What can I do if I wake up and can’t fall back asleep?

Understand what is happening when you wake up

If you often ask yourself, “What can I do if I wake up and can’t fall back asleep?” you are not alone. Nighttime awakenings are common, especially during stressful periods or life changes. Sometimes your body simply finishes a sleep cycle and drifts toward lighter sleep. Other times, noise, light, temperature, or worries kick your brain into alert mode.

A useful mindset shift is to treat these wake-ups as something you can work with, not something you have to fight. Your goal is to gently guide your body back into “rest mode” rather than forcing sleep to happen on command.

If nighttime wake-ups become frequent or affect your daytime life, it is important to talk with a doctor or sleep specialist, since recurrent insomnia can have many causes (Healthline).

Calm your mind instead of forcing sleep

When you are lying awake, frustrated and clock-watching, your brain ties the bed to stress instead of rest. Shifting into relaxation rather than “must sleep now” can make it easier to drift off again.

Try deep breathing techniques

Slow breathing signals to your nervous system that it is safe to relax. You can experiment with different patterns to see what feels best.

Two options backed by sleep experts:

4-7-8 breathing
This method may activate your parasympathetic nervous system and reduce arousal so you can fall back asleep more easily (Sleep Foundation, Healthline).

Inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds.
Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds.
Repeat for 4 to 8 rounds, or longer if it feels good.

Box breathing
This pattern is simple and rhythmic.

Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
Hold for 4 seconds.
Exhale for 4 seconds.
Hold your lungs empty for 4 seconds.
Repeat several cycles.

If counting feels stressful, you can simply inhale slowly until your lungs feel comfortably full and exhale until they feel empty, aiming for a long, gentle exhale.

Use mindfulness to soften racing thoughts

When your brain spins through to‑dos or worries, mindfulness can help you unhook from those thoughts instead of arguing with them.

According to the Sleep Foundation, mindfulness meditation that focuses on the present moment with curiosity instead of judgment can improve sleep and help you return to sleep during nighttime awakenings (Sleep Foundation).

You can try this simple approach:

Bring your attention to the feeling of your breath at your nose or your chest.
When a thought pops up, silently label it “thinking” or “planning.”
Gently guide your attention back to your breath or the weight of your body on the mattress.
Keep your eyes closed and your body still, as if you are already resting.

If you prefer guidance, you can use an audio meditation that focuses on sleep, breathing, or body scanning. Just avoid bright screens while you choose it, or set up a playlist before bedtime.

Repeat a calming phrase or mantra

Repeating a simple phrase can give your mind something soothing to focus on instead of looping worries. Research has found that mantras can reduce insomnia symptoms and support relaxation (Healthline).

You might silently repeat:

“I am safe and I can rest.”
“Breathing in calm, breathing out tension.”
“My body knows how to sleep.”

The words matter less than the feeling. Choose something that feels reassuring instead of demanding.

Relax your body from head to toe

Your muscles can be tense even when you think you are “just lying there.” Relaxing your body can send a powerful signal to your brain that it is time to wind down again.

Practice progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a structured way to loosen physical tension. It involves tensing a muscle group, then releasing it slowly, which can help you return to sleep after waking up (Sleep Foundation, WebMD).

Here is a simple PMR routine you can do in bed:

Start at your toes. Gently curl them and tense your feet for about 5 seconds.
Release the tension and notice the contrast for about 10 seconds.
Move up through your body:

Calves
Thighs
Hips and glutes
Stomach and lower back
Hands and forearms
Upper arms and shoulders
Neck and jaw
Eyes and forehead

Keep breathing slowly as you work your way up, and let each muscle group feel heavier as it relaxes.

You do not need to be perfect. The act of slowly scanning your body and letting go is what matters.

Try gentle stretching or bedtime yoga

If your body feels stiff or restless, slow, controlled movements may help you unwind. Gentle yoga and stretching before bed have been shown to relax both body and mind, which can improve sleep quality and make it easier to drift off again if you wake up later (Healthline).

Keep movements soft and low effort:

Seated forward fold while sitting on the edge of the bed
Child’s pose on a mat or soft rug
Lying on your back and hugging your knees toward your chest
Gentle neck rolls and shoulder rolls

If you do this after you wake up, keep the lights dim and avoid checking your phone so you do not fully wake yourself.

Decide whether to stay in bed or get up

A common question is: Should you stay in bed and hope for the best, or get up if you wake and cannot fall back asleep?

Sleep specialists generally suggest:

If you are relaxed and drowsy, it is fine to stay in bed and focus on calm breathing or a body scan.
If you feel wide awake and frustrated for more than about 15 to 20 minutes, it may help to get out of bed and do something quiet until you feel sleepy again (Healthline).

How to get up without waking yourself fully

If you decide to get out of bed:

Keep lights as low as possible.
Avoid your phone, computer, and TV, since screens and blue light can interfere with melatonin, the hormone that supports sleep (Healthline, WebMD).
Choose a calm, screen‑free activity, such as:

Reading a physical book or magazine
Listening to soft, calming music
Doing a few gentle stretches
Sitting quietly with a warm, caffeine‑free drink

Once your eyes start to feel heavy or you catch yourself rereading the same sentence, go back to bed and try again with breathing or relaxation.

Reduce noise and distractions around you

Sometimes the answer to “What can I do if I wake up and can’t fall back asleep?” is as simple as adjusting your environment so it supports rest instead of alertness.

Block out disruptive sounds

Sudden or ongoing noise can jolt you awake or keep you from falling back asleep. You can experiment with:

Closing windows to muffle traffic or outdoor sounds
Using soft earplugs
Turning on a fan or air purifier for consistent background sound
Trying white noise or nature sounds

A 2020 review suggests that white noise can improve sleep for some people by masking disruptive sounds (Healthline). The Sleep Foundation also notes that calming music, white noise, or ASMR sounds can help people fall asleep faster and reduce waking during the night by promoting relaxation or blocking out noise (Sleep Foundation).

If you use audio, keep the volume low and soothing rather than stimulating.

Keep screens out of the bedroom

Phones and tablets are tempting when you are awake at 3 a.m., but they often make sleep harder. Blue light from screens can inhibit melatonin, and scrolling can pull your mind into planning, comparing, or worrying.

Healthline and WebMD both recommend keeping electronic screens out of the bedroom or turning them off while you are trying to fall back asleep, because of their effect on melatonin and alertness (Healthline, WebMD).

If you need your phone nearby for emergencies:

Turn on a “sleep” or “do not disturb” mode.
Set the brightness to the lowest level.
Avoid opening apps that encourage scrolling.

Use simple habits to quiet a busy brain

Sometimes what keeps you awake at night actually starts earlier in the day. A few small habits can reduce the mental load you carry into bed.

Write a quick to‑do list before sleep

If you lie awake mentally rewriting tomorrow’s schedule, putting those tasks on paper can help. WebMD notes that writing down a to‑do list before bed can ease racing thoughts about what you need to accomplish, which can make it easier to fall asleep (WebMD).

You do not need a detailed plan. A simple list works:

Call dentist
Pay utility bill
Send email to manager
Plan weekend groceries

Once it is written down, give yourself permission to let it go until morning.

Create a wind‑down routine

Your body responds well to consistent signals. A regular pre‑sleep routine tells your brain that the day is ending. You can include:

Dimming lights 30 to 60 minutes before bed
Taking a warm shower or bath
Reading a few pages of a calm book
Doing a short breathing or meditation session
Listening to soft music

By the time you get into bed, you want to feel like you are already halfway to sleep. This can also make it easier to fall back asleep if you wake during the night, because the same cues will feel familiar and comforting.

Consider gentle supplements with medical guidance

Some people look to supplements as part of their strategy for better sleep. According to Healthline, options like magnesium or lavender oil have been found in some studies to improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia symptoms, which may help you fall back asleep at night (Healthline).

However:

Supplements can interact with medications.
Not every product is the same quality.
They may not be suitable if you have certain health conditions.

It is best to:

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting any new supplement.
Start with low doses if approved by a professional.
Treat supplements as one tool among many, not a stand‑alone fix.

Know when to seek professional help

Everyone has a rough night occasionally. But if you often find yourself asking, “What can I do if I wake up and can’t fall back asleep?” and none of these strategies seem to help, it is important to get support.

Healthline recommends seeing a doctor if waking up during the night and having trouble returning to sleep becomes a repeated pattern, since it can signal an underlying issue or sleep disorder (Healthline).

Consider talking with a healthcare provider if:

You struggle to get back to sleep 3 or more nights a week.
You feel tired, irritable, or foggy most days.
You rely heavily on sleep medications or alcohol to fall asleep.
You snore loudly, gasp for air in sleep, or wake with headaches.
You have ongoing anxiety or low mood that seems tied to your sleep.

A doctor or sleep specialist can help you look for causes like sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, hormonal changes, or stress and may suggest treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, sleep studies, or medication when appropriate.

Putting it all together

If you wake up and cannot fall back asleep, you have more options than you might think. To recap:

Shift from “I must sleep now” to “I will relax and let sleep come.”
Use breathing techniques, such as 4-7-8 or box breathing, to calm your nervous system.
Try mindfulness, a calming mantra, or progressive muscle relaxation to settle your mind and body.
If you stay awake and frustrated for more than about 15 to 20 minutes, get up and do a quiet, screen‑free activity in low light until you feel sleepy again.
Adjust your environment by reducing noise, using soft background sound, and keeping screens out of the bedroom.
Support your nights with daytime habits like a wind‑down routine and a simple to‑do list before bed.
Talk with a healthcare professional if sleep troubles become a pattern or affect your daytime life.

You do not need to use every strategy at once. Start with one change tonight, like trying a breathing exercise or turning off screens earlier, and see how your body responds. Over time, you can build a personal toolkit that helps you feel calmer, more rested, and more in control of your nights.