Dr. Biquan Luo, CEO of LumosTech and a sleep specialist in San Francisco, discussed several causes and solutions for nighttime awakenings.
Luo, whose business LumosTech makes smart sleep masks to support healthy circadian rhythms, stated that there were several causes of unexpected nighttime awakenings.
The sleep specialist highlighted a few of the reasons why people can’t get some Zs, including being agitated or nervous, experiencing pain, and being in an atmosphere that is too warm or too cold.
In the event that you do have nighttime awakenings, the sleep specialist first advises staying in bed and making an effort to unwind.
If that doesn’t help, she advises getting out of bed and doing something low-stimulating until you start to feel asleep once more.
Try sitting on the couch or another peaceful, low-stimulation spot at home, Luo advised. You might also try reading a book or doing something relaxing.
Although it may seem simple, Luo advised against checking your phone or the time right away because doing so can make it harder to fall back asleep.
The expert added that if you check the clock on your phone, the content can be overly stimulating, which keeps you from unwinding and going to sleep.
Luo went into detail on how internal body clocks function and mentioned that occasionally waking up during the night may be the result of your internal clock not keeping up with your sleep cycle.
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How to Reset Your Nighttime Wake-Ups
When you wake up, try to stay in bed for ten to fifteen minutes, then do something mildly stimulating.
Do not check the time on your phone or alarm when you wake up.
What you ought to understand is how your body’s internal clock functions and how you may control it.
In an ideal world, sleep results from the body’s natural desire for rest and the internal clock, sometimes referred to as circadian signaling, cooperating to produce sound sleep.
However, she added, if sleep pressure decreases before the circadian signal fully activates, it could result in nighttime awakenings.
She concluded by saying that if you’re not sure why you’re waking up during the night, you might try modifying your internal clock to see if it helps minimize these interruptions.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH) states that you can attempt to modify your circadian rhythm.
They advised maintaining a regular sleep schedule, eating at regular times, avoiding naps throughout the day unless you work shifts, engaging in regular physical activity, reducing your intake of caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and some medications, and controlling how much light you are exposed to.
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