New Year, New Sleep: Proven Tips and Techniques for Better Rest

As we embrace the new year with fresh resolutions and goals, quality sleep should be at the top of the list. Yet many of us struggle with sleep, finding ourselves wide awake in the middle of the night when we should be peacefully dreaming. Understanding why we experience these midnight awakenings and knowing how to handle them can make all the difference in achieving restful sleep.

It's actually normal to wake up briefly during the night – our sleep cycles naturally bring us closer to wakefulness at certain points, particularly around the middle of the night. However, when we find ourselves fully alert and unable to drift back to sleep, several factors might be at play. Stress or anxiety are the common culprits but bad habits, irregular sleep schedules, or environmental disruptions can also contribute to middle of the night awakenings.

There is nothing more frustrating than being awake in the middle of the night when you just want to go back to sleep. But that frustration is counterproductive to actually going back to sleep. The good news? There are several evidence-based techniques you can use to help you relax, give your mind something else to focus on and hopefully guide yourself back to sleep

Deep Breathing: Your breath is a great place to start. There are various breathing exercises you can try, but the priority is slowing and deepening your breath. Research suggests that hyperarousal plays a key role in insomnia and short sleep. Essentially, your nervous system is too alert to allow you to go to sleep, with too much sympathetic activity (our “fight-or-flight" response) or too little parasympathetic activity (the “rest-and-digest" signal). Slow, deep breathing calms your nervous system by increasing this parasympathetic activity.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This technique involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. Start at your toes and work your way up to your face, holding each tension for 5 seconds before releasing. Progressive muscle relaxation helps release physical tension you might not even realize you're holding, making it easier to drift off.

Calming Sounds: While silence works for some, others find gentle background sounds soothing. Whether it's soft classical music, nature sounds, or a soothing guided meditation, these tools can provide a gentle focus for your mind, preventing it from racing with thoughts.

Just as important as knowing what to do is understanding what not to do when you wake up at night:

• Resist checking your phone or any other screens. The blue light they emit can further disrupt your sleep cycle while the stimulating content can engage your brain and make it harder to relax and drift off.
• Don't turn on bright lights, which can signal to your brain that it's time to wake up.
• Avoid checking the time repeatedly, as this can increase anxiety about sleep.
• Now is not the time for a cigarette (or any sort of tobacco product) or a cup of coffee as these are stimulants that will make it more difficult to go back to sleep.

Remember, occasional sleep disruption is normal and manageable. There is no such thing as perfect sleep, but by approaching these wake-ups with calm and purpose rather than frustration, you're already on your way to solving the problem. If you still find yourself struggling with your sleep email us at [email protected] and let us help you make 2025 the year you sleep peacefully. 

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