Understand what is happening when you wake up
If you are asking yourself, “What can I do if I wake up and can’t fall back asleep?” you are not alone. Nighttime awakenings are common, especially during stressful periods or when your routine changes.
A brief wake-up during the night is normal. Your brain naturally cycles through lighter and deeper stages of sleep, and you may surface into awareness in between. The problem starts when you feel wide awake, your thoughts speed up, and you begin to worry about not sleeping.
Rather than trying to force yourself back to sleep, it helps to focus on relaxing your body and calming your mind. Sleep usually follows once your nervous system settles down.
Decide whether to stay in bed or get up
The first decision is simple: stay put for a bit, or get out of bed.
Give yourself 10 to 20 minutes
When you first wake up, try:
- Staying in a comfortable position
- Keeping your eyes closed or softly focused
- Reminding yourself that relaxing is still helpful, even if you are not asleep
If you start to feel drowsy again, let yourself drift without checking the clock.
When it is better to get out of bed
If you think at least 15 to 20 minutes have passed and you still feel alert, experts suggest getting out of bed to reset your mind and body. Healthline recommends moving to another room to do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again, then returning to bed (Healthline).
Choose activities that are:
- Calm
- Quiet
- Low light
For example:
- Reading a physical book or magazine
- Doing a simple puzzle
- Knitting or drawing
- Sitting quietly with soft music
Avoid bright lights and intense tasks that might wake you up more.
Use calming breathing techniques
Slow, controlled breathing sends a signal of safety to your nervous system and can be a powerful tool when you wake up at night.
Try the 4-7-8 breathing method
The 4-7-8 technique can help your body shift into a more relaxed state. The Sleep Foundation notes that this type of breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and promote sleepiness (Sleep Foundation).
Here is how to do it:
- Inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds.
- Repeat the cycle up to 4 times.
If holding your breath that long feels uncomfortable, shorten the counts but keep the same pattern.
Practice box breathing
Box breathing is another simple pattern that can calm your mind and body (Sleep Foundation):
- Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
- Exhale for 4 seconds.
- Hold again for 4 seconds.
Practice this for a few minutes while you lie in bed or sit in a chair.
Use gentle deep breathing
If counting feels stressful, simply:
- Inhale slowly through your nose until your belly gently expands.
- Exhale through your mouth or nose until your heartbeat begins to slow.
WebMD notes that controlled breathing like this can calm both your body and racing thoughts when you are trying to get back to sleep (WebMD).
Relax your body with simple exercises
Your body might still be carrying tension, even if you feel tired. Relaxation exercises can release that tension and make it easier to fall back asleep.
Use progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a technique where you tense and then relax groups of muscles one at a time. Both the Sleep Foundation and WebMD highlight PMR as a helpful way to reduce tension and return to sleep during nighttime awakenings (Sleep Foundation, WebMD).
Try this from your toes to your forehead:
- Start with your feet. Curl your toes and tense the muscles for about 5 seconds.
- Release the tension and notice the difference in how it feels.
- Move up to your calves, thighs, hips, stomach, chest, arms, hands, neck, and face.
- With each release, imagine your body sinking deeper into the mattress or chair.
If you prefer, you can start from your head and move down instead.
Add gentle stretches or yoga
Slow, simple movements can also signal your body that it is safe to relax. Healthline notes that gentle yoga or controlled movements before bed can support better sleep quality and help you fall back asleep if you wake during the night (Healthline).
Keep it soft and comfortable:
- Neck rolls done very slowly
- Shoulder shrugs and releases
- Light stretches for your back and hips
Stop any movement that feels painful or overly stimulating.
Calm your mind with meditation and mantras
Sometimes your body is tired but your thoughts are busy. Meditation and mantras can give your mind something gentle to focus on.
Try simple mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation means paying attention to the present moment with curiosity instead of judgment. This practice can reduce stress and improve sleep patterns over time (Healthline, Sleep Foundation).
You can try:
- Focusing on your breath moving in and out.
- Noticing sensations, like the weight of your body on the mattress or the feeling of the blanket.
- When a thought appears, labeling it gently, such as “worry” or “plan,” then bringing your attention back to your breath.
Keep your expectations low. The goal is not perfect stillness, it is a softer, less tangled mind.
Use a calming mantra
Repeating a simple phrase can help keep your thoughts from circling. Healthline notes that mantras have been shown to reduce insomnia symptoms and support relaxation (Healthline).
Choose a short, neutral line, for example:
- “Breathing in, breathing out.”
- “I am safe right now.”
- “Rest is enough.”
Repeat it silently with each breath until your mind feels quieter.
Create a quiet, sleep-friendly environment
Your surroundings can either support your effort to fall back asleep or work against it.
Reduce noise where you can
Loud or unpredictable sounds make it harder to stay asleep. Healthline suggests blocking sounds by shutting windows, using earplugs, turning on a fan, or listening to white noise, and notes a review showing white noise may improve sleep for some people (Healthline).
Options to try:
- A fan or air purifier for steady background noise
- White noise, gentle rain, or soft nature sounds
- Comfortable earplugs if outside sounds are hard to control
Try calming sounds or music
The Sleep Foundation notes that calming music, white noise, or ASMR can help people fall asleep faster and wake less often by encouraging relaxation or masking disruptive sounds (Sleep Foundation).
If you use audio:
- Keep the volume low.
- Choose slow, soothing sounds instead of songs that make you want to sing along.
- Set a timer if possible so the sound does not run all night, unless continuous white noise helps you.
Avoid bright screens and stimulating activities
When you cannot sleep, it is tempting to reach for your phone. Unfortunately, that usually makes things worse.
Limit blue light exposure
Blue light from phones, tablets, and TVs can interfere with melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. Healthline and WebMD both recommend avoiding screens when you are trying to fall back asleep, since this light can keep your brain in a more awake state (Healthline, WebMD).
Helpful habits:
- Keep your phone out of reach so you are less tempted to scroll.
- Do not turn on overhead lights. Use a small, warm-colored lamp if you need some light.
- If you must use a device, dim the screen and use a blue light filter, though avoiding screens completely is better when possible.
Skip stressful or intense tasks
Try not to:
- Check work email
- Read the news
- Look at your bank account
- Start major household chores
Even without screens, anything that raises your heart rate or anxiety can pull you further from sleep.
Consider soothing supplements carefully
Some people explore supplements to support sleep. Healthline notes that magnesium and lavender oil have been found in studies to improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia symptoms, and they may help you fall back asleep when you wake during the night (Healthline).
However:
- Supplements can interact with medications.
- Doses and forms matter.
- Not every remedy works the same way for everyone.
It is safest to talk with your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new supplement, especially if you have health conditions or take other medications.
Prepare your mind before bedtime
What you do before bed can shape how easily you fall back asleep if you wake in the night.
Write down tomorrow’s tasks
Racing thoughts about everything you need to do can keep you awake. WebMD notes that writing a to-do list before bed can help move these worries out of your head and onto paper, which can make it easier to sleep (WebMD).
A simple nightly habit:
- Spend 5 minutes listing tasks for the next day.
- Add quick notes on your top 2 or 3 priorities.
- Close the notebook and tell yourself, “I will handle this tomorrow.”
Build a gentle wind-down routine
You are more likely to fall back asleep easily if your overall sleep routine supports relaxation. You might:
- Dim the lights 30 to 60 minutes before bed.
- Do a few minutes of stretching, breathing, or meditation.
- Listen to calming music or an audiobook.
Keeping a consistent bedtime and wake-up time can also help your internal clock become more stable over time.
Know when to talk to a doctor
Occasional restless nights happen to everyone. Still, it is important to pay attention if waking up and not being able to fall back asleep becomes a pattern.
Healthline recommends talking to a doctor if:
- You wake up frequently and struggle to return to sleep.
- You feel very tired, irritable, or foggy during the day.
- You snore loudly or sometimes gasp for air at night.
- You have ongoing health issues that may be affecting your sleep (Healthline).
Your doctor may refer you to a sleep specialist to explore possible sleep disorders or other underlying causes.
Putting it all together
When you wonder, “What can I do if I wake up and can’t fall back asleep?” it helps to have a simple plan:
- Give yourself a short window to relax in bed.
- If you still feel awake, get up and do something quiet and low light.
- Use breathing, muscle relaxation, and gentle meditation to calm your body and mind.
- Keep your environment dark, cool, and quiet, and avoid screens and stressful tasks.
- Build pre-bed habits, like writing a to-do list, that set you up for better rest.
- Reach out to a doctor if sleepless nights become frequent or start affecting your days.
You do not have to fix your sleep overnight. Try one or two of these ideas the next time you wake up in the middle of the night, notice how your body responds, and adjust from there. Over time, small, consistent changes can make your nights feel more restful and your mornings more manageable.
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