THE ONE THING YOU SHOULD NOT DO WHEN WAKING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

If you wake up in the middle of the night, there is one thing you should never do, according to a sleep expert. Tossing and turning in the middle of the night is not unusual, but if you're a light sleeper, there's one thing you don't want to do. While many of us will probably just go back to sleep as soon as we wake up, many people find it more difficult. Additionally, a doctor has advised against doing anything that could cause you to be awake for a while due to sleep disruptions.

According to Dr Biquan Luo, CEO of LumosTech, checking the time can make it more stressful and difficult to fall asleep, as reported by the New York Post. Furthermore, if you check the time on your phone, the information on it might be too stimulating, which keeps you from unwinding and going to sleep. If you're having trouble falling asleep, you might be tempted to reach for your phone right away. What better way to kill time than spending a few hours scrolling through TikTok?

The sleep specialist has cautioned against browsing social media in the middle of the night, though.

Dr Luo went on: "It's time to get out of bed if you can't fall back asleep after ten or fifteen minutes. Try finding a peaceful, comfortable spot at home, like the couch, and doing something low-stimulation, like reading a book or doing something relaxing, until you feel drowsy again, and then go back to bed."

In the past, another expert, Dr. Fiona Barwick, director of Stanford University School of Medicine's Sleep & Circadian Health Program, stated that there is a far better option than lying in bed contemplating your inability to fall back asleep.

Thinking about the fact that you're not sleeping can wake you up and increase your anxiety, she told Self. Finding a different focus and accepting your circumstances—rather than fighting to stay awake—is a better course of action. According to a fellow expert, "It's important not to stay in bed" if you are unable to fall back asleep. "This will cause your brain and body to associate your bed with wakefulness rather than sleep," Luis F. Buenaver told John Hopkins Medicine.

Getting out of a warm, cosy bed in the middle of the night can be challenging. Consider this action as an investment in better sleep, if not now, then tomorrow and in the future.