Tips against insomnia at night

Adequate and restful sleep is one of the most important foundations for a healthy life. Insomnia, frequent waking, and lying awake prevent nighttime rest, harming our daily well-being and our health. Learn here what you can do to prevent waking up in the night and some simple tips to help you fall asleep and sleep through the night.

Table of contents

1. Insomnia – a widespread phenomenon
2. Common causes of insomnia
3. The best tips for insomnia at night

1. Insomnia – a widespread phenomenon

More than 80% of the working population in Germany sleep badly and one in ten suffers from serious Sleep disorders. Having trouble falling asleep, repeatedly waking up, and lying awake for extended periods not only harms our daily form, performance, and psyche, but can also lead to serious health problems such as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and depression. If we toss and turn at night and simply cannot fall asleep, we miss out on important regeneration, and we suffer more from fatigue, exhaustion or difficulty concentrating.

Every night we go through several sleep cycles, which in turn consist of a fixed sequence of Sleep phases Frequent waking phases and sleep interruptions disrupt this process and prevent a healthy sleep structure, reducing the amount of deep sleep and preventing optimal recovery processes in the body and brain. Because we usually still have to go to bed at a certain time and get up in the morning, the amount of sleep we get at night is also reduced, and chronic lack of sleepl can arise.

2. Common causes of insomnia

An irregular sleep pattern, poor sleeping habits, or the wrong diet – insomnia can arise from numerous reasons. You can find out more about possible reasons why we wake up at night and simply can't get back to sleep at this Position in our sleep magazine.

Basically, of course, it is important to have a good sleep hygiene, a healthy Diet and the right evening routines before bedtime to create the best possible conditions for undisturbed sleep. But what can we do if we lie awake at night and just can't get back to sleep?

3. The best tips for insomnia at night

#1 Avoid light and brightness

Bright light signals the body to stop producing sleep hormone melatonin and prepare for waking up. To avoid waking up early in the night, it is advisable to keep the bedroom generally dark and avoid disturbing light sources, for example by using thick curtains or blinds.

If you woke up at night, you should definitely avoid bright lighting or screen light, for example by using your Smartphones. This way, you essentially remain in "sleep mode," as your body registers the persistent darkness, making it easier for you to calm down and fall asleep.

#2 Keep calm, avoid stress and promote relaxation

Chronic stress, mental strain, worries and fears often lead to us thinking a lot and having difficulty relaxing before going to sleep.A through stress Increased cortisol levels inhibit melatonin production in the evening, which prevents deep sleep, causes us to wake up more often and, above all, makes it more difficult to get back to sleep.

If you wake up in the night and have trouble falling back asleep, you should definitely avoid putting yourself under additional pressure, as this further promotes cortisol release. It's best not to get angry, but to stay calm and accept the situation for now. Try to find a comfortable position and completely relax and calm yourself down. Breathing exercises can be particularly helpful here. calming music, a short meditation or even certain Fragrances and flavorings, such as essential oils in candles or pillow sprays. You can find more tips for falling asleep in this article.

Danger: Avoid looking at the clock after waking up. This only leads to additional stress and worries, such as lying awake too long or only having a few hours left before we have to get up.

#3 Stop the thought carousel

Our melatonin levels are highest at night. This versatile hormone promotes sleep, but can negatively impact our mood while we're awake. Therefore, it's best not to start thinking about problems or worries during this time.

To prevent the proverbial carousel of thoughts from getting started, it can help to mentally close the day before going to bed and jot down all your thoughts and feelings, perhaps in a journal or a short note. You can also jot down upcoming tasks and to-dos for the next day to keep track of everything important and organize your memory. This way, you'll spend the night with a clear head and ensure less strain and tension in your brain when you wake up in the night.

#4 Distract yourself & stand up briefly

If you still can't fall asleep even after a while, sometimes it's better to get up for a while instead of tossing and turning in bed. With the lights dimmed, you can then engage in something as quiet and monotonous as possible. This prevents your body from becoming overactive and, in fact, the consistent activity will ensure that you tire yourself out again after a while and can fall asleep again. For example, you can read a book, fold laundry, or use the time to implement our third tip.

4. More tips for better sleep

It is not easy to sleep well on a long-term basis, as our sleep is influenced by numerous different factors and, despite or perhaps because of its importance for our health, is a very sensitive stage. With good sleep hygiene, a regular Sleep-wake rhythm, the right diet and one or the other Trick to promote relaxation Before going to bed, we cannot always prevent insomnia, but we can at least help to create the best conditions for a restful sleep.

5. Conclusion

• Insomnia and frequent sleep interruptions prevent restful sleep and can lead to sleep deprivation and health problems, as well as tiredness, exhaustion or difficulty concentrating during the day.

• Avoid bright light sources or screen lights at night, as these make it difficult to fall asleep again.

• If you lie awake at night, you should stay calm, avoid stress, and promote relaxation with the help of breathing exercises, meditation, music, or certain scents.

• Try to write down thoughts and worries in the evening or while you are awake so that you can go back to bed with a clear head to reduce stress and cognitive load.

• Instead of lying awake for hours, you can get up and do something quiet so that your body tires again through monotonous ironing or reading.