Try: Try not to stress over not being able to get back to sleep because that very stress encourages the body to stay awake focus on the feelings and sensations in the body instead make relaxation the goal not sleep try a relaxation technique such as deep breathing or meditation which can be done without getting out of bed do a quiet non-stimulating activity if awake for more than 15 minutes try getting out of bed and doing a non-stimulating activity such as reading a book keep the lights dim so as not to cue the body clock that it’s time to wake up and avoid tv and computer screens postpone worrying if awakened during the night feeling anxious about something make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when the body has had a chance to rest and the issue will be easier to resolve

Materials: Paper and pen

Categories: Sage, Topic, Emotional Psychological, Medical Physical, Personal

Information: n/a

References: sleeping well as you age helpful sleep tips for seniors by lawrence robinson gina kemp and robert segal 2011 available at www helpguide org

Keywords: Sleep insomnia sleep disorders can’t sleep anxious stress stressed out

*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed