It’s 2 a.m. Your eyes pop open, your mind starts racing, and suddenly it feels impossible to drift back to sleep. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Middle-of-the-night wake-ups are one of the most common sleep struggles.
The key is knowing what not to do (so you don’t make it worse) — and what to do instead to guide yourself gently back to sleep
What Not To Do When You Wake Up at Night
- Don’t grab your phone. Blue light from screens signals your brain it’s daytime and stops melatonin.
- Don’t turn on bright lights. Even a few minutes of overhead light can reset your body clock.
- Don’t start clock-watching. Obsessing over how many hours you have left only fuels anxiety.
- Don’t jump into mental to-do lists. Planning, problem-solving, or replaying conversations keeps the nervous system switched on.
What To Do Instead
Breath Work
- Try the 4-6 Breath: inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts. The longer exhale tells your body it’s safe to rest.
- Practice alternate nostril: breathing to balance your mind and calm anxious thoughts.
Visualization
- Picture a peaceful scene– beach, a garden, or a candlelit temple — and let your senses fill in the details.
- Do a golden light body scan, imagining warm light relaxing every part of your body from head to toe, let any tension leave your body drop it to the earth
- Count backwards slowly from 50, picturing flower petals, stars, or waves with each number.
Don’t force sleep: create the conditions for it. By avoiding the habits that jolt your body awake and replacing them with calming, sacred practices, you’ll gently guide yourself back into sleep.
If you’d like deeper support, you can book a private sleep session with me, where we’ll design a personalized wind-down ritual just for you.
Read more: Why The Old Ways of Approaching Sleep Don’t Work for Women Anymore
