Learning how to fall back asleep after waking up at 3 a.m. or in the middle of the night starts with breaking one habit most people don't even realize they're doing.
Registered nurse and sleep specialist Sarah Jeffries shows you exactly what to do the moment you wake up at 3 a.m., so you can get back to sleep instead of lying there watching the clock.
Instead of just trying to force sleep, which only makes it harder, she walks through a quick sequence of physical and mental resets for the next time you can't get back to sleep.
One of the biggest habits to break is looking at the clock, because the second you see the time, your brain starts calculating how many hours of sleep are left, and that spike in cortisol is often what keeps you wired instead of drifting off.
She also breaks down the 4-7-8 breathing method, breathing in for four, holding for seven, and out for eight. That long exhale activates your vagus nerve, which helps calm your nervous system and slow your heart rate enough to actually let you rest.
Sarah shares a couple of simple body tricks for cooling down and quieting a racing mind. There's also a clear rule for exactly when it's time to get out of bed instead of lying there frustrated.
Chapters: 00:00 What to Do When You Wake Up at 3 AM and Can’t Sleep 01:01 The One Thing You Should Never Do when you Wake up in the Middle of the Night 01:21 How Light Affects Your Chances of Falling Back Asleep 02:02 Two Body Tricks to Help You Drift Off 02:47 The Breathing Technique That Calms Your Nervous System 03:20 The Emergency Exit for When Nothing Else Works 04:04 What to Eat and When to Try Again 04:34 Why Waking Up Isn't a Failure
==MEDICAL DISCLAIMER ❗== Although I am a nurse by profession, I am not YOUR nurse. All content and information on this YouTube channel and from me is for informational and educational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice, and does not establish any kind of patient-client relationship by your use of this website.
If you have a medical emergency you should call 911.
In the middle of the night, if you're wide awake
and your mind is racing, this video is for you.
Maybe you end up scrolling on your phone
thinking, I should be asleep.
I hear this all the time.
So if this sounds like you, you should watch this video
because I'm going to tell you what to do
the next time this happens
so you don't just fall back to sleep,
but you have the deep sleep
to help you wake up fresh in the morning.
My name is Sarah Jeffries.
I'm a registered nurse and sleep specialist.
And tonight, we're not just going to try to sleep
because that is exactly what makes it harder.
Instead, I'm going to show you exactly what to do
to reset your nervous system
and give your body the best possible chance
to drift back off.
From the one thing you need to stop doing
the second you wake up,
to a physical brain dump technique
that works better than counting sheep.
This is your survival guide for the middle of the night.
If you're watching this right now
because you're awake at 3 a.m.,
you don't need to do anything else but listen.
No typing, no scrolling.
Just know that right now, in this exact moment,
you've got company.
This is the moment your anxiety is highest.
So this is where we're going to start.
Do not look at the time.
I know it's tempting,
but the second you see 3 a.m.,
your brain starts doing sleep math.
You tell yourself,
if I fall asleep right now,
I only get three more hours.
And that immediately spikes your cortisol.
Turn your clock away.
Face your phone down.
Just don't look.
If you do need to get up,
keep the lights off
or switch to a red light nightlight if you have one
because blue light from your phone
or bright overhead lights
tells your brain it's morning.
Don't give it that signal.
Keep the lights at feet level,
a soft, warm tone.
Better yet, give your eyes a second to adjust.
I promise you'll find the toilet without the lights on.
Now, before we talk about
the next very important step to do,
I want you to save this video
because I know I'm saying all of this
and you're already on your phone wide awake
and this has popped up on your algorithm,
but I'm teaching you things that you can remember
so you won't need to find a YouTube video
to watch again.
You'll have mine saved to watch during the day
and remind yourself of the steps to take.
Next, I want you to do a quick cool down.
Flip your pillow to the cool side
or stick one foot out from under the covers.
Dropping your core body temperature just slightly
is one of the most natural signals
you can send your body that it's time to sleep.
Now, if visualization doesn't work for you
and for a lot of people it doesn't,
this is your alternative.
It's called the weight method.
I want you to focus on the weight of your own body
against the mattress.
This is gonna give your brain something neutral to do
and focus on so your mind doesn't start to think
about your to-do list tomorrow.
So you're gonna start at your toes
and you're gonna work your way up your body.
Imagine each part getting heavier and heavier,
sinking another inch into the bed as you go.
This is moving your brain away from stimulating thoughts
and towards something repetitive and low demand.
The next tip is a classic for a reason.
It's called the 4-7-8 breath work.
You're gonna inhale for four,
hold for seven and exhale for eight.
That long exhale activates your vagus nerve
and it's a physical sign to slow your heart rate down.
It's one of the easiest, fastest ways
to tell your nervous system that you're safe,
that you can rest and you can fall asleep.
Now, don't stress if you can't hold a breath that long.
The important thing is to relax
and just try and concentrate on slow, deep breathing.
If you've been lying there for what feels like 20 minutes
and your brain is starting to loop,
it's time for the emergency exit.
We need to break the association between your bed
and the frustration of being awake.
So I want you to get out of bed.
I know that sounds backwards,
but we want your bed to mean one thing to your brain, sleep.
I want you to move to a cozy chair or the sofa
and keep the lights low.
Do a boring analogue task.
Not your phone, try folding some laundry in the dark
or play a little mental trivia game with yourself.
Like pick a category and try fruits.
Name one for every letter of the alphabet.
A for apple, B for banana.
You get the idea.
Now, that's just enough mental work to distract you
without stimulating and waking you up further.
Now, if you get hungry, keep it boring here too.
A small handful of almonds, a few slices of turkey,
a small glass of milk,
nothing that spikes your blood sugar too high
and pulls you further awake.
Now, if you're really struggling to fall asleep,
I want you to wait for heavy eyes,
not just feeling tired.
Don't go back to bed
the moment you feel a little bit tired.
I want you to wait until your eyelids
actually start to droop.
That heaviness is the real signal.
That's when you go back to your sleep sanctuary.
Waking up in the middle of the night isn't a failure.
It's just a transition your body is navigating.
Using these tools,
you're taking the pressure off yourself
and letting your natural sleep drive take back the wheel.
You don't need to reach for your phone right now.
Just know that somewhere out there,
someone else is awake in the middle of the night too,
going through this exact same thing.
Another thing you can do every night,
which I do, is listen to white noise.
White noise keeps you in that deep sleep
because it stops you from hearing any random noises
that might pop up in the night.
And all you've got to do is let the white noise
play quietly in the background.
And this really helps me and my family
stay asleep for longer.
And if you want some white noise,
there's 10 hours worth right here
of uninterrupted white noise
that'll help you sleep all the way through.
Click here and let this play the next time you're sleeping.
