HEALTH

Do you wake up in the middle of the night? Follow some tips to get back to sleep quickly

There are many reasons why we wake up in the middle of the night. Stress is the first cause, but it can also depend on other factors, such as a noisy partner, worry about the children, a room temperature that is too high, and much more.

When it happens, it is necessary to adopt the right behaviours to avoid waking up completely, but this should not be forced. There are no specific techniques for getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night, but we can certainly provide guidelines to follow that will help you, first of all, not to wake up.

These behaviours are necessary, but there are also things you should avoid doing before going to bed. A healthy night's sleep is essential for a good day, so be careful and follow our advice.

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Do you wake up in the middle of the night? Follow some tips to get back to sleep quickly
There are many reasons why we wake up in the middle of the night. Stress is the first cause, but it can also depend on other factors, such as a noisy partner, worry about the children, a room temperature that is too high, and much more. When it happens, it is necessary to adopt the right behaviours to avoid waking up completely, but this should not be forced. There are no specific techniques for getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night, but we can certainly provide guidelines to follow that will help you, first of all, not to wake up. These behaviours are necessary, but there are also things you should avoid doing before going to bed. A healthy night's sleep is essential for a good day, so be careful and follow our advice.
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Why do we wake up in the middle of the night?
There can be many different reasons, also depending on the individual's life. For example, living in a noisy place (near a hospital or barracks) is one of the first reasons for nocturnal awakenings. Also, if the partner snores or moves around a lot, it can be complicated to rest properly. For parents then there is always the anxiety of their children, who may not yet have returned from an evening with friends. The temperature of the room is crucial, neither too hot nor too cold (if you have to choose, better one degree less in the room than one degree more).
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The doctor's words
Professor Luigi Ferini Strambi, a neurologist and director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at San Raffaele in Milan, Italy, also talks about other frequent causes of complete awakening in the middle of the night, such as sleep apnea, which is often caused by allergic attacks or illnesses that need to be clarified. Not only that, however, nocturia, that is, the need to urinate many times during the night, is also a reason why one can no longer sleep once having woken up. Finally, a medical cause may be hypnotic tremors, that is, involuntary spasms of the body as it tries to relax.
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Being a light sleeper
When are we most likely to wake up during the night? Our sleep is divided into several phases, which are repeated several times during the night. The first three hours are generally those of deep sleep, and during this time it is very difficult to wake up for the reasons mentioned. After this time, however, sleep becomes lighter, and it is more likely either to wake up for the slightest problem or to never be able to fall asleep again.
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The issue of early awakening
Typical of most anxious people, it is a way in which the body reacts to stress. The term well indicates the subject's often unconscious desire to regain lucidity by no longer being able to maintain a state of sleep due to external concerns. Again Professor Strambi links this issue to symptoms of depression. There is also progressive early awakening in which, the more the state of anxiety increases, the more the subject tends to wake up early.
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The first thing to do when you wake up
First of all, don't panic, keep your mind relaxed and a little wandering in the dream. What happens is that when we do not fall back asleep instantly, the mind starts making plans, thinking more concretely, and this activates the waking centres, and will make it impossible for us to go back to sleep. Furthermore, it is essential not to turn on the lights, because it activates melatonin, which leads to awakening. For example, if you need to go to the kitchen or bathroom to drink, it is better not to turn on the lights, and take a small portable light source with you.
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The doctor's advice
The basic advice Dr. Luigi Ferini Strambi, gives is not to cower in the quest for sleep. Rather, it really is best to get up, but obviously not to go to work. Changing rooms, maybe listening to relaxing music or reading a couple of pages of a book, and then going back to bed, is a great way to balance sleep. The important thing is that they are gentle, soft and relaxing activities.
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Cell phones and tablets at night? Never
Waking up at night, one of our greatest temptations is to pick up the phone and scroll a little, just to let our minds wander. No, wrong, forget about electronic devices as, it is now proven, the blue light produced by PCs, tablets and smartphones interferes so much with sleep. Better not even have them in the same room.
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It is good to "get ready" before going to bed
If you live in a busy and noisy place, it may be helpful to put some relaxing music in the background. Or, if your snoring partner is the problem, use earplugs. Same thing can be done with an eye mask if what bothers you is light pollution. In addition to controlling the temperature of the room well, those who know they have an insomnia problem can resort to hot baths before bed, which are a great way to relax the muscles in the body.
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Tobacco is no friend of sleep
Nicotine activates the wakefulness centers, making smokers more prone to night awakenings and apneas. They are also lighter sleepers than everyone else, which is no small matter if you have trouble falling back asleep once you wake up. Another good reason to quit.
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After dinner, no alcohol
Certainly, alcohol is a sedative, and therefore can initially conciliate sleep. However, too high a dose of alcohol may go to disturb the second stage of sleep, the one following the first three hours. So, if you really want to have a drink, better a chamomile or herbal tea.
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