Falling asleep isn’t always the problem – sometimes it’s staying asleep that’s the real challenge. You drift off just fine, but then 2am rolls around and suddenly you’re wide awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering what on earth woke you up.
The truth is, lots of things can interrupt your sleep – stress, hormones, too much screen time, noise, late-night snacks, or even just a restless mind. And while waking up once in a while is totally normal, if it starts happening regularly, it can leave you feeling tired, foggy, and frustrated the next day. With that in mind, here are some practical things you can try to help you stay asleep through the night.
Keep Your Evenings Calm
What you do before bed can affect how well you sleep after you fall asleep, which is why you need to try keeping your evenings quiet and low-stress where you can – and you pretty much always can. That might mean turning off emails after dinner, keeping the lights dim, or just slowing things down in general so you can really relax.
There are all kinds of things you can do, and a few ideas include reading, stretching, or listening to something calm because they’ll help your body and brain prepare for a full night’s rest. The easier it is to fall asleep, the easier it is to stay asleep, so that’s a good place to start.
Get A Little Extra Help
Some people find that using CBD sleep gummies can actually help them settle more deeply into sleep and, crucially, stay asleep for a lot longer too. These are often made with calming ingredients that are there to help you rest, and they won’t leave you groggy the next morning, so they’re ideal.
As well as gummies, you can try essential oils, herbal teas, blackout curtains, white noise machines, fans, and so on – the idea is just to make it as easy as possible to fall asleep and stay asleep, and that’s going to make you feel as good as possible.
Avoid Late-Night Wake Up Triggers
Lots of things can make you stir in the middle of the night without you realising it, including caffeine too late in the day, alcohol, or even a room that’s too hot or too cold. Even needing the bathroom because you drank a bit too much water right before bed (even though drinking water is a good thing to do).
Try making a few small changes, which could include stopping drinking liquids an hour before sleep, keeping your bedroom cool and dark, and avoiding snacks that are high in sugar or spice close to bedtime. That way, your body has fewer reasons to wake up, and you’ve got more chance of sleeping all the way through.
Don’t Panic If You Wake Up
Waking up now and then in the night is actually quite normal, so if it happens, try not to stress. Don’t grab your phone or turn on bright lights because that’s just going to wake you up more, and instead just lie still, take some slow breaths, and let your body relax again.
In the end, sometimes the best thing you can do for your body and mind is just to let them rest, even if it takes a little while to drift off again.
