Do you often wake up in the middle of the night, struggling to fall back asleep?
It can be incredibly exasperating, particularly when you start counting down the hours left until your alarm goes off for work.
Insomnia is a prevalent issue in the UK, believed to affect one in three people. Insomniacs may struggle to fall asleep, stay awake at night, or frequently wake up during the night and find it difficult to return to sleep.
The Sleep Foundation states that it’s quite common to wake up in the middle of the night, impacting over 35% of individuals at least thrice a week. This could be due to various factors, ranging from a snoring partner, fluctuating room temperature, to a noisy vehicle passing by.
Internet entrepreneur David Longacre has divulged three sleep hacks which “actually work” in aiding him to fall back asleep when he wakes up in the middle of the night. The digital content creator shared his past experiences of waking up in the middle of the night and panicking as he would check the time and then calculate the remaining hours of sleep before he had to rise.
He attempted “every breathing technique in existence”, but after “months of research” he discovered something intriguing about how our brain’s sleep system functions. He then identified three methods which enable him to “instantly fall back to sleep every single night”.
It’s not about “counting sheep or using lavender spray” but rather “working with your brain’s natural patterns”. Sleep expert David advises that upon waking, you should tell yourself ‘I’ve been asleep for hours and I’m still very sleepy’.
Although it may seem “weird”, David insists this method “actually works”. This is because “sleep anxiety comes from focusing on how much sleep you’re losing if you stay awake”.
By convincing yourself you’ve already enjoyed ample rest and are still feeling sleepy, your brain will help maintain a drowsy state conducive to falling back asleep naturally.
Another strategy involves “dropping your body temperature”, a crucial factor for initiating sleep according to David. He suggests extending one foot outside the covers as a “natural thermal regulator”.
David describes his final suggestion, the ’90 seconds reset’, as the “most powerful” technique. Upon waking, tense all muscles to the maximum for 10 seconds before completely releasing.
Repeating this threefold induces a flood of relaxation hormones, coaxing your nervous system into sleep mode, he explains.
He reports that his personal transition from a 30-minute to mere five-minute return to sleep validates the effectiveness of these methods. David stresses that success lies in triggering “These three techniques work because they trigger the body’s natural sleep mechanism.”
While a range of techniques may assist in falling asleep, it’s crucial to consult a GP if you’ve been experiencing sleep difficulties for months, particularly if it’s impacting your day-to-day life.