Doctor reveals the one thing you should avoid doing if you wake up during the night

To wake up during the night happens to most of us, and we can all agree it can be frustrating.

However, when this happens, doctors warn that we should avoid doing one thing that prevents us from falling back asleep.

Dr. Biquan Luo, CEO of LumosTech, spoke of this issue with The New York Times, and shared a tip for those who tend waking up in the middle of the night.

“Checking the time can increase stress and make it harder to sleep. Additionally, if you check the time on your phone, the contents of the phone may be too stimulating, which further prevents you from relaxing and falling asleep,” Dr. Luo said.

Lying awake and tossing and turning for what may feel like forever before we are able to doze off again can be irritating. So, in order to keep ourselves entertained until drifting back to sleep, we tend to scroll through the social media.

Dr. Luo, however, strongly advises against doing that. “If you can’t fall back asleep after 10 or 15 minutes, it’s time to get out of bed. Try going to a quiet and comfortable place at home, like the couch, and engage in a quiet, low-stimulation activity, such as reading a book or doing a calming activity, until you feel sleepy again – then return to bed.”

He adds that the phone’s bright light and endless stimulation can only make the process of getting back to sleep even more difficult.

Shifting our focus on something more calming if we wake up during the night is a tip another expert, Dr. Fiona Barwick, who leads the Sleep & Circadian Health Program at Stanford University School of Medicine, suggests.

“Thinking about the fact that you’re not sleeping can rouse your mind and make you more anxious. A better move is to accept your situation – don’t resist being awake – and find an alternative focus,” she says.

Sleep specialist Luis F. Buenaver says staying in bed while wide awake can do more harm than good.

“Doing this will lead your brain and body to associate your bed with wakefulness instead of with sleep.

“It can be difficult leaving a warm, comfortable bed after waking up in the middle of the night. But think of this step as an investment in better sleep – if not tonight then tomorrow night and in the future.

“Sit in a comfortable chair in another room.”

Please SHARE this article with your family and friends on Facebook.

Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Monica Pop
Monica Pop
Monica Pop is a senior writer for Bored Daddy magazine covering the latest trending and popular articles across the United States and around the world.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

Mom from Argentina gives birth to rare albino twins with snow-white hair

Every baby is beautiful in their own way, but some are so special that they attract the attention of many and even make headlines....

Grandma’s final photo of granddaughter minutes before she’s killed

A woman named Samantha Jensen shared her heartbreak over the tragic passing of her three-year-old daughter nearly three years ago and the final photo her...

Three beachgoers dead after sea mines wash up on beach and explode at popular tourist spot

Three beachgoers were killed after sea mines washed up too close to Zatoka Beach, near a popular tourist attraction in the city of Odesa,...

California wildfire scorches over 100,000 acres as crews struggle to contain fast-moving blaze

The largest wildfire in California this year, burning in the central part of the state, is threatening communities and causing significant air quality issues...

Mom delivers rainbow baby, only for dad to utter: ‘There’s something wrong’

Andrea West is one very brave mother. She shares her life story of how she lost her baby and the grief and the pain...

My son looked me in the eyes and said, ‘We don’t have room for you any more’

The living room was quiet and still. The faint smell of coffee lingered in the air, and the soft ticking of the clock filled...