Buzz
Struggling with sleep lately? Maybe you woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep, or anxiety kept you from getting enough rest. You're not the only one. According to a 2021 survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 56% of respondents reported increased sleep disturbances like trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and a general decrease in sleep. Additionally, a 2020 CDC survey found that 14.5% of American adults had "trouble falling asleep most days or every day in the past 30 days." No wonder so many are feeling exhausted.
When you can't fall asleep, or you wake up far too early, your instinct might be to stay in bed and force yourself to sleep, no matter how uncomfortable it feels. However, sleep experts suggest that trying harder to sleep can actually make the situation worse, potentially leading to chronic insomnia.
So, what should you do if sleep is eluding you? The best advice might be to get out of bed. We spoke to a sleep expert who explains why this simple step could be the most effective way to handle insomnia next time it strikes.
Why You Should Stop Struggling to Sleep
Michael Perlis, Ph.D., the head of the Penn Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program, warns about the dangers of extending something called "sleep opportunity," which can lead to a disconnect between your actual ability to sleep and the time you're allowing yourself to try.
"People with insomnia tend to stretch their sleep opportunity," says Perlis. "They go to bed earlier, stay in bed later, and nap throughout the day. While this might seem like a good strategy in the short run, the problem is that it creates a gap between the person’s actual sleep capacity and the time they’ve allotted for sleep; this contributes to the continuation of insomnia."
In simpler terms, many individuals try to make up for lost sleep by increasing their sleep opportunities or adjusting their sleep patterns, which often ends up being counterproductive.
What You Should Do Instead
If you're unable to sleep through the night, Perlis recommends getting out of bed and using that time for another activity, such as reading, folding laundry, or catching up on those thank-you notes you’ve been putting off. You may eventually fall asleep after a while, but you’ll drift off more quickly and enjoy a deeper, more restorative sleep than if you had stayed in bed stressing over why you're not sleeping.
While it may seem entirely counterproductive, opting to stay awake rather than forcing sleep is a formal approach in treating insomnia through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This is also the first treatment recommended by the American College of Physicians. According to Perlis, maintaining a consistent sleep/wake schedule can help restore your sleep cycle in about three to five days.
It's crucial to reserve your bed exclusively for sleep and sex—avoid using it for reading, working, or scrolling through social media so that your brain doesn’t begin to associate the bed with wakefulness. Michael Grander, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, suggests limiting the time spent awake in bed to a maximum of half an hour per week.
What Else You Can Do to Improve Sleep
There are several methods shown to improve sleep, many of which involve adopting healthy sleep habits. Here are a few techniques to try:
- Maintain good sleep hygiene.
- Try using a weighted blanket.
- Perform simple stretching exercises before bed.
- Read a book before bed.
- Practice breathing exercises right before bed.
- Experiment with the Scandinavian sleep method.
- Adjust the lighting in your bedroom.
- Modify the temperature in your bedroom.
- Consider taking melatonin.
- Eat sleep-inducing foods.
- Try calming yoga poses before bed.
