-8 works for me and that was before seeing this video. I’m retired so a pre breakfast walk or even light cardio is my current key to longevity. Truly detest waking up too early thxs
Best informative piece of advice I've heard.Usually they talk and talk.He got straight to the point.Very useful information.Thank you 👍
You've provided some excellent suggestions, I use them all the time and they do work. My breathing is more like 3, 5, 7.
I also read, actual books, no glaring screens.
Thanks for this education. I can now get rid my worries. Small hour sleep and has many hours just lying in bed.Then shower and work.That is why it is still amazing that even having small hours sleep, I can still work actively and even not feel tired when working.
Great job! So many videos go on and on about how bad a lack of sleep is, and why you should get more. They just add to the worrying, which doesn’t help at all. Restorative rest is a great concept for putting the mind at ease. Thank you!
Exactly!
Totally agree.
You should worry about a lack of sleep. Most Americans don't get enough of it, and it leads to serious diseases. Don't shoot the messenger.
What an unhelpful comment - 'you should worry' - do you actually think you're helping people sleep? Anxiety is a huge reason for insomnia. Did you not notice the great lengths this video goes to to stop people worrying? @@secularapple
@@secularappleWay to miss the point
Finally, someone telling me something new about being to warm, how to breathe, and that just laying there CAN give me some restoration. I started wearing an adult diaper to bed because every time I got up to pee, it was 4 hours before I could go back to bed. You might think that was a crazy idea, but when you're desperate for sleep, you will do anything! And it did help me get back to sleep faster, by NOT getting up. Just make sure you get a good adult diaper that does not leak or you'll be getting up to change your pajamas or the sheets!😉
That's great advice!
Great, short practical advice. It worked for me🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
At last someone who says what I've been doing for years is the right thing to do. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I've been struggling with chronic insomnia. I'm getting a bit better now sleeping an average of 5 hours a night, often without waking up compared to the 1.5 to 3 hours a night 3 years ago. But, I always stayed in bed until the morning. And I now know that is why despite my insomnia I can manage to do my day of work without too much problem. Yes, some days I'm really tired, but when I activate myself, it kind of goes away. So thank you for clarifying this issue. I was so concerned every time I was hearing that we should never stay in bed when we can't sleep. Thank you for your positive attitude. You can inform without being an alarmist like so many on the internet.
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This is fantastic advice and similar to what I’ve been doing for years to help battle my insomnia. Great to know that I’ve been doing more or less the right thing. Thank you!
Glad you found Dr. Breus's advice helpful!
This advice flies in the face of most advice I have heard about sleep. Most advice I have heard is 'if you can't fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing. But this doctors says it's better to stay in bed. I am not saying he is wrong, but if he's right, why does most sleep advice involve getting out of bed?
I was never a midnight snacker, but I have found that when waking up at 2-3, a light snack has really been doing the trick for me...something comforting and light. You just have 2 worry about brushing and turning on bright lights at weird times...neighbors, lol.
I’ve never in my 40 years slept through the night… maybe when I was a baby..?
But I always wake up at least 3-4 times during the night
This was outstanding. Thanks for a wonderfully succinct guide to this issue.
Fantastic doc.!
Well needed info!
Disagree about not reading a book. If I'm awake and my thoughts start to go round and round, I read a book that's not very thrilling but still holds my interest. It calms me down, it distracts me from my thoughts and before I know it, I'm back asleep again.
To help me sleep, I imagine a song I like in my head. When it’s over, I imagine it again in my head but at a slightly slower tempo. Rinse and repeat. If you need to, then tap the beat with your hands, but always at a slower tempo than before. It has always worked for me and much better way to slow down the thought that jump into your head that usually start to wake you up.
Thanks a lot for your advice. It really worked !! I woke up in the midnight yesterday and then slept again soon by using your methods....😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
One thing that works always for me, is to recall in my memory a time when I had to get up but was so groggy and tired I just wished I could keep sleeping longer. Imagining that feeling, combined with the current awareness that I can indulge in that right now, (I don't have to get up!), instantly puts me back in the mood to sleep.
Hope this can be helpful for someone else too!
God bless you Doc !
Wow!! Thank you for this. Never had this problem before in my entire 72 years. It's really a bummer.
Thank you so much for posting this. I had always assumed that I woke because I needed a pee, I never realized it was “the other way around”. I followed your advice, and got back to sleep quite quickly, the first time in 3 or 4 years!
What, that the pee needed you?
I almost always wake up with the feeling that the bed is on fire so I really need to get out of it and wait for the bed and me to cool down. I spent a lot of money on things that should make the bed feeling cooler but none of those did work properly so far. I’m afraid my bed on fire will provide for necessary breaks in many more nights
@@helenepols4405 Is there any chance it's an allergy to the material or washing powder?
I switched to sheets and blankets to be able to better regulate my temperature! And avoiding polyester mixes is a must. A Chinese Medicine doctor (or an acuncturist) could help you release excess heat from your system@@helenepols4405
@@helenepols4405 9
Great advice. Thank you
Beautiful analogy!!! Sleep/love
Loved your video!!! Trying your techniques tonight. I heard more about 4 7 8 later today on NPR, different topic, they were discussing yoga. My sleep habits are horrible and appreciate all tips. Thanks so much.
I'm retired and struggled with getting back to sleep, now i just get up watch the news or sports highlights and usually fall back to sleep within 15 to 30 minutes on the couch!
I don't think there's anything wrong with that! As long as you don't wake up with a sore back! -- Dr. B.
Thank you! I have a job where I have to wake up at about 1:30 AM, and sometimes I wake up just 4 hours after falling asleep. I crash at random times in the afternoon, so I never feel rested. I'm going to be a bit more mindful of my eating and caffeine levels from now on, along with these tips.
Enjoyed this thanks!
I don’t typically have trouble sleeping, but I am so happy I found your channel - you are particularly comforting!
Great tips! Thanks, doctor! I'm guilty of looking at the clock when I wake up in the middle of the night. I'm also guilty of doing the math, "It's 3:00am, if I go back to sleep now, I'll get 3 more hours before I have to wake up at 6."
I quit looking at the clock-got rid of it about a year ago and I can now fall asleep easier!
I always found that getting lost in thought helps me to sleep, especially if it's a relaxing memory. I think it's similar to the counting sheep principle.
Thank you for this. I thought I knew all the good advice on this subject that ever existed! I’ll try 4|7|8 breathing, which I already know.
Oooh, the breathing technique is exactly what I was looking for! Me waking up to pee can't be helped at this stage in pregnancy, but today my heart rate is the real problem. The breathing does slow down my pulse as long as I keep it up, so I at least feel more relaxed. Maybe it'll finally do the trick to let me sleep. I'm gonna need that sleep once I go into labour, which at this point could be any moment now.
I actually learn this technique that I personally discover and everything he said is true. Whether it's short or long sleep it is worth it! I hope that helps everyone here.
Thanks Doc!
Hello doctor I hope you're doing well i just wanted to say thank you I tried the breathing technique and it worked I could never get back to sleep and I always woke up and I would be so tired but not anymore it worked for me thanks again ❤
I think another thing that’s majorly overlooked is having 100% polyester sheets and/or covers. Pure polyester sheets I eventually realized caused me to sweat so much (even though I don’t get hot easily) that I end up waking up because of it. I have MUCH less issues with this when I have all cotton sheets/covers or cotton blends. So for us light sleepers, please consider changing your sheets to cotton blends or pure cotton.
Thank you Doctor. I just wanted to share something that I learned in my teens. There was a study about sleep done by the Air Force, probably in the 1960s. They wanted to determine what would happen to their pilots and other Airmen with less sleep. Here is what I remember, the study detrmined that the human body can still function well with only 4 hours of sleep. That knowledge helps me to relax, not get anxious, when I cannot go to sleep. It is kind of like what you said, paraphrase, "relax, you have been up all night before".
I covered my clock 2 years ago and it helps a LOT!!!!
Finally someone confirming my experience:) Do not look at the clock and stay in bed even if you can't fall back to sleep:)
Not looking at the clock is a big one for me. I trained myself decades ago not to look at the clock if I woke up, because all it did was cause anxiety and made it harder to fall back to sleep.
Today's sleep issue is different. It's after 7am and I haven't been to sleep yet.🥴
Eh, it happens. 🤷🏻♀️
And sleep will happen too...eventually.😴
Thank you for some helpful tips.
... and for god's sake, don't say "Alexa! Time!"
I’ve tried this absolutely sent me back to sleep . But then I tried it again it didn’t but I remembered what he said still rest so I did this has fine me the world of good just to rest my self .
Thanks doc
Great advice. This always worked for me until I hit around 50. Now that I’m in perimenopause, the thing that has helped is an estrogen patch. Just sharing for all the ladies who’ve experienced sudden changes to their sleeping patterns.
My favorite book from childhood, which I am listening to as an audiobook, always put me back to sleep in 30 minutes. Though my sleep quality has degraded ever since, this still works flawlessly.
This is great if you don't care about following a plot properly. It works, but where to you set the storyline the next night? As long as you use it only as distracting sounds....like white noise, its fine. But don't do this if its a novel or nonfiction book you actually wanted to follow along with the plot and digest in all its nuances. I've found that listening to shorter plot lines, specifically old timey radio shows like Gunsmoke is perfect. I don't really care if I hear the end or not.
This was incredible info.
It worked! Thank you very much! 😴