Do You Keep Waking Up Before Your Alarm? Sleep Experts Offer Advice.

One of my favorite things is when I wake up at 3am, see that my alarm won't go off for another 3 hours, and happily turning over and going back to sleep. One of my least favorite things is when I wake up at 5am, see that my alarm will be going off in one hour, and I am unable to turn over and happily go back to sleep.

A good nights sleep is a dilemma that plagues nearly on third of Americans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the NIH, globally, 10-30% o the population struggles with falling asleep and/or returning to sleep after awakening.

Not getting proper sleep can lead to many frustrating symptoms - constantly feeling run down, getting sick more easily, brain fog, inability to focus, to name a few. Thankfully, sleep experts are weighing in on what you can do to try to combat insomnia.

Keep Your Eyes OFF The Prize

If you wake up and you can tell it's way before time to wake up, avoid checking out the clock or your phone. Knowing that your alarm will be going off in x hours creates a countdown in your mind which can induce feelings of stress and anxiety that may keep you up. Stress causes an increase in the hormone cortisol which causes the brain to feel hyper-engaged and alert. If your alarm is on your phone, it's worse. Not only are you dealing with the increase in cortisol, you're also getting light exposure which will stimulate your circadian signal for alertness. And if you're scrolling your phone the content you're consuming will be emotional activating when what you need is emotional relaxation. Consider getting a physical alarm clock.

Get Out Of Bed Sleepy Head

Seems counterintuitive, right? But allowing yourself to abandon the idea of going back to sleep relieves the pressure of having to go back to sleep, which will allow your mind to feel more relaxed and more likely to get drowsy again. Get up and exit the room, keep the lights low, and engage in a mundane task. Listen to soft music (not on your phone), knit, read a book, do some dishes, pet the cat, anything that isn't overly stimulating. Once you start feeling drowsy again, head back to bed.

Start A Journal

Everyone's brain is different, so start logging when you go to bed, if you wake up, what may have caused you to wake up, any type of environmental factors, calming techniques, even what food and exercise you engaged in that day. After a while you should start seeing patterns that will assist you in creating a healthy sleep routine. Watch for lighting. Because everyone has different circadian rivers, adding or reducing light may assist. You could also try 'progressive muscle relaxation'. Starting with your toes, clench the muscles for three seconds and relax. Breathe through this process using the 4-7-8 method. Breathing in for 4 seconds, holding it for 7 seconds, and breathing out for 8 seconds.