How to get back to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night

You really need to sleep early to have energy for work but in the middle of the night you are wide awake. You just want to close your eyes and trying to fall asleep again but it is difficult for you. So what is the reason? 

The phenomenon—called middle Insomnia or difficulty maintaining sleep -- is normal. After all, sleep goes in cycles throughout the night, moving from deeper, slow wave sleep to lighter sleep, explains James Findley, Ph.D., CBSM, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Age can be one of the factors that tends to wake up more often during the night as they get older. Let’s try to know more about Insomnia. According to guidelines from a physician group, insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when a person has the chance to do so. People with insomnia can feel dissatisfied with their sleep and usually experience one or more of the following: fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and decreased performance in work or at school.

Symptoms of Insomnia can include:

• Sleepiness during the day

• General tiredness

• Irritability
• Problems with concentration or memory

What causes of Insomnia:

• Significant life stress (job loss or change, death of a loved one, divorce, moving)
• Illness
• Emotional or physical discomfort
• Environmental factors like noise, light, or extreme temperatures (hot or cold) that interfere with sleep
• Some medications (for example those used to treat colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure, and asthma) may interfere with sleep
• Interference in normal sleep schedule (jet lag or switching from a day to night shift)

Here are some tips to get back to sleep at night

• Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening, and alcohol close to bedtime. These can promote wakeups during the night.

• Make sure your sleep environment is quiet and dark throughout the night. Use obscuring shades to square streetlights and early morning light, and a fan or commotion machine to piece sounds.

• Practice a simple breathing exercise.

• If you are unable to fall back asleep for 20 minutes do not lay in bed and worry about not sleeping, get up and go to a space in the house to do a relaxing activity, like reading, with dim light.

• Avoid Naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m.

• Establish a quiet, relaxing bedtime routine. For example, drink a cup of noncaffeinated tea, take a warm shower or listen to soft music.

• Keep a Sleep Diary.

• Don’t sweat it! Have a gel memory foam mattress and topper that has a cooling effect that can relax your body and lower down the temperature. This can help you fall asleep immediately.

• Exercise regularly.

If you follow these steps I’m sure you can get back to sleep immediately but then if you have a symptons of insomnia then consult a doctor. Memory foam mattresses can help you improve your sleeping habits. So have one now.