How to fall back asleep after being woken up?

[LuLuLimon]

I'm an extremely light sleeper with a 2 year old who wakes 1-2 times a night and one of the times tends to be between 4am and 5am. When they wake I normally just put their dummy in or reassure them that I'm there and they fall back to sleep right away.

I'm however then awake for either an hour at which point I'll fall back asleep, or sometimes I'm awake until my child wakes up at 7am so sometimes that 3 hours before I'm due to get up. I don't want to start my day at 4/5am.

Does anyone know how I can fall back to sleep right away after my sleep has been disrupted? The lack of sleep is really affecting me.

I have white noise and black out blinds already

The only thing that works for me is asmr videos of people talking, on a phone with the screen brightness turned right down and on quietly. So annoying when you wake up and can’t get back to sleep!

I put earbuds in and listen to Get Sleepy podcasts, have never got beyond the first few minutes so no idea whether they’re interesting or not but they certainly work 😂

Podcasts or I read or I make myself lie there with my eyes shut!

I put silicone earplugs in and wear a black silk eye mask (£5 on Amazon).

Then I get into a comfortable position and force myself to lie completely still and breathe slowly. I let my mind wander and tell myself that as long as I'm resting then all is well and it doesn't matter if I'm actually asleep.

It works most of the time but unfortunately I have young DC who wake up multiple times so I get lots of practice!!

I used to suffer really badly with this if my children woke at 4/5, and also just generally from time to time suffer from this sort of early morning insomnia when stressed out.

Two techniques I discovered to get back to sleep, that don't involve turning the light on/listening to anything/using a phone/getting out of bed:

1. To stop your mind wandering, do something that involves you having to concentrate on something very specific, but neutral/boring. So for example, pick a number between 0 - 1000 and count backwards in 1s, or 7s (7s is obviously harder). Or pick a category (e.g. countries/film titles) and go through the alphabet thinking of something in that category beginning with each letter of the alphabet. If you want something harder, calculate the powers of 2 (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 etc. If you lose track, start again).

1. If that doesn't work, do relaxation breathing: breath in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 6. Visualise the numbers in your mind as you do it.

For me, either (1) or (2) will usually work to get me back to sleep.

Podcasts using a speaker in my pillow - only really works if you sleep on your side.

Count down from 200 to 0. Works for me.

I put the radio on on my phone and set the timer for 15 mins. I am always asleep within that time.

Wim hof breathing on youtube. Only the actual wim hof video, and start with the beginner one. Presuming toddler isn't in the same room as you coz it sounds weird but it truly does work (I'm not very woo, and I don't like doing it, but I reluctantly admit it really does work well).

I also find it incredibly hard to go back to sleep. I’m quite visual so struggle with just counting as it doesn’t occupy my mind enough, so I’ve recently started visualising ushering sheep through a gate to a new paddock and counting them as they go. It stops my mind from wandering and waking itself up with worries! Weirdly it does work… maybe because it’s sooooo boring…!

Podcast with one earphone in. I'm menopausal so sleep eludes me a lot at the moment!

Also if you end up on your phone, download offtime app so you can't accidentally go on youtube and watch shorts for 3 hours.............

Try the Loona app. The Sleepscapes, and stories are lovely and always send me back off to sleep.

Northby, me too - one of the things I do before going to sleep is mentally wander through shops that no longer exist. Dunnes that my mum and nana used to take me to. A co-op that's now a b&m. Or my old college. Try and remember the details of those places. It's very calming.

Earbuds and Calm or Headspace app.

Get sleepy is wonderful IFyou can stay awake the descriptions are so detailed

...If I can't get back to sleep I give myself an orgasm and that usually does the trick. Relaxed+ happy + tired = instant nod.

I actively push things out of my mind. I try and ‘see’ just black, and have no thoughts.

What is an asmr video ? Isn't asmr that horrible skin creeping sensation?

If you can't sleep, try pretending to be asleep. Completely relax so you slump into the mattress and pillows, and gently slow down your breathing. Works everytime 😁

My mind wanders if I wake up, so I think "what will my next thought be", acknowledge the thought if there is one, then repeat the "what will my next thought be", over and over again until I fall asleep. Works wonders. I discovered the advice when in a YouTube black hole, and it's been so helpful.

I count from 1-100. So it's breath in =1, breathe out =2 until 10, then it's 1 breath in and out for the number. I.e 11= breath in 1, breath out= 1, breath in =1, breath out= 2, and so on.

‘Nothing much happens’ on Audible. Send me to sleep so quickly I’ve never heard a whole ‘story’. Works very well for middle of the night wakenings.

I pretend I am asleep until I fall asleep.

I'd be wide awake worrying I was breathing in on the wrong count.