Waking up in the night can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you start to think about the long to-do list that’s ready to greet you in the morning. Soon, a brief wake up can quickly spiral to hours staring at the ceiling and counting down the hours until your alarm goes off.
But, while there are plenty of things you can do during the night to help you sleep through, like setting up a nighttime routine and sleeping on the best mattress for your body type, changing your daily habits can make a big difference.
From paying attention to your diet and increasing exercise to ensuring you get a blast of morning sunlight, we’re exploring 5 things you can do during the day to stop waking up at night and improve your sleep.
5 things to do during the day to sleep through the night
1. Don’t press the snooze button
A dark winter morning almost begs you to press the snooze button and curl up under your cozy duvet just for a little longer, but resisting the temptation can improve your sleep the next night.
A regular sleep and wake schedule is one of the most important habits to help you fall asleep easily and sleep through the night. In fact, a recent study found that regularity in sleeping was actually more important than the duration of time you sleep for when it comes to your health.
By waking up at the same time every morning, you’ll regulate your circadian rhythm, meaning you’ll feel naturally sleepy in the evening and energized throughout the day. It also means you won’t get bursts of energy during the night that might wake you. Another bonus? You eliminate the risk of oversleeping, which increases the risk of nighttime awakenings the next night.
2. Get outside in the morning
Morning daylight is essential in regulating our energy levels and hormone levels. By getting outside, the sunlight (or just light if you’re living anywhere like the UK), can help stimulate the production of cortisol which helps to wake you up.
It also regulates melatonin production (the sleepy hormone,) meaning when it gets dark in the evenings, you’ll produce enough melatonin to feel sleepy, fall asleep and sleep through the night.
Not getting enough natural light throughout the day can disrupt your sleep during the night because, once again, your circadian rhythm will struggle to identify night and day. This can not only lead to nighttime awakenings, but also dips in your energy throughout the day.
3. Stop drinking caffeine after midday
Caffeine has a half life of 5 hours. That means, even after 10 hours, it may still be in your system, wreaking havoc on your sleep. Ideally, this means stopping any caffeine intake after midday, to give your mind and body a chance to fully recover before bedtime.
However, if your regular bedtime is later and you’d still like that afternoon cup of tea, simply work backwards and stop drinking caffeine 10 hours before you intend to fall asleep. Remember, even some foods contain caffeine. Avoid dark chocolate, for instance, as this contains a fair amount of the stimulant.
4. Exercise
Exercise is key to a good night’s sleep. Not only can it help you regulate your energy levels by moving your body and using your energy throughout the day, but it can also stimulate melatonin production, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
However, the time of day and the intensity of your workout is important to consider. Morning exercise is a great way to tell the mind and body that it’s time to be awake, helping to keep your circadian rhythm (or body clock) in time. This means it’s a great time to try vigorous exercise like running or HIIT workouts. Alternatively, if you want to get moving later in the day, opt for more gentle movements, like yoga, pilates or stretching.
Exercising during the day can increase the amount of deep sleep you get (the sleep where your body repairs your muscles.) During this sleep stage, you’re much less likely to wake up compared to REM or light sleep.
5. Eat three balanced meals
It may come as a surprise, but your diet can impact your sleep massively. And we’re not only talking about those nighttime snacks. In fact, everything you eat during the day can have a knock on effect on the rest you get.
By eating three balanced meals spaced out throughout the day, you give your body and your digestive system enough time to process the food and use the energy from it. Eating too early in the morning can throw off your circadian rhythm and eating too late at night, when melatonin levels are high, can result in high glucose levels that can keep us awake.
Slow releasing carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit and protein can all aid sleep. Avoid sugary snacks and any alcoholic drinks to ensure you sleep through the night.
Is it normal to wake up in the night?
Yes! It’s completely normal to wake up in the night. We experience multiple sleep cycles in a night that are defined by time spent in different sleep stages. At the end of these sleep cycles, it’s very common for us to briefly wake up before falling back to sleep again.
However, if you wake up very frequently, or remain awake for a long time, it may indicate a problem with your sleep and even lead to sleep deprivation.
If you’ve been struggling with nighttime awakenings for a while and feel it is impacting your day-to-day life, it’s worth speaking to a health professional. They’ll be able to monitor your sleep and identify any underlying causes that may be leading to you waking up in the night.
