How To Get Back To Sleep In Minutes

Do you wake up and then have trouble getting back to sleep? Me too! What you're facing is actually a 2 part problem. Here are 5 easy and effective ways to get back to sleep quickly.

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How to Fall Back Asleep Quickly

Am I the only one that hates sleep?

I know that every single night I'm going to wake up for some reason and my brain will start jumping from one inane thing to another. It’s practically impossible to fall back asleep, and this will happen multiple times throughout the night. It’s SO FRUSTRATING!

I’ve been actively working on how to improve my sleep and I’ve got 5 things that have really helped.

In reality, what most of us crappy sleepers are facing is actually a 2 part problem:

1. We’re doing things earlier in the day that make us wake up during the night, like light exposure, late night dinners, too many liquids, caffeine stimulating us more than we think, and cocktails. (To learn how to solve problem #1, check out this video.)

2. We wake up and our brains kick into an unleashed ball of cognitive chaos – which is what we’re addressing today.

In order to tame your brain and get back to sleep, you’ve got to redirect it with a simple task. Otherwise, it's just going to keep bouncing around or fixating.

Here are 5 things you can do to get back to sleep – and they’re all backed by science and research:

1. The ABC game. Pick any category of things - parts on a car for example - and come up with something for each letter of the alphabet. In this instance it could be alternator, brakes, clutch, dipstick…you get the idea.

2. A podcast. I like to listen to a vaguely interesting podcast. I slide my phone under the pillowcase and under my ear so I don’t disturb my wife and set the timer to turn itself off in 25 minutes.

3. A body scan. Start at the top of your body with your scalp. Let it relax. Then move down to your forehead and release any tension. Your eyebrows are next – let them melt down your face. Focus on letting your eyelids be completely relaxed and heavy. Continue slowly down every part of your body.

4. Take a dump. A brain dump! Take a few minutes with pen and paper to dump out everything that's in your brain. Write any to-dos for tomorrow, any things that are on your mind. any little pingy-pongies... Get them all down and out of your brain. They’ll be waiting for you tomorrow.

5. Take an appreciation inventory. Our brains are hardwired to pay more attention to the negative things in our lives, the problems, and the things that aren't working. Take a mental inventory of everything that IS working in your life right now - the things that are going well, make you happy, that you're excited and grateful for.

Will you give these a try and let me know how they go?

And if what you struggle with is GETTING to sleep, be sure to watch this video ⬇︎

Here’s to sound, uninterrupted sleep,

Jenny