As someone who goes through periods of experiencing them frequently, I know how frustrating it is to keep waking up at 3 a.m. and not know why. It feels as though while everyone else is sound asleep, you’re staring at the clock or the ceiling, wondering how you’re going to get through another day in a fog of exhaustion.

“Waking up during the night is normal,” reassures Dr. Chris Winter, a double boarded sleep specialist. “We cycle through lighter and deeper sleep roughly every 90 minutes, and brief awakenings between cycles are part of healthy sleep. It only becomes a problem when you’re suddenly alert and can’t drift back off.”

If repeatedly waking up at 3 a.m. and not being able to fall back asleep is stopping you from getting the rest you need, these are the common causes.

Why do I keep waking up at 3 a.m.? 5 common causes

Brief nighttime awakenings are normal. However, they become a problem when they impact the overall quality of your sleep. These are their common underlying causes:

1. Stress and anxiety

Cortisol, the 'stress' hormone, begins rising around 3 a.m. Our bodies produce cortisol to help us feel alert upon waking — this is called our Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR).

However, if your baseline level of cortisol is already high, due to stress or anxiety, this natural climb can be enough to wake you up.

"Cortisol starts its natural morning climb, and stress can push that rise earlier," explains Dr. Winter, a board certified neurologist with over 30 years of clinical experience.

2. Insomnia and underlying sleep issues

Your 3 a.m. wake-ups could be caused by an underlying sleep issue, such as insomnia. This is characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep, as well as waking up at night.

"Other common culprits include needing to urinate, acid reflux, and sleep apnea," says Dr. Winter. "If you’re snoring loudly, waking up gasping, or feeling unrefreshed no matter how long you sleep, talk to your doctor."

3. Temperature fluctuations

Studies suggest that the best temperature for sleep is between 65 to 70° F (18 to 21 °C). When our sleep environment deviates outside of this window, it can cause us to wake up.

"Temperature is a big one," explains Dr. Winter. "Your core body temperature needs to drop to keep you asleep, so a warm bedroom, heavy bedding, or hormonal changes like menopause can pull you out of sleep early."

4. Alcohol, food and caffeine consumption

You might not have connected the dots between your lifestyle habits and waking up at night, but late heavy meals, alcohol and caffeine consumption can wreak havoc on your ability to stay asleep.

"Alcohol plays a role too; as your body metabolizes it, sleep becomes fragmented," explains Dr. Winter, who is a member of Natrol Scientific Advisory Board.

5. Your bedroom environment

Clutter, an uncomfortable mattress and ambient light from your electrical cables can all cause sleep disturbances that lead to 3 a.m. wake ups. To give yourself a fighting chance of staying asleep all night, ensure your bedroom is cool, calm and comfortable (if you're looking for a new one, check out our guide to the best mattress).

3 things you can do to stop waking up at 3 a.m.

Some causes of 3 a.m. wake ups require medical intervention, such as sleep apnea. However, there is also plenty of lifestyle tweaks we can make to lower our chances of waking up at night.

1. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule

Overwhelming evidence supports the idea that a regular sleep schedule can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. If you're someone who has a fairly erratic bedtime and going to sleep at the same time initially feels like a struggle, Dr. Winter recommends that you initially focus on the time you wake up.

"Start with a consistent wake time, weekends included," says Dr. Winter. "It anchors your circadian rhythm and makes your sleep deeper and more stable."

2. Make yourself tired

From the moment we wake up, something called our sleep pressure builds. It's also referred to as our homeostatic sleep drive or sleep hunger, and describes how ready we are for sleep. It reaches its pinnacle as we fall asleep, which is when our sleep pressure drops again.

Our sleep pressure is dictated by a neurotransmitter called adenosine. There are certain things we can do in order to produce more adenosine so that our sleep pressure is higher, making falling and staying asleep easier.

This includes daily exercise and mental stimulation. As our sleep pressure builds the longer we stay awake, waking up early and skipping any afternoon naps ensures you're going into bedtime with a healthy amount of sleep pressure.

3. Tackle your stress head on

If, like me, stress is a barrier to a decent night's sleep, it's time to tackle it head on. The cause of your stress or anxiety could be related to hormone fluctuations caused by perimenopause or menopause, which could benefit from seeing a doctor.

However, for day to stress, Dr. Winter recommends spending some time before bed offloading your thoughts onto a piece of paper. "If stress is a factor, spend 15 minutes in the early evening writing down what’s on your mind," says the sleep doctor. "It’s easier to let go of something at 3 a.m. if it’s already on paper."

For me personally, I have found that a combination of short bursts of daily exercise and a regular wind down routine helps stop stress from waking me up at night. I've also tried vagus nerve stimulation, which I do recommend if daily stress is stopping you from sleeping.

How to fall back to sleep fast

In the event that you do wake up at 3 a.m., don't panic. Here's how to fall back to sleep fast.

• Don't watch the clock: "Once you see the time, your brain starts calculating how much sleep you have left, and that worry keeps you awake," says Dr. Winter. "Turn the clock around and keep your phone across the room."
• Trick your mind into switching off: Cognitive shuffling is the practice of visualizing random thoughts to break the cycle of rumination. Pick a word, such as 'sleep' and work through as many objects as you can that begin with each letter.
• Practice the 15 minute rule: If you haven't fallen back to sleep within 15 minutes, Dr. Winter advises getting out of bed. "If frustration sets in, get up, go somewhere dim, and do something calm, like reading a physical book, until you feel sleepy again."
• Kick off a layer: "If you wake up warm, cool down first," says Dr. Winter. "Kick off a layer. A cooler body is a sleepier body."

I used to be a great sleeper, nodding off at the drop of a hat and clocking my full eight hours every night. But then I hit 40 and suddenly I’m finding it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep and am often wide awake at 3 a.m.

Throughout my teens and twenties, sleeping was easy. It didn’t matter if I was on my friend’s couch, a plane or with my face pressed up against a bus window. My thirties were punctuated with raising young children, and sleepless nights were part of the gig.

But now that I’m 40+ and my kids no longer disrupt my rest, sleep is something I’m still struggling with. To find out why and what I can do to get the rest I need, I spoke to Dr. Chris Winter, a double boarded sleep specialist and Dr. Shelby Harris, board-certified clinical psychologist at Better Sleep.

• Read more: I’m getting 38 minutes more deep sleep a night thanks to this 10-min habit — and it fixed my 3 a.m. wake-ups

How turning 40 impacted my sleep

As a sleep writer and product tester, I have everything I need for a great night’s rest. I’m sleeping on the best mattress for my body type, I have a silk eye mask to block out ambient light and I pop in my sleepbuds every time noise threatens to disrupt my peaceful sleep sanctuary.

And yet, sleep is elusive. Instead of feeling relaxed and ready for rest, anxiety often washes over me and I’m alert, with my heart pounding. On the nights that I do drop off quickly, it’s common for me to then be wide awake at 3 a.m., feeling haunted by some vague worry. It's a problem that's only developed in recent years.

I’m exhausted, frustrated and ready for answers.

4 common causes of sleep disturbances for those aged 40+

"There is no switch that suddenly flips at age 40, but several biological and lifestyle factors can begin converging during this stage of life," explains Dr. Winter, a board certified neurologist with over 30 years of clinical experience.

These are the most common causes of sleep disturbances among those aged 40 and over...

1. Sleep becomes lighter

"Sleep naturally becomes somewhat lighter and more fragmented as we age, making us more susceptible to being awakened by noise, temperature changes or physical discomfort," explains Dr. Winter, who is a member of Natrol Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Harris also highlights the biological shift that occurs as we get older, leaving us more susceptible to nighttime awakenings.

"As we age, we spend less time in deep sleep and more time in lighter stages, making us more likely to notice brief awakenings," explains Dr. Harris, who specializes in behavioral sleep medicine.

Dr. Winter points out that most people wake briefly several times during the night, perhaps without even remembering. "More meaningful considerations are how long someone remains awake, how distressed they feel about the awakening and whether it affects how they function the following day," he explains.

"The key is to look at what is happening around that 3 a.m. wake-up, like temperature, stress, alcohol, medications, snoring, or other symptoms, rather than assuming the clock time itself points to a particular cause," advises Dr. Harris.

2. Hormonal fluctuations

As a 42 year old woman, I can't ignore the hormonal shifts that could be contributing to my sleep disturbances. "As we move into our 40s, several factors can begin to disrupt sleep that may not have been an issue earlier in life," explains Dr. Harris.

"One of the biggest is hormonal change, particularly the fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone that occur during perimenopause and menopause, which can contribute to night sweats, temperature changes, anxiety, and more fragmented sleep," the psychologist adds.

For me, nighttime anxiety has become a significant cause of my sleep disruptions. Knowing that hormonal fluctuations could be behind that shift in my mental health gives me hope that this feeling is temporary.

3. Daily stressors

Those in the 40+ age category are often part of the sandwich generation; we're raising children and caring for ageing parents. Throw in money worries and work pressures and we've created a perfect storm of stress — and that has a knock-on effect on our sleep.

"We tend to become more sensitive to stress as responsibilities around work, family, and caregiving accumulate," agrees Dr. Harris.

Stress can trigger the production of the 'stress' hormone cortisol. Levels of cortisol naturally begin to rise around 3 a.m. as part of our Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), before peaking when we wake up. However, a higher baseline level of cortisol can lead to a stronger CAR, waking you up prematurely.

4. More susceptible to sleep disorders

Studies suggest that as we age, our risk of developing common sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea and nocturia increase.

Dr. Winter concurs with this. He notes that "restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea, the risk of which can increase as we age" are among contributors to disturbed sleep for people in the 40+ age group.

Regardless of your age or stage in life, if you have developed new symptoms that prevent you from getting the sleep you need it's important to discuss this with your doctor.

How to sleep better throughout midlife and beyond

Great sleep can be harder to come by as we advance in years. However, Dr. Winter and Dr. Harris share their top tips for managing age-related sleep disturbances, so you can get the rest you deserve.

• Don't panic: "Don't panic about an occasional bad night; worrying about sleep can actually make the problem worse," says Dr. Harris.
• Stick to a consistent sleep schedule: "Maintaining a consistent wake time each day, even after a difficult night, can help anchor the body’s internal clock," says Dr. Winter.
• Get plenty of morning sunlight: Like a consistent sleep schedule, natural sunlight can anchor your circadian rhythm, helping you to feel tired and alert at the right times.
• Keep a sleep diary: "Keeping a sleep diary for a week or two can help identify patterns involving stress, food, alcohol, exercise, medications or physical symptoms," advises Dr. Winter.
• Optimize your bedroom for sleep: Sleep becomes lighter as we age, which means we're more susceptible to light, sound and temperature-related disturbances, so keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.

Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs: Review in brief

I was first introduced to the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs by my ex-colleague Lauren who raved about how the Loop earplugs blocked out neigborhood noise to help her sleep. Desperate to quiet noisy roommates and neighbors, I decided to order the first of four pairs last year. A year on, I now have the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs in four different colors and never go the bed without them nestled in my ears.

The Loop Quiet 2 are reusable silicone earplugs designed to muffle and filter out disturbing background noise for a more restful sleep. They're also built for napping, travelling, and focus. While I've tested some of the best sleep headphones, equipped with active noise cancellation (ANC), the low-tech Loop Quiet 2 show that reusable earplugs have the edge in sleep comfort and convenience.

The Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs' flexible, soft material are perfect for people like me who find earbuds (such as AirPods or the Fitnexa SomniPods) too hard or foam earplugs unhygienic and unsustainable. They also sit flush, so I never experience any discomfort when I'm side sleeping.

While they can't compete with ANC earbuds like the QuietOn 4 in terms of noise reduction, its Noise Reduction Rating of 14 dB is still perfect for sleeper who want to filter out sleep-disrupting sounds like traffic or a partner's snoring without missing their morning alarm. I use them to filter out TVs playing in another room, street noise, and general roommate noise.

Currently, the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs are $24.95 at Loop, where it comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free returns, and a two-year warranty. However, one pair won't meet the $44 spend threshold for free shipping.

The Loop Quiet 2 earplugs are also available at Amazon, where they are sold at the same MSRP of $24.95, but we've seen them discounted as low as $15.49 during sale events like the Amazon Prime Day sleep and mattress sales and the Black Friday sleep and mattress sales. At the retails giant, the earplugs come with free shipping and returns, but there's no warranty and the 100-night sleep trial is replaced with a 30-day return policy. You can now buy the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs for $19.95 (was $24.95) at Amazon

In the UK, you can find the Quiet 2 earplugs for £19.95 at Loop UK, but they're often discounted for Amazon UK's Prime Day sale. Currently, the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs are £15.95 (was £19.95) at Amazon UK

Accessories include a white travel case and four pairs of different size earbuds tips (Medium is the default fit). Despite the customizable fit, the Loop earplugs do have a tendency to fall out, so I have woken up many times to find one of my earplugs tucked away in my pillowcase or buried under my sheets.

Despite this minor fault, the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs are still my No 1 method for reducing nocturnal noises — and I've tested a number of methods, including ANC earbuds, sleep headphones, white noise machines, sleep sound machines and old-fashioned foam earplugs. They're perfect for side sleepers who want to filter out background sounds without fidgeting with uncomfortable tips, Bluetooth connectivity, and apps.

Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs review: Design

The Loop Quiet 2 earplugs are the successor to the now-discontinued Loop Quiet and are designed to reduce digging discomfort in the ear canal, fit more securely, and offer more ear tip sizes.

Consisting of a thick outer ring and an adjustable ear canal tip, the Loop Quiet 2 are made from soft, flexible silicone. While the body consists of a ring (which rests on the outer ear) the tip is detachable and swappable — simply choose from four sets of ear tip sizes (Extra small, Small, Medium and Large).

The Quiet 2 earplugs are reusable and easy to clean: simply remove the tips and wipe with a clean damp cloth dipped in warm, soapy water or anti-bacterial biodegradable wipes.

Loop Quiet 2 earplugs review: Performance

I've been using the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs for over a year, assessing them in key areas of noise reduction, set up and comfort. Here's everything you need to know.

Set up

As the Quiet 2 earplugs are tech free, set up is pretty easy. No Bluetooth or app set-up is required, and inserting the earplugs can be done in two simple steps: insert the earplug in your ear with the ring (or the "plug" as Loop call it) pointing towards your cheek, and then twist the Loop to the back (so the ring is resting on your concha.

However, the trickiest part of setting up the Loop Quiet 2 is trying to find the right ear tip fit. The earplugs come with the Medium fit already loaded, as this is the standard size. However, choosing which size to customize your Loop with does require some trial and error. In fact, I oscillated between the X Small and Small sizes before finally settling on the Small.

Luckily, the Loop Quiet 2 come with a small, illustrated manual that demonstrates how to insert your earplugs and provides tips and tricks for knowing whether the size is right for your ear canal.

Comfort

As mentioned above, the Loop Quiet 2 were designed to improve on the first-generation Quiet earplugs. This meant a softer, comfier design, an extra ear tip size, and a thicker ear plug for a securer fit.

I'm someone who needs peace an quiet two sleep, and so I always kept a box of cheap, disposable foam earplugs in my nightstand at the ready on the off-chance that a neighbor decided to host an all-night karaoke party or if I felt on edge and therefore more pervious to the sound of a ticking clock or TV playing in another room.

However, moving to an apartment in the center of a city with a revolving door of roommates with different nocturnal habits meant I needed a more sustainable, hygienic, and customizable solution.

From the first night of use, I slept comfortably with a Loop Quiet 2 earplugs nestled in my ears (even if I initially wasn't wearing the right fit). The soft silicone plug rests easily on my concha with the ear tips physically block noise without digging into my ear canals.

One major complaint about ear plugs and sleep earbuds are the discomfort that side sleepers feel when wearing them. However, I'm happy to report that the Loop Quiet 2 feel comfortable in whatever position I'm sleeping in thanks to the way the ear plugs' design sit flush.

In fact, whenever I try or test out chunkier, harder ANC earbuds (like the AirPods, the Fitnexa Somnipods 3 and the QuietOn 4 earbuds), I always end up returning to my Quiet 2 earplugs as my default noise-blocking method.

Noise blocking

So, let's answer the question that you undoubtedly have: Do the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs create the "quiet bubble" for sleeping that they promise?

Yes, they can...but it depends on your noise environment and how light a sleeper you are.

Objectively speaking, the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is 14 dB, which is ideal for blocking light-to-moderate noises and snoring without causing inner-ear pressure.

For me, the Loop Quiet 2 work best against street noise, neighbors, apartment noise (such as a TV playing in the other room, roommates loudly talking downstairs, and snoring coming from the bedroom next to me), and ticking clocks.

However, if you're trying to drown out very loud snoring from a co-sleeper, blaring music or movies, or barking dogs, you will need sleep earbuds equipped with white noise or ANC. That said, the Quiet 2's lack of maximum noise reduction or ANC is ideal if you want to muffle irritating sounds without sleeping through your morning alarm.

Loop Quiet 2 earplugs review: Should you buy?

The Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs are a cost-effective, sustainable way to block out low-to-moderate sleep-disrupting noise. The reusable design made from soft, flexible silicone with provide a gentle fit to all sleep positions (even side sleepers)and ear canals.

While choosing the right fit does take some trial and error, setting up is pretty easy and the Loop's customizable tips mean you don't have to worry about buying the wrong size.

Sure, it's no-tech design does mean you'll need to forgo ANC and built-sleep sounds, but the Quiet 2 earplugs don't require any Bluetooth connection, WiFi, or app setup and is ideal for trying to catch some Zs when you're travelling.

As for noise reduction, the Loop Quiet 2 earplugs are best filtering out disturbances such as light snoring, nocturnal neighbours, apartment noise (from roommates chatting or a TV playing in another room), and street noise. However, switch to ANC headphones like the Soundcore A30 Sleep Earbuds when you need to cancel out music blasting next door or loud snoring.

That said, ANC earbuds (or even standard sleep earbuds like the Ozlo Sleepbuds 2) can cost over $200 even on sale. The Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs, on the other hand, are never over $25 (or £20 in the UK) and you can find plenty of deals at both Loop and Amazon.

Overall, I reccomend the Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs to anyone facing moderate sleep disturbances or prefers a quiet sleep environment but doesn't want to fork out for luxury sleep earbuds. Their soft, irritation-free design is great for side sleepers, too, with its reusable durable material being easy to clean and mold to your inner year for comfortable, restful sleep.

Loop Quiet 2 earplugs review: Alternatives

"Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours of sleep after midnight" is one of the most common sleep beliefs. But while staying up late has been linked to poor sleep quality, does an earlier bedtime actually mean your quality of sleep before midnight is better that what comes after 12.01 a.m.?

One of the main pillars of this argument is that sleep before midnight is loaded with Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which regulates metabolism and cell repair in adult.

To either prove or 'bust' this myth, I spoke to two board-certified medical doctors Dr. Saema Tahir, M.D. and Dr. Danielle Wall, M.D. Here's what they said, and why sleep researchers are urging people to focus more on keeping a consistent bedtime instead.

Is sleep more potent before midnight?

"The quality of sleep we get before midnight is not actually better than the sleep we get afterward, because quality depends on where you are in your own sleep cycle rather than on the clock," says Dr. Tahir, a board-certified physician who treats adults and pediatric sleep disorders.

"It's a common misconception," agrees Dr. Wall, an Internal Medicine Physician and Sleep Medicine Specialist at the University of Vermont Health Network. "Your body doesn’t have a clock that suddenly makes sleep less beneficial once the clock strikes 12".

However, as with most sleep myths, there is a small element of truth behind this misconception. And it all boils down to sleep architecture – the way your sleep is naturally structured.

"Sleep architecture naturally changes as the night progresses, and we generally get more deep, slow-wave sleep earlier in the sleep period, while periods of REM sleep tend to become longer toward the morning," explains Dr. Wall.

Working with your biological clock, not against it

While the time we go to bed affects our circadian rhythm and sleep pressure, "going to bed at 11 p.m. versus 1 a.m. does not automatically determine whether your sleep will be good or bad" explains Dr. Wall.

"The bigger concern is whether your sleep schedule is working with your biological clock and allowing you enough time to get the full range of sleep stages," Dr. Wall says.

But if your sleep duration and schedule determines sleep quality more than going to bed at midnight, then how did old "sleep before 12 a.m. is better" myth originate? Turns out, it's a nod to older sleeping habits.

"The old English proverb persisted because the deepest, most restorative slow-wave sleep is concentrated in the first few cycles after you fall asleep," explains Dr. Tahir. "So, in eras when people went to bed around dusk, their deep sleep really did fall before midnight."

So, there you have it. As our ancestors traditionally went to sleep before midnight, deep sleep naturally coincided with those hours. But if you're a night hawk, that same restorative deep sleep will simply coincide with the early hours of the morning.

When is Human Growth Hormone (HGH) released?

Okay, so we've established that pre-midnight hours don't have some magical, restorative effect on sleep. However, one question remains: how the secretion of HGH ties into this 'Cinderella sleep myth'.

Deep sleep occurs earlier in your sleep period, and that is where the largest amount of HGH is released.

"That’s probably part of where the 'before midnight' idea comes from," Dr. Wall points out. "Someone who regularly goes to bed later can still experience normal deep sleep and growth hormone release."

"Human Growth Hormone release during sleep actually works by following the onset of slow wave sleep, with the largest daily pulse occurring in the first deep sleep period of the night, as Van Cauter's studies at the University of Chicago have shown," Dr. Tahir explains.

As the time of your first deep sleep period depends on what time you fall asleep, Dr. Tahir says it's not true that HGH secretion happens mostly before midnight for everyone.

"The pulse is tied to sleep rather than the clock, and delaying bedtime largely delays the pulse with it," says the physician. "What does reduce it is sleep deprivation and fragmented deep sleep, regardless of timing."

What boosts sleep quality more than an early bedtime?

While going to bed after midnight doesn't mean you'll miss out on deep, restorative sleep and HGH release, your bedtime ultimately still influences sleep quality.

This is because going to bed at the same time can help you to fall asleep faster and increase your amount of deep sleep.

"Consistency matters because our bodies function on a circadian rhythm, and that rhythm responds to regular cues such as light, meals and sleep timing," explains Dr. Wall.

Dr. Wall adds that a schedule that changes significantly from one day to the next can make it harder for the body to anticipate when it should be alert and when it should be preparing for sleep.

"Even if someone averages eight hours, regularly shifting their sleep and wake times can create a mismatch between their internal clock and their daily schedule."

This mismatch can result in poorer health outcomes, with Dr. Tahir warning how research has found links between irregular sleep and long-term health risks:

"A 2024 UK Biobank analysis of over 60,000 people published in Sleep, found that sleep regularity predicted mortality risk more strongly than sleep duration did.

"The health risks of an inconsistent sleep schedule, even with 8 hours of sleep, include higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mood disorders, driven by social jet lag."

3 ways to boost your sleep quality

1. Set a reminder to go to bed

Dr. Tahir says that your wake-up time should dictate your bedtime, and not vice versa.

"Set a 'bedtime alarm' by counting back from a fixed wake time, so you start winding down, dimming lights, and putting screens away about 8 hours before you need to be up," she advises.

2. Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night

Getting seven hours of sleep is the minimum amount most adults need for optimal health.

Researchers at the Oregon and Health and Science University reported that sleeping for less than seven hours a night decreases life expectancy more than poor diet and lack of exercise would.

Meanwhile, a study by Vitality and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) found that getting at least seven hours of sleep, falling asleep within the same one-hour window (for a minimum of five nights a week) by following the 7:1 sleep rule could increase life expectancy by up to four years (lots of other factor affect this).

"The average healthy adult should aim for at least seven hours per night, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, with most people doing best between seven and nine hours," says Dr. Tahir.

3. Don't sleep in on weekends

According to Dr. Wall, consistency is the cornerstone of getting good quality sleep.

But if you find yourself unable to maintain a regular sleep schedule, Dr Wall recommends following this golden rule of thumb: "If I had to give someone one rule, it would be to keep their wake-up time as consistent as possible, including on weekends.

"That gives the body a reliable anchor for the rest of the sleep-wake cycle."

If you've ditched the nighttime habits that typically ruin sleep — from alcohol to heavy meals and evening exercise — but are still waking up at night, you may be wondering exactly what's going wrong.

Well, those 3 a.m. wakeups may actually be down to your nighttime routine; the period of time you spend winding down before bed.

A good bedtime routine "helps you sleep straight through by training your body clock so you feel sleepy and stay asleep at the same time each night," Dr. Saema Tahir a sleep and pulmonary specialist says.

However, there are a few mistakes you could be making in yours without realizing they're having a detrimental effect on your sleep.

Here, we've spoken to Dr. Tahir, and Dr. Aric Prather, sleep scientist and expert at UCSF and BetterSleep to explore what they are, and how ditching them helps you stay asleep all night.

• Read more: I’m getting 38 minutes more deep sleep a night thanks to this 10-min habit — and it fixed my 3 a.m. wake-ups

4 nighttime routine habits waking you up at night

If you want to sleep through the night, most of us are already familiar with common sleep-destroying habits, such as drinking alcohol or consuming caffeine too late in the day, eating a large, heavy meal.

However, there are other, unexpected mistakes in your nighttime routine that might be keeping you awake at night...

1. Completing one final 'productive' task

Even if your nighttime routine is otherwise gold-standard, you may have allowed a few 'productive' tasks to slip in as the day winds down.

"People have a tendency to squeeze in one more task, to 'complete; the day, but we need an adequate wind down routine to transition to sleep.

"Using that mental energy, which is sometimes paired with stress and anxiety, certainly can delay sleep onset," says Dr. Prather.

In terms of impacting nighttime awakenings, stress and anxiety can increase your baseline cortisol levels, so that when the hormone naturally starts to rise at 3am, levels are high enough to trigger a wakeup.

And, while it can seem like spending the lead-up to bedtime ticking off a few unfinished work tasks could help you sleep more easily, as Dr. Prather points out, "sending that last email" can be counterproductive.

"The content revs your brain up and stressful thoughts linger, dings can nudge you awake later, and the screen light tricks your brain into thinking it's daytime, so you fall asleep later and sleep more lightly."

2. Drinking too much bedtime tea

While a cup of chamomile tea or a Sleepy Girl Mocktail can be a great part of a nighttime routine, your sleep-inducing drinks might actually be negatively impacting your night's rest.

Dr. Tahir explains that "a lot of water right before bed" can "cause one to have to urinate at night often," and research has shown that too much fluid intake can cause nightime wakeups and nocturia (the technical term for needing to pee during the night).

One study found that participants who drank more than 500ml of liquid in the two hours before bedtime experienced lower sleep efficiency, more nighttime wakeups and 100% of them experienced nocturia.

The good news is that this same study found that comparatively, those who drank a moderate (250ml-500ml) or low (less than 250ml) volume of liquid in the two hours before bedtime experienced fewer nighttime awakenings, had higher sleep efficiency and a lower percentage experienced nocturia, with "no significant sleep impairment" between these two groups.

So, you don't need to ditch your fruit tea, tumeric milk or mushroom tea altogether, just be mindful of the volume and even consider, as urologist Dr. Daniel Sadowski previously told us, limiting fluids altogether in the four hours before bedtime.

3. Winding down with the wrong things

"So often, people want some 'me' time before bed, but the activities they engage in may be too activating," Dr. Prather explains.

It might feel relaxing to spend a bit of time online or watching TV, and you may even have justified including it in your nighttime routine, especially if you're not staying up until 2 a.m. scrolling your phone.

"Sure, catching up on the news can be important or checking in your favorite social media feed, but that reward or anxiety, or stress that content can produce, can be detrimental to sleep," Dr. Prather says.

Dr. Ola Otulana previously explained that phone use in particular is mentally stimulating, which can delay the production of melatonin and disrupt your circadian rhythm, leading to restless sleep.

Timing is everything, and the best option is to limit these kind of stimulating activities to before you start your bedtime winddown.

“Turn off news and social media at least an hour before bed,” Dr. Otulana recommended. It's science-backed advice, as one study found that every hour spent on your phone before bed increased the chance of insomia by 59%.

4. Overoptimizing your nighttime routine

Prioritizing your nighttime routine is great, but the growing number of TikTok sleep trends and focus on sleepmaxxing (aiming to perfect sleep by focusing on often elaborate bedtime routines, hacks and sleep tracking) means some of us may be overengineering our pre-bed regimen.

"With the growing focus on optimizing sleep, some people have complicated, intensive routines. This can put a lot of pressure on the sleeper when things don’t go to plan," says Dr. Prather.

In fact, becoming overly focused on the 'perfect' sleep can even lead to orthosomnia, which researchers describe as "obsessive pursuit of optimal sleep metrics based on fitness tracker or mobile phone app data."

Sleep tracking can be a helpful way to understand how you're sleeping and look at ways to improve it, which may even involve adjusting your bedtime routine.

However, as Dr. Prather points out, you don't have to take your windown rituals to the extreme.

"Our bodies crave predictability, and they don’t require elaborate protocols. What often works is to keep it simple, do relaxing things, and do them consistently," he says.

What to do before bed to sleep through the night

A great nighttime routine doesn't have to include dozens of steps — these are simple ways to help you wind down and sleep well.

Ensure your bedroom is sleep-friendly before bed

The foundation of great sleep is making sure you have the best mattress for your sleep style, but outside of that, Dr. Tahir has some other tips for how to prepare your sleep space in the lead up to bed.

"Keep the bedroom quiet, dark, and cool (around 60–68°F/15.6-20°C), since heat, light, and noise fragment sleep," she says.

If that feels a little cool, one study found that 65 to 70 F (18 to 21 °C) is the ideal temperature range for sleep. On the flip side, if you're a naturally hot sleeper, you might want to consider cooling bedding or even investing in one of the best cooling mattresses as well as keeping your bedroom cool.

Dimming the lights in your bedroom during your nighttime routine and using a light-blocking eye mask in bed can be helpful, as can sleep headphones (which you can even wear during your wind down).

Take a warm bath or shower

While the idea of getting warmer before bedttime might seem at odds with the above advice of creating a cool environment in your sleep space, it's actually surprisingly effective.

Dr. Tahir explains that a "warm bath [before bed] helps by nudging your body temperature down, the signal your body uses to drop into deep sleep."

After heating in the bath (or alternatively, the shower), our bodies experience a drop in core temperature that naturally happens before sleep, helping our brains and bodies recognize that it's time to rest.

In fact, a review of studies found that the ideal temperature for a warm bath or shower ahead of bedtime to improve sleep quality and sleep efficiency was in the range of 104 °F to 108.5 °F/40-42.5 °C and to help you fall asleep faster, it should be taken 1-2 hours before going to sleep.

Swap work for calming activities

When it comes to the best activities for a nighttime routine, Dr. Prather suggests "putting the work away, doing calming and sleep supportive activities — like reading, or doing a meditation, or spending time with loved ones (including pets!)."

"These types of positive, calming behaviors can help transition the body and brain to sleep," he explains.

One study found that reading for as little as six minutes before bed can reduce stress by 68%, while another study found that sleep quality was improved by reading a book in bed.

Sleep meditation can also be hugely beneficial, "Several studies have found that guided meditation programs can improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia symptoms," Dr. Leah Kaylor previously explained.

Alternatively, you could opt for gentle stretching, journaling or listening to relaxing music.

"Doing the same calming things nightly... lowers the stress and stimulation that jolt people awake in the middle of the night," says Dr. Tahir.

How quickly can you expect to see improvements in your sleep?

Both experts we spoke to said that making positive changes to your nighttime routine can potentially improve your rest quite quickly, but that lasting change to the quality of your sleep takes time.

"Sleep is a dynamic process, and the journey to enacting meaningful sleep changes is much the same. Establishing a bedtime routine can take some tinkering but likely something that can become anchored within a few nights" Dr. Prather says, suggesting a sleep diary to keep track of what is working well.

"Also, it’s really important to recognize that extra pressure on making sleep perfect is part of the problem," he adds.

"Bigger, lasting change usually takes a few weeks, with real improvement often showing up around the one-month mark and building from there. The key is consistency over time, not one perfect night," says Dr. Tahir.

However, as Dr. Prather explains, "If someone regularly wakes up throughout the night, consistently wakes very early, or feels exhausted despite getting enough time in bed, it's worth looking beyond their nighttime routine."

He points out that persistent sleep disruption can have many different causes, "and sometimes the answer isn't another sleep hack – it's talking to a healthcare professional or sleep specialist."

We've all experienced that bleary-eyed panic of suddenly waking up and thinking you've missed your alarm — only to discover that it's 5 a.m. and you don't need to get up until another two hours.

But for the past few weeks I've waking up hours before my sunrise alarm most mornings, usually between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., leaving me crawling through each day in an exhausted fog.

I was at a loss as to why this kept happening, until a new study revealed the culprit. Here's the surprisingly small thing that kept waking me up way too early, plus the cheap, easy fix that helps me stay asleep all night.

Key takeaways from the new study:

• Researchers at Tulane University have found that light exposure (over 3 lux) from electronic products such as chargers and stand-by lights can cause shorter, disrupted sleep and body clock changes.
• People with the brightest bedrooms at night slept about 48 minutes less each night (6.9 hours) compared to people who slept in total darkness (7.7 hours).
• This shorter sleep duration can change the way the heart functions, leading to cardiovascular damage over time.
• To limit nighttime light exposure, experts recommend covering lights from electronics with LED light-blocking stickers, using blackout curtains, and wearing eye masks.

Why I kept waking up hours before my alarm

According to a new study conducted by researchers at Tulane University, exposure to light at night can shorten our overall sleep duration.

This reduced sleep duration over a long period of time can lead to impaired heart health, say scientists — and 50% of that cardiovascular damage is caused by light exposure cutting sleep prematurely short.

The study also found that people with the brightest bedrooms at night slept about 48 minutes less each night (6.9 hours) compared to people who slept in total darkness (7.7 hours).

When I first read the results of this study, I found them fascinating — but couldn't see how they were applicable to me. After all, I keep my blinds closed, I don't use a night light, and I put my phone on Sleep Mode so my phone doesn't light up with notifications throughout the night.

However, when I found myself waking up at 5 a.m. again, I looked around the room and spotted the culprit: the light from my laptop charger, making my room look as if it were bathed in blue light.

I must not have spotted the charger's glow when I first turned off the bedroom light, but I could now see the charger light's full disruptive impact once my eyes adjusted to the dark.

How does bedroom light affect sleep and health?

The same study also found that the cardiovascular damage caused by nocturnal light exposure also stems directly from the artificial light disrupting the body's circadian rhythm.

However, the main ramification of light exposure remains shorter sleep, with exposure to light at night (>3 lux) suppresses melatonin, resulting in shorter sleep duration which in turn leads to "cardiac remodelling".

“This is the first study of its kind, and it shows that exposure to higher levels of light at nighttime is linked to cardiac remodelling," says Professor Lu Qi, who led the groundbreaking study.

"Cardiac remodelling" is where the structure and function of the heart changes in response to stress.

"It’s our body’s way of adapting to that stress, but ultimately it weakens the heart and can lead to heart failure.," explains Professor Li.

Of course, this isn't the first piece of research to examine how light exposure during sleep can cause nighttime awakenings.

One 2020 study discovered that those living with heavy light pollution tend to get much less sleep, while a 2021 study found that sleeping in a room with even a small amount of light elevates heart rate throughout the night and lead to disrupted sleep.

How I fixed my nighttime light exposure with this genius $5 product

Fortunately, the study's accompanying editorial provides some guidance on combating nighttime light exposure, and it's pretty simple.

"The advice is simple and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household electronics," writes Professor Thomas Münzel in the commentary.

So, the first thing I did was order something that would block the charging light on electronics. I stumbled upon these Light Blocking Stickers, now $4.98 (were $8.99) at Amazon, which promise to dim up to 100% of electronic light.

I was sceptical, but to my surprise, this $5 product effectively blocks light from my computer monitor, laptop charger, and extension lead switch. I simply choose a sticker (they come in various shapes and sizes) that can effectively cover the light source, stick it down, and then the problem is fixed.

Now, my early morning awakenings have come to a halt — just in time to try out the best sunrise alarm clocks.

3 top-rated products to help block out sleep-disrupting light

There’s little that’s more frustrating than being desperate for a good night’s sleep, only to find yourself wide awake at 3 a.m. If you’re feeling stressed, you might find yourself assuming cortisol is to blame.

After all, stress causes cortisol levels to rise in the body and if this disrupts your internal body clock, it can lead to interrupted sleep. But, it's not the only cause of nighttime wake-ups.

We’ve spoken to Dr. Shelby Harris, behavioral sleep medicine specialist and psychologist with BetterSleep, who has explained that there are actually a number of ways your habits in the lead-up to bedtime might be preventing you from sleeping through the night, from what you consume to how you move.

Plus, we’ve got easy fixes for these ‘bad’ habits that should help you get an uninterrupted rest.

• Read more: I’m getting 38 minutes more deep sleep a night thanks to this 10-min habit — and it fixed my 3 a.m. wake-ups

4 nighttime habits ruining your sleep

What we do before bedtime can significantly impact our sleep and even cause those dreaded 3 a.m. wakeups. Dr. Harris shares the nighttime habits that may be disrupting your sleep and what you can do instead to help you sleep through the night.

1. Drinking alcohol (especially late at night)

"While alcohol can make you feel sleepy initially, it can disrupt the quality of your sleep as it wears off during the night," Dr. Harris says. "This can lead to lighter, more fragmented sleep and more frequent wakeups, especially in the second half of the night.

Research has shown that this is caused by alcohol metabolizing in your body, causing "sympathetic activation, increased arousability, and sleep fragmentation" — which means waking up more often and for longer.

Plus, the effects of alcohol on sleep were found to more noticeable when it was consumed closer to bedtime. And while you may think a glass of wine or two won't hurt your sleep, one 2024 study found that even light consumption of alcohol can impact sleep health.

The fix

"If you’re drinking, try to avoid having alcohol too close to bedtime and drink water alongside it," says Dr. Harris.

Another option is to try one of these five sleep inducing non-alcoholic drinks — including TikTok favorite, the Sleepy Girl Mocktail. With ingredients including tart cherry juice (which contains melatonin) and magnesium powder (magnesium has been linked to better sleep quality), this popular mocktail is doctor-approved.

2. Eating a large or heavy meal too close to bedtime

We've all been there, a busy day pushes your evening meal later. And as the colder weather sets in, it's more likely you'll be swapping light summer dishes for heavier, richer foods.

But that combination can wreak havoc on your sleep. "Going to bed immediately after a large meal can make it harder to sleep comfortably. Digestion can contribute to discomfort or reflux, and particularly rich, spicy, or fatty foods may worsen those issues and potentially disrupt sleep," says Dr. Harris.

Aside from those issues, the activation of digestion and increase in core body temperature that come with eating a big meal can both "delay sleep onset and lead to more nighttime awakenings," clinical psychologist Dr. Leah Kaylor previously explained to us.

One study found that eating within three hours of bedtime was associated with waking up during the night, while another study reported that people who ate or drank within an hour of bedtime with more likely to wake during the night compared to those who didn't eat or drink during that timeframe.

The fix

Dr. Harris advises that, "When possible, aim to finish dinner a few hours before bed. If you're genuinely hungry later, a small, balanced snack is a better option than going to bed overly full."

Our guide to six healthy nighttime snacks to help you sleep better features nutritionist-approved foods such as cherries and almonds, as well as tips on what to skip if you want to sleep well (spoiler alert — chocolate and spicy foods are best avoided).

You might also want to consider adding a little more protein to your diet, as it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that is involved in the production of melatonin (the sleepy hormone).

3. Consuming caffeine too late in the day

Dr. Harris explains that "caffeine has a relatively long half-life, meaning some of it can remain in your system for hours after you drink it."

The half-life of caffeine around 4-6 hours, which means it takes that long for your body to metabolize half of what you've consumed. So, drinking coffee, matcha tea or even eating a bar of dark chocolate, too late in the day can mean there's still plenty of caffeine in your system come bedtime.

Plus, new research shows that "even if you can fall asleep after an afternoon coffee, caffeine can reduce sleep quality and contribute to more fragmented sleep for some people," the psychologist explains.

One meta-analysis of research into the effects of caffeine on sleep found that consuming it led to an increase of 12 minutes in time awake after sleep onset (essentially the length time you wake up at night after falling asleep initially), as well as leading to more light sleep and less deep sleep.

The fix

"Instead, you can set a personal caffeine cut off earlier in the day," Dr. Harris suggests.

The research above advised that you should stop consuming caffeine around nine hours before you intend to sleep — for example, a 1pm cut off time if you plan to go to bed at 10pm.

"If you want a warm beverage in the evening, choose something caffeine-free such as herbal tea," the sleep specialist adds. Chamomile tea is a great option, as it has been shown in studies to help improve sleep quality.

4. Exercising too close to bedtime

There's plenty of research to indicate that exercise improves sleep, but as Dr. Harris explains, "intense exercise right before bed can leave your body feeling energized when it should be winding down."

"Exercise temporarily raises your heart rate, body temperature, and alertness, which can make it harder to fall asleep and, for some people, may contribute to waking up during the night," she says.

One small study found that intense aerobic exercise in the evening led to participants experiencing sleep issues, including increasing the time it took to fall asleep and the number of nighttime awakenings.

And, a meta-analysis of research into morning vs. evening exercise found that workouts in the evening or at nighttime were associated with waking up more at night.

The fix

"If you prefer exercising at night, gentler activities like stretching, walking, or yoga may be less disruptive," advises Dr. Harris.

Certain gentle exercise might even help prevent nighttime wakeups. A review of studies found that yoga, walking and Tai Chi were among the most effective at improving sleep for those with insomnia.

Alternatively, these seven stretches to do before bed include simple poses like a forward fold and child's pose, and can help relax you by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. They shouldn't cause any sleep disruptions!

How important are healthy habits in the lead-up to bedtime?

We've explored the nighttime habits that can be disruptive for sleep, but Dr. Harris explains that "healthy habits in the hours before bedtime play an important role in helping you sleep through the night."

"Sleep depends not only on how tired you are but also on your stress levels, evening routines, and environment," she adds.

The sleep expert suggests sticking to a consistent bedtime, making sure you have a relaxing nighttime routine to allow you to wind down, and limiting activities that will stimulate your brain (think scrolling on your phone or staying up late watching TV). These are all effective ways to signal to your body that it's time to rest.

And though she notes that healthy habits can't prevent nighttime wakeups altogether, "they can support more restful, uninterrupted sleep by making it easier to fall asleep and return to sleep if you do wake up."

How to tell if it is cortisol waking you up at night

If you're not sure whether cortisol is behind your nighttime awakenings, it may be useful to understand how stress impacts cortisol in the body.

Dr. Harris explains that stress "can interfere with sleep by activating the body's stress response, which involves hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline," adding that the brain stays more alert when we're stressed, which makes it harder to maintain the deeper, restorative stages of sleep.

"Although cortisol naturally fluctuates throughout the day and is generally lower at night, ongoing stress can disrupt these patterns and contribute to nighttime awakenings," she says.

As Tom's Guide sleep editor Nicola Appleton recently discovered, cortisol naturally rises from about 3 a.m. as part of our normal circadian rhythm, but if stress has raised your cortisol levels above a typical baseline level, this increase can actually wake you up.

While Dr. Harris says "it can be difficult to determine whether stress or cortisol directly causes nighttime awakenings," she adds that there are patterns people might notice that can suggest stress is contributing to disrupted sleep.

These include waking up with racing thoughts, feeling mentally alert despite being tired, experiencing muscle tension, or noticing that your heart is beating faster than usual. The psychologist adds that "consistently waking up during particularly stressful periods, such as before a major deadline or during a difficult life event, can also be a clue."

However, she points out that waking up at night can also be caused by "uncomfortable sleep environment, alcohol, caffeine, medications, or underlying sleep conditions, so these symptoms alone do not confirm that cortisol is the cause."

Here are Dr. Harris' tips for helping to prevent stress — and therefore cortisol — waking you up at night:

• "Establish a calming, consistent wind-down routine before bed. People can set aside 30 to 60 minutes to transition away from work, limit stimulating screen time, practice deep breathing or gentle stretching, and write down worries or next-day tasks to help clear their minds."
• "Maintaining a regular sleep schedule and creating a cool, dark, and comfortable bedroom can also support more restful sleep."
• "If someone wakes up with racing thoughts, instead of checking the clock or getting frustrated about being awake, they can try slow, steady breathing and gently redirect their attention to the present moment."

Waking up at 3 a.m. is a recurring sleep problem I can’t seem to shake. Just when I think I’ve kicked the problem for good, I find myself wide awake in the middle of the night, unable to fall back to sleep again.

Exhausted and frustrated, I sought the advice of Dr. Aric Prather, a world-renowned sleep expert and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He instantly identified a key new mistake I’m making in the lead up to bedtime and explained how it could be causing my new wave of middle insomnia (3 a.m. wake-ups).

Here's what Dr. Prather, a published author, discovered, and why he recommends a 'two-hour digital buffer' at bedtime to reduce my chances of waking up at 3 a.m. and feeling exhausted the night day.

My key mistake

The quiet hours in the lead up to bedtime is usually an opportunity for me to catch up on unfinished work. Then I can climb into bed with one less thing to worry about.

But according to Dr. Prather, a sleep expert at BetterSleep, that's my big mistake. And it could be a driver for why I'm waking up at 3 a.m. again. “Working outside of normal hours can be detrimental to sleep when it becomes a regular habit.”

• Research shows that working outside of work hours is associated with worse sleep quality.
• Also, those who work late experience a larger Cortisol Awake Response (CAR), which can lead to 3 a.m. wake ups.

Evidence shows that engaging our brains in work-related activities — even if for a short time — can make it difficult for our brains to then switch off in order to fall into deep, restorative sleep.

“The issue is the difficulty of mentally transitioning from work to rest. Evening emails, deadlines, and unfinished tasks can keep the brain alert, making it harder to detach psychologically from work before bed.

“This can delay sleep, reduce sleep quality, and contribute to fatigue the following day,” says Dr. Prather.

So, although you might only spend a few minutes responding to work queries, the difficulty is ensuring your brain has enough time to disengage from 'work mode' in order to prepare for sleep.

“Even after you close your laptop, your mind may keep processing work-related concerns, making it harder to get restful sleep,” says Dr. Prather. “This can contribute to nighttime awakenings.

Cortisol rising

And there's science to support that thinking. A small month-long study of 58 employees found that checking emails outside of work hours was associated with worse sleep quality.

The same study also highlighted that those who worked in the run up to bedtime had a larger Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). CAR is a term to describe the natural rise in the hormone cortisol that begins around 3 a.m. and reaches its peak upon waking, helping you to feel alert.

But instead of a natural and steady rise, a larger CAR can indicate a surge of cortisol at 3 a.m., waking you up from sleep. Could checking a few emails really cause that?

"A larger Cortisol Awakening Response may also indicate changes in the body's stress-response system, although it is not, by itself, a definitive measure of poor sleep," says Dr. Prather.

"The best way to understand the connection is to track when you work, when you go to bed, and when you wake up over several weeks," advises the sleep expert. "If the 3 a.m. awakenings consistently follow evenings of work, that pattern is worth taking seriously."

The simple routine change

After tracking my own nighttime routine habits and my 3 a.m. wake ups, there's undoubtedly a clear correlation between the stints I work in the evening and the frequency of my nighttime awakenings.

So, instead of working in the run up to bedtime, I've been implementing a 'two-hour digital buffer' to wind down for better sleep.

Here Dr. Prather explains why it works: "Creating a digital buffer is a great strategy, and setting aside the final 60–120 minutes before bed for non-work activities can make a meaningful difference."

Dr. Prather says that the goal is to give ourselves a meaningful window in which to transition from productivity to rest.

"During that time, I would try to engage in calming activities, such as reading, watching light television, taking a warm shower, stretching, and meditating.

"Basically, you are looking for activities that create a feeling of calm. The specific activities are less important," says Dr. Prather.

It's early days, but swapping emails for analogue activities, such as reading in bed, is already lowering the frequency of the dreaded 3 a.m. wake ups.

Other habits I'm using to stop waking up at 3 a.m.

As we shift through sleep cycles, waking up at night is normal. It happens multiple times a night and we rarely remember it. However, waking up at night becomes an issue when we can't easily fall back to sleep.

As someone on an ongoing journey to improve my sleep, I know there's rarely ever really one simple 'fix' to sleeping better.

In addition to avoiding working late into the evening, these are the habits I try to stick to in order to reduce the frequency of my 3 a.m. wake ups:

• Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule: Your circadian rhythm functions best when you stick to a regular sleep routine, helping you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed.
• A comfortable sleep environment: After years of waking up at night due to an uncomfortable bed, I now sleep on the best mattress for my sleep style.
• Create dark and quiet sleep space: Ambient light and noise pollution can lead to nighttime disturbances. To combat those, I wear a blackout eye mask to bed and pop in my Ozlo 2 sleepbuds to drown out any sound.

AI chatbots are not your doctors. That's the advice out of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress, which has found that in up to a third of cases AI wrongly reassures sleep apnea patients that their symptoms don't require specialist help.

“I think it is concerning that people are turning to AI for diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders," says Dr. Carleara Weiss, Ph.D., MS, RN, and Sleep Science Advisor for Aeroflow Sleep. "AI is not a trained medical professional; therefore, people should not rely on it for advice on sleep apnea treatment or symptoms.”

Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), including snoring and fatigue, often go overlooked, resulting in under-diagnosis. Left untreated, OSA increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Study finds AI chatbots are wrongly reassuring sleep apnea patients

Research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain, found that when presented with sleep apnea symptoms, AI chatbots would at times discourage patients from seeking specialist help.

Obstructive sleep apnea is suspected to affect roughly 1 billion members of the population, yet it's thought that 80% of cases are undiagnosed. Diagnosis relies on referrals, with experts noting that patients tend to underreport their symptoms.

During the study, researchers found that when dealing with cooperative people, chatbots correctly advised finding specialist help.

But when patients pushed back or downplayed their symptoms, the AI model would change course. Instead of suggesting referral, they would offer lifestyle changes. This happened in over a quarter of conversations.

Researchers worry that when chatbots refuse to disagree, it will cause a delay in treatment.

4 signs of sleep apnea you should never ignore

Symptoms of OSA are rarely clean cut.

“Symptoms may look different across the lifespan, such as in children, women during pregnancy, or during the menopausal transition,” explains Dr. Weiss. “Thus, if you have concerns about your sleep, please seek medical advice from a specialist.”

However, there are some common signs that often indicate sleep apnea.

1. Loud snoring

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the soft tissue in your throat relaxing and blocking the airway. This results in breathing difficulties and often causes loud, persistent snoring.

If you share a bed, your partner is most likely to pick up on this symptom. If you sleep alone, keep an eye out for a dry mouth, morning headaches, and bad breath — common indicators of snoring.

2. Multiple nighttime awakenings

When the airway is blocked as a result of OSA, it causes oxygen levels to drop. This sends a panic signal to your brain, waking you up. These nighttime awakenings are often brief but they can sometimes result in a significant disturbance to your sleep.

3. Daytime sleepiness

If you go to bed on time, wake up eight hours later and still feel tired, it’s likely your sleep quality is suffering. OSA might be the culprit. Even short disruptions caused by OSA can prevent you from cycling through the sleep stages, meaning you miss out on the restorative sleep you need.

As a result, you spend the next day yawning, struggling to concentrate and feeling irritable.

4. Persistent fatigue

If you're experiencing long-term sleep deprivation with no clear cause, OSA may be the culprit.

“Speak with a healthcare professional and get a referral to a specialist as soon as possible," says Dr. Weiss. "Especially if symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, fatigue, brain fog, and irritability persist for more than 4 weeks, despite attempts to improve sleep.”

Can AI chatbots provide sleep health guidance?

For many, AI has become a tool to answer any question. And Dr. Weiss notes that these powerful systems can have benefits in certain medical settings.

“AI has specific, reliable uses in sleep research and clinical practice when medical, engineering, and computer science professionals with years of experience develop it,” she explains.

That’s not the same as asking Gemini for advice on your snoring. If you want to chat with a bot about your medical queries, Dr. Weiss urges caution.

“These platforms are not developed by sleep researchers; therefore, they lack medical accountability,” she explains.

“Their algorithms were not built to perform medical assessments or interpret nuanced signals of severe symptoms or other complications.”

Dr. Weiss further explains that an AI platform should never be the final word in health.

"The FDA-approved AI for sleep research and clinical treatment does not rule out the need for in-person treatment with a trained provider."

“AI should complement, not replace, medical consultation.”

I never put much thought into choosing bedding. Typically I'd pick my bed sheets based on price and color, never bothering to check things like thread count or material composition. That is, until I started waking up at 3 a.m. feeling stuffy, sweaty, and overheated.

Night sweats aren't something I usually deal with, so I initially blamed my awakenings on this summer's hot weather. Then I started testing a cool, crisp cotton bedding set. It put an end to my 3 a.m. wake ups and made me realize that my bedding was behind my disrupted sleep all along.

If you're thinking of buying some breathable sheets to help you sleep cooler, you've picked an excellent time. Today's Labor Day sleep and mattress sales are in full swing, with excellent deals on sheets we've tested and recommend. But first, here's the classic bedding mistake I made and how I fixed it....

The classic bedding mistake I made...

If you're anything like me, you probably buy the sheets that catch your eye when it's time to replace your old bedding.

And as you browse through the bed sheet selection on Amazon, Target, or Walmart, you'll find some cheap sets earning praise for their softness and wrinkle-free appearance. Sounds perfect, right?

However, the low price and smooth look are usually down to a certain material: polyester. This material comes in different types, including microfiber and polycotton blends, and is sometimes described as "cotton-like".

Now, there are a lot of advantages to polyester, such as its affordability, durability, and low maintenance. (Take a look at the pros list in our Utopia Bedding Sheet Set review.)

However, the downside is that polyester is not a breathable fabric. In other words, its notorious for trapping body heat.

I came to learn this the hard way when I was plagued by sweaty night-time awakenings throughout summer (and even during the colder months). And that's because my polyester sheets — even ones with a cotton blend — didn't have enough temperature regulation. Hot air was getting trapped in the material and causing me to overheat.

How I fixed it...

I must admit, I fixed my bedding mistake by accident. I like the look of the Brooklinen Classic Percale Core Sheet Set, now from $119.25 at Brooklinen and decided to test it out.

I never realized what switching to 100% cotton could do to your sleep until I made the swap. Cotton is naturally breathable and moisture-wicking, and when a bed sheet is pure cotton instead of a polycotton mixture, you can feel the difference.

In this case, I used sheets made from percale cotton, a crisp, matte-look weave known for its fresh, hotel feel.

Other naturally breathable bedding materials you can try include linen, bamboo viscose (like the Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set), and natural silk. Tencel, though technically a semi-synthetic material, is also great at cooling.

3 top-rated breathable bedding Labor Day deals

Synthetic materials to avoid...

Of course, it's not just polyester that you should avoid. Other bedding material that can cause night sweats are nylon, satin, and acrylic. Nylon blends are often found in glossy sheets, quilts and travel blankets, while acrylic is found in faux fur blankets, bedspreads and throws.

Meanwhile, satin is often used for pillowcases to make them more skin-friendly and to reduce hair frizz. Satin pillowcases are often used as a cheaper alternative to silk pillowcase, but unlike silk, satin is synthetic and can retain heat.

The end of summer is a stressful time for many of us, and if you’re suddenly waking up in the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling, you’re not alone. Many of us on the Tom’s Guide Sleep Team are in the same boat, waking up at 3 a.m. thanks to impending back-to-school routines and stresses, and other big life changes.

Neurologist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Pedram Navab knows just what it’s like to live with broken sleep at night—a near-fatal car accident, caused by his own extreme fatigue, inspired him to dedicate his career to solving chronic sleep deprivation and insomnia.

According to Dr. Navab, author of the forthcoming new book The Alchemy of Sleep, calming stress before bed is the best way to stop waking up through the night. And you don’t need any fancy sleep tech to do it either. Here Dr. Navab reveals the simple yet effective 3-step routine he uses to calm racing thoughts, fall asleep fast, and sleep through until morning.

3-step routine for better sleep

1. Set a consistent wake time

“The most important advice that I give to my patients all the time is to keep a consistent schedule," explains Dr. Navab. "Basically, try to wake up at the same time each morning. Try to go to sleep at the same time each night."

Routine is the foundation of good sleep. It's even been linked to longer lifespans; a study by Vitality found going to sleep within a set one hour time frame five nights a week was a key indicator of mortality.

"Sleep likes that routine," says Dr. Navab. "That's why we do so well with a sunrise and sunset time. Because our body runs on the circadian rhythm in tune with the natural rhythm of the sun rising and sun setting."

He notes that a set wake up time allows you to "start that rhythm again." So no oversleeping, even when you're dog-tired. By getting up early, you leave plenty of time for sleepy-chemical adenosine to build up. As a result, you're more likely to drop off quickly the next night.

"Keeping that consistent schedule as much as you can is probably the biggest factor in helping you sleep better,” explains Dr. Navab.

2. Write down 3 things from your day before bed

Find yourself waking up at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat over your to-do list? Or unable to go to bed until you've finished that one last task? Dr. Navab has a fix.

"I tell [my patients], write down one thing that went well today, one thing that could have gone better," he advises.

There's a reason why your thoughts start to race when you climb into bed. Without the hustle of day-to-day life to keep you busy, your brain is free to recall all the anxieties normally kept bubbling under the surface.

"At night, when you're lying alone, it's you and your brain, and you just start thinking," he explains. "So that's why I like the idea of writing one thing that went well, one thing that went badly, things that you could have done differently, to set that day apart. And the next day is the new day."

He describes it as the "tabula rasa" — a blank slate.

3. Get sunlight first thing

Your alarm's gone off and even though you're tired, you know if you want to keep up your new routine, you need to get out of bed.

Dr. Navab's final tip is just what's needed to feel fresher on groggy mornings: a little dose of sunshine.

"Try to get out there and get some sun when you wake up in the morning, at least half an hour," he says. "Even on cloudier days, because you're still getting a little bit of light."

He notes that sunshine in the morning helps "reset your circadian rhythms". This is because light signals to your body clock that it's time to get up, clearing away the fatigue of sleep inertia.

Keeping healthy circadian function helps with sleep "in general", according to Dr. Navab. It's almost like winding up a watch; it keeps your internal body clock ticking along in time.

What is 'adjustment insomnia' — and why might it be behind your poor sleep?

The end of summer often brings with it a change in routine, particularly for parents and children. You have a new schedule to get used to, new routines to learn, and new pressures rearing their head.

As a result, the relaxed sleep you enjoyed all summer is now taking a downturn.

Upheaval can have a negative impact on your sleep, a phenomenon Dr. Navab describes as "adjustment insomnia." (Often known as short-term insomnia or acute insomnia.)

According to the American Medical Association, roughly one-third of Americans will experience acute insomnia in their lifetime. It can be triggered by a range of factors, with stress a frequent cause.

Following Dr. Navab's tips can help you get your sleep back to its best. And set you up with the healthy routine you need to weather the next sleep storm (...it'll be the holidays before you know it.)

When to speak to a doctor about your sleep?

If you've been experiencing long-term sleep deprivation (three months or longer), your sleep has taken a sudden downturn with no obvious cause, or you suspect you're experiencing sleep apnea, we recommend speaking to a healthcare professional.

If you're anything like me, you need complete darkness and silence to sleep, blocking light and noise with eye masks and ear plugs. I couldn't think of anything worse than falling asleep in front of a TV emitting sounds and bright moving pictures.

So, imagine my surprise when I checked the results of our recent Tom's Guide poll that asked the question: "Do you fall asleep in front of the TV?". 59% of over 700 respondents admitted to dozing off with the TV on, with a third sharing that they do it most nights.

I asked two psychologists to explain the reasons behind this common TV habit. And I also called on a board-certified medical doctor to share how sleeping with the TV on can affect your sleep quality — and the simple methods to try instead if you need background noise to fall asleep (or sleep through the night).

Falling in front of the TV: Why do so many of us do it?

Before I delve into the psychology behind sleeping with the TV on, I decided to get some first-person perspectives from those who habitually fall asleep in front of the TV.

So, is it a habit that occurs by accident when they're trying to watch a TV show, or is bedtime TV an intentional sleep aid?

Turns out, it's both.

"I have actually made this habit that I need to hear something to get sleepy," says travel blogger Jatin Chhabra, who says it took him hours to fall asleep after recently switching to an earlier bedtime.

"So, for 2 hours, I watch TV, or sometimes just hear it," he explains. "Some content is helpful, but interesting and funny stuff never makes me sleepy."

Similarly, publicist Alice Wu likes to use "long" and "monotone" TV to drift off, a habit that began when she used to have a baseball game playing in the background to fall asleep.

"These days, having the TV tuned into a nature show is a way for me to calm down and relax at the end of the day," Wu says. "I enjoy the descriptive commentary in nature shows, and eventually I turn the volume down and kind of just drift off to sleep."

On the other hand, we have Sleep Editor Nicola Appleton, who tells me that her nocturnal TV habit isn't actually intentional.

"Falling asleep in front of the TV was always something of a guilty pleasure for me, particularly on the weekend when I’d ‘treat’ myself to a later night," she explains. "I’d settle down to re-watch one of my favorite shows or films, but I’d end up practically sleeping through the whole thing."

1. Stops overthinking and quiets racing thoughts

"I don't necessarily need to have the TV on to fall asleep, but I do find that if I'm feeling particularly wired, it helps me for some reason," Wu tells me. "I haven't been able to pinpoint why, it just does."

If you intentionally have the TV playing in the background to fall asleep, you may likely relate to that experience.

In fact, according to Dr. Shelby Harris, board-certified clinical psychologist with Better Sleep, watching TV to fall asleep when you're feeling "wired" isn't at all unusual.

"The steady background noise can quiet racing thoughts and ease the transition from wakefulness to sleep," says Dr Harris.

Dr Nicola Cann, a sleep psychologist, says that TV can serve as a distraction from anticipatory anxiety or overthinking about something you've already done.

"TV can also serve as a useful distraction for those of us who are prone to rumination before bed," Dr. Cann says. "It gives us something else to focus on so that we don’t start replaying that awkward conversation with our boss, or worrying about the busy day we’re going to have tomorrow."

2. Some shows are relaxing or just plain boring

If you find that you can power through a brand new show, but end up drifting off when your rewatching a new one, then it's likely that you only fall asleep in front of the TV when the content is soothing or uninteresting.

"Watching TV can help us wind down by reducing cognitive arousal," says Dr. Cann. "Shows that are familiar or predictable are especially good for this because they can be relaxing without being too engaging."

"Familiar shows offer a sense of comfort, predictability, and companionship at the end of the day — a soft landing after hours of demands and decisions," Dr. Harris adds.

3. TV becomes a sleep cue over time

Dr. Cann says that sleeping with the TV on, while calming, can also turn into an unhelpful sleep cue if it happens frequently enough over time.

"If we repeatedly watch TV when we’re becoming sleepy our brains learn to associate the sofa and TV time with sleepiness," the psychologist explains. "Then it can be harder to fall asleep without the TV."

4. You're not going to bed when you're sleepy

However, needing to have the TV on to fall asleep differs from accidently falling asleep while watching TV. If you find yourself in the latter camp, the answer to why you're falling asleep in front of the TV may be simple: you're tired.

"Of course, people falling asleep in front of the TV might simply be sleepy," says Dr Cann. "If you’re regularly falling asleep in front of the TV then it’s worth asking yourself: are you getting enough sleep, and are you going to bed when your body is ready for sleep?"

Falling asleep in front of the TV: Why should we stop?

So, why is falling asleep in front of the TV so bad anyway? I asked Danielle Wall, MD, a board-certified internal medicine physician and Sit 'n Sleep's resident medical reviewer.

Here she explains how TV may be ruining your sleep despite helping you to fall asleep.

1. Lowers sleep quality

Let's face it: TV's are noisy, light boxes designed to stimulate the senses, and that spells trouble for our sleep.

"Falling asleep with the TV on can make it harder to create the dark, quiet environment that generally supports consistent sleep," says Dr. Wall.

"Light from the screen, changes in volume, and shifts in programming can continue providing stimulation after you begin drifting off and may contribute to disrupted or lower-quality sleep," the medical doctor adds.

Indeed, a 2021 study found that sleeping in a room with even a trace amount of light can lead to nighttime awakenings, while research has shown that nocturnal noise fragments sleep.

2. Causes daytime fatigue and poor health

If the light and noise from the TV ends up waking you up at 3 a.m., that means you'll be waking up with a lot less energy.

"When sleep is shortened or interrupted, people may notice the effects the next day through lower energy, difficulty concentrating, irritability, or changes in mood," says Dr Wall.

Research also shows that lower quality sleep can affect health in general, with one study finding that getting less than seven hours of sleep can reduce our life expectancy even more than poor diet or lack of exercise.

"If poor-quality sleep becomes a regular pattern, it can also affect overall well-being over time," the M.D. explains.

3. Makes it harder to fall asleep in bed

Dr. Cann also explains that sleeping in front of the TV can affect something called sleep pressure (or sleep drive), which is the biological urge to go to sleep.

"While we’re awake, sleep pressure gradually builds, increasing feelings of sleepiness," the psychologist explains. "If we’ve built it up throughout the day, we’re more likely to fall asleep easily and stay asleep when we go to bed."

According to Dr Cann, falling asleep in front of the TV can eat into that sleep drive that you’ve been building, potentially making it harder to fall asleep when you eventually go to bed.

"The longer or later that accidental sleep is, the more likely it is to interfere with your subsequent sleep," she warns.

Falling asleep in front of the TV: How to stop

It's all well and good to point out the consequences of sleeping with the TV on, but a habit can be hard to beat when it's (a) accidental or (b) needed.

1. Disable autoplay, set a timer, and switch off the TV

If you're someone who drops off while watching the tube, it's best to start setting yourself limits rather than cutting out nighttime TV altogether..

"If someone is used to sleeping with the TV on, they do not necessarily have to change the habit overnight," says Dr Wall. "A sleep timer is a good first step so the television turns off shortly after they fall asleep."

Dr. Harris advises using a sleep timer so the TV shuts off after 20 to 30 minutes.

"Keep the screen dim, and avoid particularly stimulating content such as news, crime shows, or anything emotionally intense," the board-certified psychologist advises.

If you're gripped by a new show and have a weakness for binge watching, Dr Cann recommends having "stopping points" to minimize the risk.

"Don’t start a movie when you know it’ll end too late for you," the psychologist suggests. "Disable autoplay features so you’re not tempted by 'one more episode.”

Once you've reached a stopping point, according to Dr Wall, the best thing to do is "turn off the TV" and "keep the lights dim".

"Avoid picking up your phone or doing another activity that wakes you back up," says the doctor. "The goal is to take advantage of that natural sleepiness rather than resetting your brain into wake mode."

2. Find a new way to relax

Creating a relaxing nighttime routine is important if you want to improve your sleep — but what if your wind-down routine consists of a late-night binge-watch?

"For some people, having the TV on becomes part of their usual wind-down routine," says Dr Wall. "Over time, the brain can begin to associate that background sound and familiar content with relaxation and sleep."

To break this association, Dr Wall suggests building healthier sleep cues.

"Creating a consistent wind-down routine with dimmer lighting, reading, or another relaxing activity can also help teach the brain to associate different cues with sleep," she suggests.

3. Switch to audio only

Sometimes, the sound of the TV can be sleep inducing, rather than the TV screen itself.

"If the sound itself is comforting, try replacing the TV with white noise, calming audio, or another option that does not include a bright, changing screen," suggest Dr Wall.

Dr Harris agrees: "Try a familiar podcast, audiobook, sleep story, calming music, white or brown noise, or another audio-only option with a timer."

She suggests that, over time, you can gradually shorten the amount of time the audio plays as your brain becomes more comfortable falling asleep without it.

"The goal is to preserve the sense of familiarity and background sound while minimizing light and unexpected stimulation," Dr Harris explains.

I tried out the audio method — here's what happened

I decided to follow the three sleep doctors' advice and try out a sleep podcast to fall asleep. Using the Jabees PEACE Duo Pillow , I chose the Sleep With Me series.

The Sleep With Me podcast has the tagline, "Bedtime stories to help grown ups fall asleep in the deep, dark night.

It features bedtime stories for adults that are designed to be so rambling and monotone that they take your mind off racing thoughts and bore you to sleep.

The mental health podcast features a library of insipid stories, so I selected one at random: The Orlando Convention Center. If you would like to know what the story is about, then look it up yourself because I have no clue.

Once I put it on, and my pillow speaker muffled the narrator's voice, it slowly turned into (metaphorical) white noise to me.

According to my Oura Ring 5, I fell asleep in under 10 minutes (9, to be exact) mention. The voice was so single-toned and tedious that I didn't take much notice to what the story was about. Basically, it was so boring that I fell asleep.

However, I forgot to heed Dr Harris's advice that I use a timer. Spotify autoplayed fortwo and a half episodes until I suddenly woke up at 2 a.m., with the podcast still droning on.

I don't usually wake up at 2 a.m., so I am going to have to blame the podcast (for waking me up) and myself (for not setting a timer).

However, if you need sound in the background to fall asleep, then I definitely think this sleep podcast is a great alternative to a TV screen. Just remember to set a timer first so you don't wake up to the sounds of someone talking about a craft fair.

3 top-rated products to stop you from using TV for sleep

We've all been there. You arrive at work feeling tired and bleary-eyed after a night plagued by insomnia, only to be greeted by your bright-eyed co-worker who's running on a full sleep. Pouring yourself an extra-strong black coffee, you ask yourself, "What's the difference between me and them?"

Turns out, there can be a number of key differences between an insomniac and someone who gets at least seven hours of sleep a night. "People who consistently sleep well don't necessarily have perfect routines, but they often share certain behaviours," says Sam Sadighi, a certified sleep practitioner at Get Laid Beds.

Although everyone's experience is different, Sadighi says that people with insomnia also "often share some common patterns" that can disrupt sleep.

Here Saighi and Mike Wakeman, a pharmacist and sleep researcher at Evera Nutrition, reveal the key habits that separate the sleep deprived from those getting plenty of rest. Here are the five habits of insomniacs vs the top three habits for better sleep...

Key takeaways

• Insomniacs often worry about not getting enough sleep and clock watch, which can exacerbate their sleep issues.
• Irregular betimes and wake-up times are also common among insomniacs.
• People who consistently get 7 hours+ sleep a night often get enough daylight and establish a consistent sleep schedule and relaxing nighttime routine.
• However, good sleep habits aren't always enough to treat chronic insomnia. Anyone experiencing persistent sleep problems should speak to a doctor.

5 key differences: What insomniacs do

1. They try to force sleep

If you've ever found yourself, in the middle of the night, clock watching or calculating how much time you have left before you need to get up, then you're likely just making the problem worse.

"Automatic negative thoughts such as ‘I’ll never function tomorrow if I don’t fall asleep in the next 5 minutes…’ start to creep in," says Sadighi. "This is just going to stress you out and push sleep further away."

2. They have irregular sleep patterns

One of the most common sleep habits associated with insomnia is going to bed and waking up at different times every day.

"Going to bed at 10 p.m. one night and 1 a.m. the next makes it difficult for the body's internal clock to establish a consistent rhythm," says Wakeman.

"Trying to grab sleep whenever they can (understandably), means that they disrupt their circadian rhythm, which has been shown to actually make it all harder," agrees Sadighi.

3. They skip the wind-down routine

Nighttime routines should help you to relax and prepare you for bed, but not all activities that help you relax should be part of yours.

"Many people work, scroll through social media or watch television until the moment they try to sleep," says Wakeman.

In fact, every hour of screen time in bed (be it doomscrolling, answering work email, or binge-watching a new show) has been shown increase the risk of insomnia by 59%.

4. They rely on alcohol and caffeine

According, to Sadighi, many insomniacs rely on unhealthy habits to help them fall asleep or manage their daytime fatigue, but they actually exacerbate their sleep issues. She says the two main sleep crutches people use are alcohol and caffeine.

"Alcohol helps them fall asleep fast, but actually messes with their sleep cycles, and caffeine helps power them through the day, but they often have so much it then impacts the next night, causing a vicious cycle," the sleep consultant explains.

5. They stay indoors and sit too much

A 2024 study found that natural daylight, particularly in the morning, can improve sleep efficiency, while regular physical activity is consistently associated with better sleep quality.

"Spending little time outdoors and leading a sedentary lifestyle can make it harder to establish healthy sleep patterns" says Wakeman.

5 key differences: 3 things people who get 7+ hours sleep do

1. They get outside

Catching some rays may seem totally irrelevant to your sleep, but the amount of sunlight we get – and when we get it – can help us sleep.

"Daylight in the mornings has been shown to signify to our brains that it’s time to be awake, and dim lighting in the evening tells it that it’s time to start winding down ready for sleep," explains Sadighi.

Research shows that our 24-hour body clock hinges on light to know that it's daytime, as light triggers the production of energy-boosting hormone cortisol, and cues your body to produce sleep-promoting hormone melatonin later in the day.

2. They have a consistent sleep and wake time

The gold-standard sleep habit is setting yourself a bedtime and sticking to it. "And this includes weekends and days off," asserts Sadighi.

"People who sleep well often wake at similar times each day, helping reinforce their natural body clock," says Wakeman.

In fact, having fixed wake-up times and consistent bedtimes is a core part of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), with studies showing that consistent bedtimes and wake-up times can help prevent adverse heath outcomes.

3. They have a wind-down routine

We've already established that working late and doomscrolling is the ultimate don't at bedtime if you want to fall asleep fast.

However, freeing yourself from emails and social media in the posts allows you to create a cosy and relaxing atmosphere that prepares your mind and body for sleep.

"Good sleepers often develop a regular bedtime routine," Wakeman suggests. "This might include dimming lights, putting away electronic devices, reading, gentle stretching or taking a warm bath."

"Whether it's breathing exercises or another relaxing activity, they allow both mind and body to transition towards sleep," explains Sadighi.

What is insomnia?

Sadighi defines insomnia as a sleep disorder that causes difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early (or sometimes a combo of all three).

"Acute insomnia usually lasts for a few days or weeks and is usually triggered by something stressful or other life events," the founder of Easy Sleep Solutions says.

She goes on to say that acute insomnia often improves once the stress has reduced, but chronic insomnia can be trickier to treat.

"Chronic insomnia is where someone has difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early for at least three nights a week for at least three months."

Why do we need 7+ hours of sleep?

Plenty of research now proves that getting at least seven hours of sleep a night is paramount for optimal health. In fact, a study reported that getting less than seven hours of sleep a night sleep decreases life expectancy more than a poor diet or lack of exercise.

Another study, which served as a springboard for the 7:1 sleep rule, found that getting at least seven hours of sleep (combined with consistently falling asleep within an hour window) five nights a week increases life expectancy.

“Typically most adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep each night for their body and brain to function at their best," says Wakeman.

"Research shows that during sleep, the brain consolidates memories, muscles recover, hormones are regulated and the immune system carries out important repair processes."

Can good sleep habits always cure insomnia?

While good sleep habits can improve sleep disorders, adopting these patterns won't cure all insomnia cases.

"Good sleep hygiene helpful for supporting healthy sleep, but on their own they are rarely enough to resolve chronic insomnia," warns Sadighi.

The sleep practitioner and psychologist says that the most effective first-line treatment for chronic insomnia is CBT-I, as it addresses the behaviours and thought patterns that maintain insomnia.

Different approaches are also need if insomnia co-occurs with conditions such mental health issues, sleep apnea, or and restless leg syndrome.

"In these cases, both the insomnia and any underlying factors may need to be assessed and treated in tandem," she says.

"If someone has struggled with insomnia for a while despite practising good sleep habits, it's worth seeking assessment from a sleep specialist rather than continuing to rely solely on general sleep tips," she adds.

Products to help you fall asleep fast

I don't get enough sleep, and wearing an Oura Ring 5 to bed every night has perfectly captured that fact. Since getting my hands on the gold-standard sleep tracker, I've woken up pretty much every day to metrics highlighted in scolding red, urging me to get more than my typical 6 hours of sleep a night.

The Oura Ring is the best sleep tracker on the market, and one of its unique metrics is its Sleep Debt counter, which tells you how many hour and minutes of sleep you've missed.

"Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep your body needs and the amount you actually get over time," says Dr. Shelby Harris, a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist at BetterSleep. "If you consistently need around eight hours but only sleep six, you're accumulating roughly two hours of sleep debt each night."

She's right. According to the Oura Ring, the amount of sleep debt I owe is sky high. But is there a way I can repay it? To find out, I asked Dr. Harris to create me a sleep schedule to go from six hours of sleep a night to seven.

Here's what happened to my sleep debt after following this plan for a week...

Key takeaways: Paying your sleep debt at a glance

• Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep your body needs and the amount you actually get over time.
• To repay sleep debt, you have need to stick to a consistent sleep schedule that encourages earlier nights.
• Wake up at the same time: Keep your alarm set for the exact same time every day (even on weekends) to maintain your internal clock and avoid "social jet lag."
• Gradually go to bed earlier: Reduce sleep debt by going to bed 15–30 minutes earlier every two nights rather than trying to force a drastic, sudden change.
• Factor in sleep latency: Head to bed 10–20 minutes before your target sleep time to account for the time it takes you to fall asleep once you're in bed.
• Trust long-term progress: You may not see any progress initially, but sticking to the sleep schedule despite setbacks could lead to decreasing sleep debt by over an hour in just one week.

My sleep before trying Dr Harris's sleep schedule

• Bedtime: 12:25AM
• Fell asleep: 12:36AM
• Total sleep time: 5 hours 41 minutes
• Sleep debt: 8 hours and 50 minutes (accumulated over six weeks)

Before I dive into Dr. Harris’s sleep schedule, let's look at the sleep habits that drove me to seek out specialist advice in the first place.

The night before I started the sleep plan, my Oura Ring recorded a bedtime of 12.25am and a total of 5 hours and 41 minutes of sleep (resulting in an insufficient amount of REM sleep), while my average monthly sleep duration was 6 hours exactly.

Sleeping 6 hours a night on average is cause for concern, especially since ground breaking research indicates that you need to consistently sleep for at least 7 hours a night for optimal health.

This insufficient amount of sleep every night has resulted in a high amount of sleep debt, culminating in a grand total of 8 hours and 50 minutes on the morning before following the schedule — and that's excluding the decades of sleep debt I've accumulated in the years before owning an Oura Ring. I've clocked up 8 hours and 50 minutes of sleep debt in the six weeks I've been wearing the Oura Ring.

So, suffice to say, I definitely needed to change my sleep habits.

Dr. Harris's 7-night sleep schedule

Looking at my sleep debt, I worried that it would be impossible for me to start following a strict sleep plan after years of bad sleep habits. However, Dr. Harris assured me that it's actually better to follow a schedule that takes it slow, rather than a tough regimen that immediately forces you to fall asleep much earlier than the bedtime you're used to.

"The healthiest approach is to gradually increase your nightly sleep by 15-30 minutes, maintain a consistent wake time, and prioritize regular sleep over marathon catch-up nights," explains the behavioural sleep medicine specialist.

"Sleeping until noon on weekends can actually make it harder to fall asleep Sunday night and perpetuate the cycle," she adds.

But why is consistency key to repaying sleep debt? "Our bodies thrive on consistency, so sleeping several extra hours on the weekend can shift your internal body clock and make it harder to fall asleep at your usual bedtime Sunday night," Dr. Harris explains.

According to the sleep doctor, paying back sleep debt in increments (rather than all at once by sleeping in on weekends, something I'm guilty of doing) can help you avoid a cycle of 'social jet lag' that leaves you feeling tired again at the start of the week.

So, what does a debt-repaying schedule look like? Here's Dr. Harris' example of when to fall asleep and wake up if you usually go to sleep at midnight and wake up at 6am:

As you can see, Dr. Harris primarily focuses on wake-up time consistency and a gradually falling asleep earlier and earlier each night. So, the two pillars of a debt-repaying sleep schedule are the following:

• Go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier every two nights
• Wake up at the same time every day (including weekends)

However, it can be difficult to calculate a bedtime that can help you fall asleep by a certain time, as everyone has a different sleep onset latency (the time it takes to fall asleep).

According to research, the typical sleep latency for a healthy adult is about 10 to 20 minutes, so going to bed at least 10 minutes before your intended drift-off time should help. My Oura Ring tells me that I typically takes me around 9-10 minutes to fall asleep, so I decided to go to bed around 15 minutes earlier than my intended sleep time when following the schedule.

So, here's a night-by-night summary of how I got on following Dr. Harris's 7-night schedule (plus how my sleep debt changed throughout the week).

Following Dr Harris's 1-week schedule — see what happened to my sleep debt

So, my aim was to follow Dr. Harris's schedule to the letter, aiming to go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier every two nights. I also set my alarm for 6:45am every night, so I could keep a consistent wake-up pattern and morning schedule.

Night 1: Sleep debt grows

• Bedtime: 12:15AM
• Fell asleep: 12:29AM
• Total sleep time: 5 hours 47 minutes
• Sleep debt: 9 hours and 10 minutes

I know, I know. How could I have ended up with 20 minutes more sleep debt than when I started the sleep schedule? I admit I had the same question myself, until it occurred to me that I was still getting under the recommended sleep duration (even if it's slightly more than the previous night).

I also admit that I needed to be in bed much sooner than my 12:15 a.m. bedtime. According to the 15-30 minute increments rule, as my baseline bedtime was 12:15 a.m., I should have been in bed at around 11.55 p.m. to 12:10 p.m.

"Hopefully, I can fall within that bedtime range tomorrow night," I said to myself after looking at the abysmal metrics.

Night 2: Sleep debt stays the same

• Bedtime: 23:54PM
• Fell asleep: 12:05AM
• Total sleep time: 6 hours 13 minutes
• Sleep debt: 9 hours and 10 minutes

So, I managed to get myself into bed 31 minutes earlier than the baseline bedtime (and 21 minutes earlier than the first night).However, the sleep debt counter still remained at 9 hours and 10 minutes.

That said, my sleep duration did increase from 5 hours and 41 minutes to 6 hours and 13 minutes, which I consider a small victory — I made it over 6 hours.

Night 3: Sleep debt won't budge

• Bedtime: 23:51PM
• Fell asleep: 12:07AM
• Total sleep time: 6 hours and 30 minutes
• Sleep debt: 9 hours and 10 minutes

Technically, I should have hit the hay 15-30 minutes earlier than the second night (the time leap should happen every other night, according to Dr Harris's schedule) but the second night experienced such as jump from the first night that I felt as though I did it pre-emptively.

Again, the sleep debt counter didn't budge, and I have to confess that this was the night when I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to meet the 7-hour goal by the end of the week... completely overlooking the fact that my sleep duration was continuing to rise.

Night 4: Sleep debt falls again

• Bedtime: 23:46PM
• Fell asleep: 12:00AM
• Total sleep time: 6 hours and 16 minutes
• Sleep debt: 9 hours

So, by the fourth night, I did see an improvement in sleep debt, even if it wasn't quite back to its 8 hours and 50 minutes start. I found this a little odd, as my sleep duration was actually 14 minutes shorter than the previous night.

I went to bed 5 minutes earlier than the third night, which wasn't ideal as I should have been getting into bed at around 11.30 p.m. by this point. "But at least I'm going to bed earlier," I reassured myself.

Night 5: Sleep debt goes back to the start

• Bedtime: 23:58PM
• Fell asleep: 12:09AM
• Total sleep time: 6 hours and 17 minutes
• Sleep debt: 8 hours and 50 minutes

And I'm back to going to bed later.

Yes, by Night 5, I went to bed 12 minutes later than the previous night, ending my streak of going to bed earlier every night since the beginning of the schedule.

I should point out two things, however: A) It was a Sunday night, and the Sunday scaries did take hold of me; and B) my sleep debt returned to it's baseline.

Night 6: Sleep debt falls by 20 minutes

• Bedtime: 23:38AM
• Fell asleep: 23:47AM
• Total sleep time: 6 hours 36 minutes
• Sleep debt: 8 hours and 30 minutes

Falling asleep 20 minutes earlier than Night 5, I could already see an improvement in total sleep duration and I was slowly chipping away at my sleep debt. I wanted to fall asleep a little earlier (blame it on my Air pods case going missing), but I managed to repay 20 minutes in a single night and slept 6 hours and 36 minutes (the longest sleep duration I'd experienced since starting the schedule).

Still, I knew that if I wanted to reach the 7 hour mark, I'd need to go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier on the last night — which, as proven above, is easier said than done.

Night 7: I'm sleeping 7 hours and paid back 90 minutes of sleep debt

• Bedtime: 23:18PM
• Fell asleep: 23:24AM
• Total sleep time: 7 hours and 3 minutes
• Sleep debt: 7 hours and 20 minutes

On the seventh and final night, I knew that I needed to get ready for bed as soon as I could. I made sure that everything I needed to go to sleep: eye mask, ear plugs, and no missing items that I needed to frantically search for.

I managed to be in bed by 23:18PM, a 20-minute improvement on the last bedtime and woke up around 2 minutes before my alarm.

Once I rubbed my eyes and reached for my phone, I immediately checked my Oura app. What greeted me was a sleep score of 86, accompanied by the word "OPTIMAL" written in calming blue and a little crown icon.

Sleep duration: 7 hours and 3 minutes. Sleep debt: 7 hours and 20 minutes.

So, I did it. I reached my sleep goal. And while my sleep debt is still in the "High" zone, it still decreased by 90 minutes in one week and 50 minutes on one night.

Bottom line

So, what did I learn from following the Dr. Harris's sleep schedule? To take things gradually and consistently, and most importantly, persevere with it.

There were times, especially when my sleep debt count increased or stagnated, when I wanted to give up and start anew another week. However, I remembered how much the sleep expert stressed that taking things slowly is key, and that sleep debt can't be solved in one night.

So, my advice to anyone wanting to fix their sleep debt is to just keep setting your alarm for the same time each day, keep aiming to go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier every other night (even if you miss the mark by several minutes), and to not get discouraged if you experience a blip.

Top-rated products to help you stick to your sleep goals

Collectively, we’re stressed. Our nervous systems are fried and our sleep is suffering. Enter: expensive gadgets that promise to help us unwind so we can finally get a decent night’s rest. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulators (nVNS) are the latest viral sensations within the wellness industry.

As a mildly stressed and extremely frazzled working parent, the idea that I could de-stress and sleep better just by turning on a gadget sounds appealing. But do nVNS work, and are they worth the hundreds of dollars that they can cost?

To find out, I tried a $299 vagus nerve stimulator and pitted it against doctor-recommended vagus nerve stimulation practices you can do at home for free. Both methods helped me mellow out before bed and hit a sleep score of 96 on my Apple watch, but one has become my go-to stress buster.

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Wearable vagus nerve stimulators offer an effortless, high-tech way to switch your body from 'fight-or-flight' into a relaxed state, but doctors point out that free physiological techniques can trigger the exact same biological response.
• To test how effective both options are, I put them to the test to see if they can help me lower stress for better sleep.
• Consumer vagus nerve stimulators can be effective at reducing stress but come with a high price tag.
• Techniques like deep breathing and cold-water facial exposure immediately stimulate the vagus nerve and lower your heart rate naturally with zero cost or equipment.
• The Verdict: If you struggle with stress and want a passive, hands-off solution to unwind, the $299 investment may be worth it. However, for most people struggling to sleep, $0 breathwork practices deliver comparable stress-relief results without spending a cent.

What is your vagus nerve and why do you need to stimulate it?

The term 'vagus nerve stimulator' has entered the wellness chat, with healthcare entrepreneurs and influencers alike lauding the benefits of the practice. But what is your vagus nerve, and why do we need to stimulate it?

"The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve, running from the brainstem to the major organs, with branches to the heart, lungs, and digestive organs," explains Dr. Adam Mednick, a board-certified neurologist.

"It’s the main highway of the parasympathetic nervous system, often called the 'rest and digest' system, helping regulate heart rate, breathing, digestion, immune responses, and mood."

This nerve plays a central role in the gut-brain connection and in how the body manages stress and inflammation, says Dr. Mednick.

"The vagus nerve is stimulated whenever the body needs to calm down after a stressful experience, acting as a brake on the fight-or-flight response, lowering heart rate, reducing inflammation, and promoting relaxation," continues the neurologist.

What are vagus nerve stimulators?

There are two types of vagus nerve stimulators. First, there are invasive vagus nerve stimulators, a device implanted under your skin. This type of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is usually used to treat epilepsy, depression and stroke recovery.

Then there are non-invasive vagus nerve stimulators (nVNS), commercial devices that act externally. These are typically used to manage stress and headaches.

These devices target the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for lowering your heartrate and aiding digestion. But they can cost hundreds of dollars — do we need them?

"For the average healthy person, the answer is no: consumer vagus nerve stimulators are unnecessary," says Dr. Mednick, who specializes in stroke, emergency neurology, and critical care neurology.

"FDA-approved uses of vagus nerve stimulation are for specific medical conditions, such as drug-resistant epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression, not general wellness."

A $299 vagus nerve stimulator vs free alternatives: How I tested

Commercial vagus nerve stimulators are marketed towards those who struggle with ongoing stress and poor sleep, who are looking for a medication-free, low-lift solution.

So, basically, me.

However, healthcare professionals are divided over whether they're beneficial for anyone beyond those who medically require them. Especially when there are methods of stimulating your vagus nerve at home, for free.

To explore how well a commercial vagus nerve stimulator compares to doctor-recommended alternative solutions, I put them both to the test.

To do this, I tested a Sensate vagus nerve stimulator — a $299 device that promises to relieve stress in 10 minutes — against free practices, such as humming and cold water therapy.

I tried both methods at the same time each day; as soon as I finished work and again as part of my nighttime routine.

Via my Apple Watch and a third party app, Welltory, I was able to record my stress levels before the vagus nerve stimulation and after. I then combined this with my overnight sleep score to see which method (if any) helped me unwind enough to unlock a decent night's rest.

How a $299 vagus nerve stimulator helped lower my stress levels for better sleep

For this experiment, I tried out the Sensate vagus nerve stimulator, a pebble shaped device you place on top of your sternum for 10 to 30 minutes. It stimulates your vagus nerve through vibration pulses while you listen to a soothing soundscape.

Sensate recommends using the device during any period of stress, but for daily use it suggests immediately after finishing work and before bed as effective ways to reset and wind down.

With that in mind, I logged off from work and made a note of my stress levels via the Welltory app before using the device (65% - medium).

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much. My colleague Eve has tested several vagus nerve stimulators and struggled to recommend them to anyone beyond devout wellness aficionados. But then, Eve is someone with a highly regulated nervous system who gets reliably good sleep every night.

The vibrating sensation took me pleasantly by surprise. I opted for a ten minute session and streamed the accompanying soundscape through my Ozlo sleepbuds 2. I sat on my bed and closed my eyes and focused on the vibrations. I might have been imagining it, but I could feel them in my stomach and even in my feet.

Once the ten minutes was over, I felt grounded and relaxed and thoroughly switched off from work. I made a note of my stress levels (17% - low).

I used the Sensate again before bed. This time, lying on my back with my sleep mask on and my sleepbuds in, I felt deeply relaxed. So much so that once the 10 minute session was over, I only had just enough energy to take the Senate off my chest before I fell fast asleep.

I woke up to a sleep score of 96 (excellent), which — as someone prone to 3 a.m. wake ups — is practically unheard of.

How free doctor-recommended vagus nerve stimulation practices helped lower stress for better sleep

In order to stimulate the vagus nerve for stress relief, Dr. Merick, the author of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: From Diagnosis to Treatment, recommends the following practices:

• Slow, deep breathing: Especially with extended exhales. Breathing at roughly six breaths per minute activates vagal pathways via the diaphragm, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and reducing anxiety.
• Meditation and yoga: Controlled breathing increases parasympathetic tone, reducing stress.
• Exercise: Regular physical activity is one of the most reliable ways to improve vagal tone.
• Cold exposure: Brief cold water exposure (such as splashing cold water on the face or taking cold showers) can trigger a vagal response.
• Singing and humming: These activities engage the muscles of the throat innervated by the vagus nerve.

In order to recreate the same relaxing conditions as the vagus nerve stimulator, I logged my stress levels via the Welltory app (14% very low — which is unusual for me). I then decided to splash my face with cold water once I finished work to trigger an initial vagal response.

Next, I sat on my bed for ten minutes — the same length of time as I used the Sensate stimulator for — and practiced some deep breathing, focusing on long, extended exhales to open vagal pathways and lower blood pressure. To make it a fair fight, I also listened to a soundscape on my Ozlo sleepbuds.

This felt relaxing, but in a gentler way to the Sensate vagus nerve stimulator. It felt as though I had managed to leave the working day behind me, which isn't always easy if you've worked from home.

But if I'm honest, I felt drained, rather than relaxed. This was reflected in my stress score (5% — which is apparently 'too low'). I think I've been fighting stress for such a long time that I just felt utterly depleted.

That night, I tried to recreate the same conditions as the Sensate stimulator. I got ready for bed, put on my sleep mask, listened to a soundscape and practiced some humming (much to the confusion of my husband).

I can see why experts recommend humming to stimulate the vagus nerve — I could feel the sound reverberating through my chest. I fell asleep before the ten minutes were over and woke up to another 96 sleep score.

Do you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a vagus new stimulator, or can you get the same results for free? The verdict

Do you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a specialist vagus nerve stimulator in order to combat stress for better sleep? No. But if, like me, underlying stress is something you currently live with, they're certainly a nice-to-have piece of sleep tech.

I like and appreciate how you can simply put the Sensate around your neck, turn it on and relax — no thinking required. But you can absolutely access similar results by following doctor-recommended practices, such as cold water therapy, deep breathing and exercise.

The biggest takeaway for me from this experiment is that you have to make time to combat stress. Feeling stress and doing absolutely nothing about it won't work (trust me). Much like trying to sleep better, you need to make it a priority — but you don't have to spend $299 to do so.

Stress-busting tech we've tried and tested for better sleep

Astronauts on the International Space Station experience sleep inertia (grogginess upon waking) because they work in shifts, are rolling a chronic sleep debt, and see 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours, among many other factors.

I experience sleep inertia because my pre-schooler doesn’t believe in sleeping through the night. And that build-up of broken sleep makes me feel punch-drunk some mornings.

I tried easing the grogginess with caffeine, but it didn’t work. And after speaking with Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, Director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, I now know why…

“Caffeine takes time to take effect, so it’s not the best tool to use if you have to wake up and act quickly,” Dr. Flynn-Evans explains, whereas light activates retinal pathways immediately.

Well, my job doesn’t require me to perform complex tasks straight after waking. But my son is full bore from the moment he opens his eyes — sitting on the couch to watch him play while I'm still struggling to wake up fully is not an option.

Let there be (blue) light

While caffeine isn’t a fast-acting off-switch for post-sleep grogginess, the right type of blue light within 30 minutes of waking is.

Yes light therapy glasses and lamps can help to reduce sleep inertia, but devices cost money. For a $0 solution, Dr. Flynn-Evans says to step outside your front door: “Going outside when the sun is out will expose you to blue light from the sun naturally.”

Even though it looks yellow from Earth, the sun contains blue light (and many other colours). “There are specialized photoreceptors in our eyes that are very sensitive to blue-wavelength light that are different from the rods and cones that we use for vision,” explains Dr. Flynn-Evans.

“They are most sensitive to blue-enriched light, because the light that we receive from the sun has a strong blue component. When these photoreceptors detect light, they send a signal to our internal clock (circadian rhythm) to indicate that it’s daytime.

“This initiates a cascade of other effects throughout the body that promote alertness. For example, our bodies immediately stop producing melatonin when the photoreceptors detect light.”

Little wonder that blue light is being studied as a powerful off-switch for melatonin production (a master sleep hormone), and a powerful on-switch for wakefulness signals.

Key takeaways: At a glance

• The biological switch: Natural morning light triggers specialized photoreceptors in your eyes. These instantly signal your brain to stop producing melatonin.
• The $0 NASA solution: While blue light therapy devices are helpful for night-shift workers and in the darker months of the year, natural light outside contains all the blue-cyan light you need to help ease sleep inertia.
• Blue light isn’t a 24/7 enemy: Reduce your exposure at least one hour before bed, then embrace it soon after waking to reduce grogginess.
• The weekend trap: Sleeping in creates ‘social jetlag’, which throws off your circadian rhythm and makes your sleep inertia worse on Monday.

6 a.m. cement brain

At the start of this year, my son started going through a rough patch with sleep and my father-in-law was receiving end-of-life care in hospital. I was stressed day and night, and my sleep took a hit.

It didn’t matter how many hours of sleep I got, either – because it was so broken, I felt deeply groggy each morning.

“Sleep inertia is the groggy feeling when somebody wakes up from a deeper part of sleep, and the body is still transitioning from sleep to wake, so they don’t feel fully alert yet,” explains Dr. Lindsay Browning, Chartered Psychologist, Neuroscientist and the founder of Trouble Sleeping.

It was winter when my grogginess drifted in. Sun-dappled mornings were replaced by deep black 6 a.m. skies, and I had lent my trusty Lumie Vitamin L light to a friend battling Seasonal Affective Disorder.

So I became reliant on a daily vat of caffeine to ‘power up’.

Call it divine timing (or forgetting that I had requested the product for testing), but a few weeks later I was sent a pair of 470nm blue-turquoise light-emitting glasses. My morning grogginess was beginning to ease up when wearing them, but they weren't an instant 'on' switch to take me from punch-drunk to instantly alert at 7 a.m..

“The circadian rhythm is a forward feeding cycle, so if you generally wake up at the same time each morning, your internal clock will anticipate when it’s time to wake up and begin to turn off sleep signals and turn on wake signals at your typical wake time," explains Dr. Flynn-Evans.

“You’re also likely to be exposed to light at about the same time in the morning if you get up around the same time, so any light you are exposed to may simply be interpreted by the body as the expected daily light signal.”

So if I always wake up at 7 a.m., my internal body clock already anticipates light at 7 a.m., so that burst of artificial blue light isn't a ‘shock’ system boost and won’t be as potent against sleep inertia as it would be at, say, 2 a.m. when I'm normally asleep.

The right light at the right time

“Bright light exposure soon after waking is one of the best ways of helping you feel more awake more quickly,” explains Dr. Browning.

Ok, but is there a difference between the blue light that helps wake us up versus the ‘melatonin-disrupting’ blue light we’re told to avoid before bed?

“Nope! It’s the same,” says Dr. Flynn-Evans. “The difference is that light in the evening shifts the drive to sleep and wake later. Light in the morning shifts the drive to sleep and wake earlier.

“As a result, most people need to minimize light in the evening in order to fall asleep, and maximize light in the morning to wake up.”

“Additionally, physically getting up out of bed and moving can also help you wake up and feel more refreshed,” adds Dr. Browning. “Staying in bed, repeatedly pressing snooze, is unlikely to help you quickly wake up.”

This is a trap many of us fall into on weekends; a time when we feel we deserve a lie-in, or have the chance to catch up on sleep.

Truth is, this ‘social jetlag’ confuses our circadian rhythm and perpetuates our sleep issues. A consistent sleep schedule, especially your wake-time, is arguably the MVP of good sleep hygiene.

“Sleeping in later at weekends can shift your sleep-wake schedule later, making a Monday morning alarm feel more like waking up during your ‘biological night’,” Dr. Lindsay explains.

“This effect may be more pronounced in naturally later chronotypes (owls) compared to earlier chronotypes (larks)."

Less is more: How long to use blue light for

It’s important to remember that Dr. Flynn-Evans’s work at NASA is focused around how to help astronauts reduce sleep inertia fast when working in space.

Using enriched blue-light helps them go from groggy to alert when they wake up for a shift in a place where they have few circadian cues, yet many physical stressors.

Back on Earth, shift workers who sleep in the day and work through the night might also benefit from blue light exposure.

So how long should a person be exposed to this light before their brain switches from ‘sleepy and groggy’ to ‘awake and energized’?

“We don’t know exactly, because it depends on the time of day and the stage of sleep that a person has awoken from,” Dr. Flynn-Evans explains, before revealing more about her team’s lab protocol: “Our studies typically use a minimum of 20 minutes of bright light exposure.”

For most of us, getting outside soon after waking is still the gold standard approach for easing sleep inertia. Dr. Browning: “At the end of the day, natural daylight is easy, free and one of the most effective practical options for most people.” 

Why some people experience sleep inertia more than others

“If you wake up from a deeper part of sleep, particularly slow-wave sleep, you are more likely to experience sleep inertia.” Dr. Lindsay explains.

“If you wake up from a much lighter part of sleep, typically at the beginning or end of a sleep cycle, you are less likely to experience as much sleep inertia.

“Also, if you set your alarm for a different wake-up time from your usual one, either earlier or later, you might find yourself waking from a deeper part of sleep and therefore experience more sleep inertia.”

Dr. Lindsay's point rang true when I had to wake up around 3 a.m. for a family flight to Spain—not even the excitement of a holiday could override that crushing sleep inertia we all felt.

“Our sleep cycles tend to have more deep, slow-wave sleep in the first half of the night, and sleep tends to get lighter and less deep with each subsequent sleep cycle towards the morning,” Dr. Browning reveals.

“Therefore, if you wake up when your body clock thinks you should still be in the middle of your night’s sleep, you are more likely to wake up from a deeper part of sleep and experience sleep inertia.”

I used my light therapy glass to power through at the airport, giving me enough energy and concentration to lug my sleepy son in a hip carrier whilst also dragging a 20kg suitcase up a steep hill.

Other ways to reduce sleep inertia

In the lighter months where mornings are awash with daylight early doors, sleeping with your curtains partially open is a great way to harness natural light cues.

“Even through closed eyelids, you can sense the sunlight increasing, which has been suggested to help pull you from a deeper part of sleep into a lighter part of sleep.” Dr. Browning then recommends opening your curtains fully as soon as you’re up. “This helps to shift sleep inertia more quickly.”

A good sunrise alarm clock is an excellent solution here.

Her other top tip is to keep a consistent wake time, even on weekends. “This helps your body get used to that time as ‘wake-up time’, and it helps your body shift to that time being a more natural waking point between sleep cycles rather than from a deeper part of sleep.

“So, in summary," continues Dr. Browning, "getting some natural daylight shortly before waking and as soon as you wake up, and having a consistent wake-up time, may both help to reduce the likelihood of sleep inertia.”

When to see a doctor

“People who consistently wake up exhausted often have an undiagnosed sleep disorder," explains Dr. Flynn-Evans, "so the first thing I would recommend is talking with your doctor about a referral to a sleep clinic.

“For those who do not have sleep disorders, it’s important to maintain a regular bed and wake time, with regular bright morning light exposure.

“Night owls tend to struggle with waking up in the morning, which makes it more important for night owls to turn down the lights before bed and maximize morning light exposure to adapt to their work or social schedule." Dr. Flynn-Evans says. "It’s also important to have an appropriate cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment.”

Dr. Browning adds: “If you find that you experience severe sleep inertia most mornings, or it doesn't shift after waking and the sleepiness and grogginess persists long into the day, then this might be a sign that you aren't getting enough sleep, you might have circadian misalignment, or you might possibly have another sleep disorder such as sleep apnoea.”

If you only occasionally experience sleep inertia, it’s nothing to worry about: “Making sure that you get enough sleep is more important than worrying about avoiding sleep inertia, because even if you wake up with sleep inertia, it will usually wear off fairly quickly.”

Sleep tech to help banish morning grogginess

Picture the scene: your to-do list is spiralling and you can't switch off. But you're so severely sleep deprived that you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow... only to then wake up at 3 a.m. on the dot.

This used to be my nightly reality, a nightmarish space where stress, anxiety and middle insomnia punctuated my sleep. As arguably the world's two best and well-known sleep doctors, Dr. Michael Breus and renowned Ted Talk superstar Dr. Matthew Walker, have now explained to me, stress-related cortisol is the main culprit.

Below, I'll explore what cortisol is (spoiler: it's not the enemy of sleep you might think it is), plus I'll share doctor-prescribed tips for lowering stress levels for better sleep.

• Read more: My 3 a.m. wake-ups stopped when I started testing this pebble shaped device — here's why and how it works

Key takeaways: At a glance

• We produce cortisol as a stress response to enhance our physical and cognitive abilities. However, cortisol also plays a crucial role in regulating our sleep-wake cycles.
• Cortisol levels rise naturally around 3 a.m. but stress can cause cortisol levels to rise too high or too fast, causing us to wake up in the middle of the night.
• Tips for relieving stress levels, and therefore boosting your chances of sleeping through the night, include spending time in nature and writing a to-do list for the following day.

• Read more: I kept waking up exhausted until a NASA scientist shared her $0 lab-tested tip for beating morning grogginess — here’s how it works

What is cortisol and what role does it play in sleep?

Cortisol is a hormone commonly associated with stress. Our bodies produce cortisol as a response to stress in order to sharpen our physical and cognitive abilities. However, a response to stress isn’t its only function.

"One of the biggest myths I hear is that cortisol is the enemy of sleep," says Dr. Michael Breus, a double boarded Clinical Psychologist and a Clinical Sleep Specialist.

"It isn't. Cortisol is actually one of the hormones that helps you sleep and wake up at the right times — it should be low while you're sleeping and naturally climb before your alarm goes off."

"Cortisol is best understood not only as a 'stress hormone' but also as a timing hormone," adds Dr. Matthew Walker, sleep scientist and author of the best-selling book Why We Sleep.

"It follows a strong circadian rhythm: levels fall to their lowest point around the time we fall asleep, begin climbing in the second half of the night, and then surge sharply in the 30 to 45 minutes after we wake — what's called the 'cortisol awakening response'," explains Dr. Walker, a Professor of Neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas Dallas.

So the natural rise in cortisol in the early hours of the morning helps us feel alert upon waking. "That rise is not a malfunction," explains Dr. Walker. "It's part of how the body mobilises energy and prepares the brain for the day ahead."

Is cortisol waking me up at 3 a.m.?

If, like me, you're no stranger to 3 a.m. wake-ups, it's not a coincidence. As Dr. Walker explains above, cortisol levels begin to naturally rise around 3 a.m. as part of your Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR).

However, the steady rise in cortisol correlates with the drop off of sleep pressure – our hunger for sleep. As Dr. Walker explains, sleep pressure (or homeostatic sleep drive) has a "chemical signature: adenosine."

Adenosine, a byproduct of physical and mental activity, begins building the moment you wake and begins to drop when you fall asleep.

This means that when cortisol levels begin to rise around 3 a.m., we're more like to wake then than we would at, say, 11 p.m.

A higher than normal baseline level of cortisol, due to chronic stress or anxiety, could mean that when levels rise naturally at 3 a.m., it's enough to wake you up completely.

By then, "the mountain" of adenosine you had accumulated during the day has largely been discharged by sleep.

"You are, in a real sense, running low on the very substance that makes sleep happen," explains Dr. Walker.

"Rising cortisol then tilts an already precarious situation further toward wakefulness. That's why the small hours feel so uniquely, maddeningly alert, and why 'just go back to sleep' is such useless advice at 3 a.m."

Tired but wired

"If you're waking feeling alert, anxious, or with a racing mind, stress-related cortisol may be contributing," says Dr. Shelby Harris, a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist at BetterSleep.

However, all of the experts I spoke to agree that cortisol isn't necessarily the only enemy here. As a woman in her 40s, Dr. Harris points out that hormonal fluctuation could also be to blame for my 3 a.m. wake-ups.

"For women in their 40s and beyond, early-morning awakenings are extremely common during perimenopause and menopause, when fluctuating estrogen and progesterone can make sleep lighter and increase nighttime awakenings," says the author of The Woman's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia.

Meanwhile, Dr. Breus, a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, reiterates that rising cortisol levels in the early hours of the morning helps your brain and body prepare for wakefulness.

"The problem occurs when that rise happens too early, too quickly, or in combination with a hyper-alert nervous system, causing your brain to transition from sleep to wakefulness before you're ready," says Dr. Breus, who is also a Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

"That's why recurring 3 a.m. awakenings can be linked to chronic stress, insomnia, sleep apnea, menopause, depression, alcohol, or circadian disruption," continues the sleep specialist. "The key isn't trying to 'lower cortisol' — it's identifying what's causing your stress system and biological clock to become misaligned in the first place."

5 ways to lower stress to combat 3 a.m. wake ups

Cortisol plays a crucial role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle, helping us to sleep deeper earlier in the evening and wake up feeling alert.

While cortisol isn't the enemy to our sleep, stress is — so here's some expert advice on how to lower your stress-related cortisol levels for better overnight sleep.

1. Spend time in nature — but don't feel obliged to walk

We've all been told that exercise, especially in the morning and outdoors, can help promote better sleep. And while that is true, Dr. Walker cites a study that indicates that simply spending time in nature can lower cortisol levels.

However 'spending time in nature' is not exercise by another name, urges Dr. Walker. The sleep scientist flags an additional study that indicates that spending a minimum of twenty minutes either sitting or standing in nature can improve cognitive performance.

"Get into a forest, and don't feel obliged to walk," urges Dr. Walker.

When I tried sleeping like the Amish, getting into nature (and away from screens) was a big part of it. As a result, I was less stressed and slept better.

2. Write a boringly specific to-do list for tomorrow

A spiralling to-do list and stress go hand in hand, but writing it down at bedtime could actually help you fall asleep faster.

"Write tomorrow's to-do list at bedtime — and make it boringly specific," says Dr. Walker, who acknowledges that this flies in the face of usual advice.

"In a polysomnography study, participants who spent five minutes writing a to-do list for the coming days fell asleep significantly faster than those who journaled about tasks they had already completed — and the more specific the list, the faster they fell asleep".

3. Take a warm bath

"Take a warm bath — but one to two hours before bed, not right before it," urges Dr. Walker. "Nearly everyone gets the timing wrong, and the timing is the active ingredient"

A 2019 study found that water at 40–42.5°C, for as little as 10 minutes, scheduled one to two hours before bedtime, significantly shortened the time taken to fall asleep and improved sleep efficiency, which is the time it takes you to fall asleep, says Dr. Walker.

Bathing two to three hours before bed gives allows your core body temperature to drop, which is necessary in order to fall asleep.

"Do it five minutes before bed and you get the warming without the cooling, which is the opposite of what you want," says Dr. Walker.

4. Stop working late at night

A small month-long study of IT employees found that checking emails outside of work hours was associated with worse sleep quality, regardless of how long ago they had finished work.

Findings from same study also indicated that those who worked late were more likely to experience a higher cortisol awakening response (CAR), indicating higher stress.

The takeaway? Finish work and don't come back to it. "An evening routine cannot out-run a nervous system that never actually clocked off," says Dr. Walker.

"Three glances at your inbox after dinner may undo more than a lavender bath repairs."

5. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule

In order to optimize your sleep-wake cycle it's important to stick to a regular sleep schedule, such as the 7:1 sleep rule. That's where you go to sleep within the same one hour window every night and accumulate at least seven hours of sleep.

"If you're trying to lower nighttime cortisol, don't waste your money chasing the latest supplement," concludes Dr. Breus, Chief Sleep Officer at Orion.

"The biggest wins come from rebuilding your body's natural rhythm: keep a consistent sleep schedule, exercise regularly, manage stress, and create a bedroom that's cool."

Air conditioning is a sleep saviour when heatwaves have transformed your bedroom into an oven, but it could be the reason why you keep waking up at 3 a.m. This year, research has found that air conditioners can reduce indoor air quality, and now a doctor is warning that the reliance on AC can negatively impact sleep.

"Sleep is critical for recovery and repair, so anything that impairs respiratory comfort can interfere with the body's ability to fully recover overnight," says Dr Dale Christensen, Chief Science Officer for Climatic Health and Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center.

But how exactly does air conditioning impair respiratory comfort? I asked Dr. Christensen to explain how AC can impact air quality and disturb your sleep. Plus, how to fix this issue in three simple steps.

• Read more: Stress was waking me up at 3 a.m. — until two of the world's best sleep doctors shared 5 fast fixes to lower my cortisol at night

Key takeaways: At a glance

• The best smart air conditioners with well-maintained filters have no negative effect on indoor air quality, but AC with neglected filters release harmful air pollutants.
• Airborne pollutants from unkept AC filters can block airwaves, leading to sleep issues such as frequent nighttime awakenings.
• The CDC says AC filters should be replaced every three months to lower harmful germs and viruses in the air and to reduce your chances of respiratory illness.
• The three simple fixes: Check and replace your AC filter every three months, increase ventilation in your bedroom, and avoid using room fragrances and products with high VOCs.

How air conditioners impact sleep

According to the United States Census Bureau, 90% of American households use air conditioning to keep them cool in the summer.

Dr. Christensen points out that air conditioning systems aren't inherently bad for indoor air quality, as long as their filters are properly maintained.

"Air conditioning systems that collect and pass warm air through regularly maintained conditioner filters have minimal effects on air quality since the filters have to allow high airflow in order for the system to cool the air," he explains.

However, as the 2026 DuraPlas Summer Cooling Report, 50% of homeowners admit they have skipped air conditioner maintenance to save money. This neglect not only affects the AC system's cooling performance, it also may lead to indoor air pollution.

"Poorly maintained HVAC systems build up dust, moisture and even mold in filters, ducts and cooling systems," warns Dr Christensen.

"This can actually add particulate matter and mold spores to the air and present an even greater risk for lung health than external air may present."

In fact, research has shown that clogged air conditioning filters can cause unfiltered dust and allergens to be recirculated right back into living spaces. According to Dr Christensen, these airborne pollutants can irritate the airways.

This irritation causes "congestion, coughing, and difficulty breathing", leading to those pesky 3 a.m. wakeups.

"Emerging research suggests that poor air quality may contribute to shorter sleep duration, more nighttime awakenings, and lower overall sleep quality," says Dr Christensen. "Even mild airway irritation can disrupt normal sleep patterns."

What other indoor air pollutants affect sleep?

However, it's not just a neglected AC system that can ruin your sleep; there are many household objects that significantly pollute indoor air and affect sleep quality.

"We usually talk about pollution in terms of traffic, factories, or wildfires, but the actual exposure people get is often a mix of small, repeated sources that add up over time, " says Ashlesa Mohapatra, a sustainability researcher and Senior Quality Engineer at ServerLIFT LLC

"At home or indoors, the biggest contributors are often the everyday things people don’t think twice about: gas stoves, candles, incense, air fresheners, and off gassing from certain materials," she adds.

Dr. Christensen agrees and says that indoor air can actually contain higher concentrations of pollutants than outdoor environments, particularly in "tightly-sealed buildings".

"Lesser known contributors include cleaning products that release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and wood-burning fireplaces and fire pits," he says.

The health expert warns that these pollutants can interfere with our body's circadian rhythm, which regulates our sleep schedule.

"Exposure to pollutants has been associated with increased systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, which can affect the body's natural sleep-wake regulation," the doctor warns.

3 simple ways to reduce indoor air pollution for better sleep

1. Check your AC filters regularly

As mentioned above, an air conditioning system only functions properly when air filters are properly maintained.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AC filters should be replaced every three months to lower harmful germs or viruses in the air and reduce your chances of respiratory illness.

However, there are filters you can use to keep your home's air cleaner besides well-kept HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) filters.

"Portable air purifiers with HEPA filters, along with regularly maintained HVAC filters, can also help capture airborne particles such as dust, pollen, and other pollutants, but make sure you have your windows closed when running them," advises Dr. Christensen.

2. Ventilate your home

There are plenty of sleep hacks that involve increasing your bedroom's ventilation, from bedroom burping to German sleep tradition lüften. As it turns out, these refreshing sleep hacks can also improve your house's air quality.

"For those who are looking to reduce their exposure to indoor pollutants a good place to start is by improving ventilation," advises Dr. Christensen.

"That means running kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and opening windows when outdoor air quality is favorable can help remove pollutants before they build up indoors."

3. Reduce VOCs

If you're worried about indoor air pollution, Dr. Christensen says the good news is that indoor air quality is generally more manageable than outdoor air quality.

The health expert says that the best ways you can manage indoor air quality is by choosing products (such as paints, cleaning products, and furnishings, with low VOCs)

"Limiting the use of heavily fragranced products and aerosol sprays can also help lower indoor chemical exposures," he suggests.

In recent years, magnesium has become a bedtime must-have, promising to help you stop waking up at 3 a.m. by preparing your body for deep, peaceful sleep. I've been taking magnesium in the evenings for a while, but lately I've been wondering if I should take melatonin instead.

Both are popular sleep supplements, but is magnesium or melatonin better for reducing 3 a.m. wake-ups? "Neither magnesium nor melatonin is a guaranteed solution, but both can be helpful in certain situations," says Dr Shelby Harris, a board-certified clinical psychologist and behavioural sleep medicine specialist.

Here I ask Dr Harris and Vanessa Rissetto, a Registered Dietician on the Vitamin Shoppe’s Wellness Council, if either melatonin or magnesium can help you sleep through the night and stop you from waking up at 3 a.m., and what the pros and cons of each are. Here's what they said...

Key takeaways: Magnesium vs melatonin at a glance

• While neither magnesium nor melatonin are guaranteed to prevent middle-of-the-night wake-ups, both are effective at helping you to sleep better.
• Magnesium can be used to reduce nighttime awakenings if your broken sleep is caused by stress, tension, or a magnesium deficiency.
• Melatonin is more effective to fall asleep faster, rather than helping you to stay asleep.
• Always speak to your doctor before taking melatonin, as it isn't suitable for everybody.
• When taking melatonin, use the lowest effective dose possible, and discuss dosage times with your sleep specialist first.

What is magnesium for sleep?

According to Rissetto, magnesium is an essential mineral involved in hundred of reactions throughout the body. One such function is promoting calmness as it supports normal muscle relaxation and healthy stress response.

"I often tell people to think of magnesium as creating the right conditions for good sleep rather than forcing you to fall asleep," shares Rissetto.

However, the registered dietician also warns that magnesium "isn’t a magic sleep supplement".

"If someone is deficient, correcting that deficiency can absolutely improve sleep quality, reduce muscle cramping, and ease restless feelings at night," she explains. "But if your magnesium status is already adequate, the effects are usually more subtle."

Dr Harris agrees, explaining that, while magnesium isn't a sleep medication, evidence shows it may help people who are deficient or experiencing stress-related insomnia "by promoting relaxation and supporting healthy sleep quality".

"Certain forms, such as magnesium glycinate, tend to be better tolerated and are commonly used for sleep," the board-certified doctor adds.

What is melatonin for sleep?

Rissetto says that one of the biggest misconceptions about melatonin is that it's nothing more than a "nightly vitamin" or a supplement.

"It's actually a hormone your brain naturally produces in response to darkness, " she clarifies.

The dietician explains that the hormone is an integral part of our body's natural sleep schedule, which is know as our circadian rhythm, sending the body and "internal signal that it's time to wind down".

"As evening approaches, melatonin levels rise, helping prepare your body for sleep," she explains (earning melatonin its nickname as the 'vampire hormone'.) "Then they decrease again in the morning," she explains.

However, both Rissetto and Dr. Harris point out that melatonin should not be seen as a sleeping pill.

"As a supplement, it works by signalling that it's time to sleep rather than acting as a sedative," Dr. Harris tells me.

Dr. Harris says that it's most effective when being used for people who are experiencing issues with their circadian rhythm, such as travellers with jet lag and shift workers.

"Though the data behind its use specifically for insomnia isn’t very strong," she warns.

Magnesium vs melatonin: Which is better for deep sleep?

Before we compare the effects that magnesium and melatonin have on disrupted sleep, both Rissetto and Dr. Harris stress the importance of identifying the underlying cause of these nighttime awakenings.

"I’d be asking bigger questions," says Rissetto. "Is the person drinking alcohol? Is menopause playing a role? Do they have sleep apnea? Is blood sugar fluctuating? Are they under chronic stress?"

"Neither magnesium nor melatonin is particularly good at preventing middle-of-the-night awakenings if there’s an underlying cause," she adds.

Magnesium: Pros and cons

For Rissetto and Dr. Harris, magnesium seems to be the clear winner when treating nighttime awakenings caused by stress, nighttime anxiety, muscle tension or magnesium deficiency.

"Magnesium may promote relaxation and improve overall sleep quality, particularly in people who are deficient," says Dr. Harris.

"Magnesium may help some people feel more relaxed, especially if low magnesium levels, muscle tension, or stress are contributing to fragmented sleep," Rissetti tells me.

"Still, the evidence for reducing nighttime awakenings is mixed," the dietician adds, referring to research that indicates further investigations are needs to clarify the relationship between magnesium and sleep.

However, magnesium is still the experts' pick when choosing between the two supplements. "For someone who’s stressed, tense, or not meeting their magnesium needs through diet, magnesium may offer more benefit," Rissetto concludes.

Melatonin: Pros and cons

While melatonin has proved to be a popular aid for helping people fall asleep fast, both Rissetto and Dr. Harris agree that it's not the best option if you want to sleep through the night without waking up at 3 a.m.

"Melatonin primarily helps people fall asleep by supporting the body's natural sleep-wake cycle," says Dr. Harris.

"For someone with jet lag or a disrupted sleep schedule, melatonin may be the better fit as it's generally more helpful for helping you fall asleep than it is for helping you stay asleep," says Rissetto.

"I generally think of melatonin as a tool, not a long-term solution. If someone is using it every night for months because they can’t sleep, that’s a sign we should be asking why they’re not sleeping in the first place," she adds.

Is taking melatonin bad for you?

A November 2025 study found that people using melatonin supplements long-term had around a 90% higher chance of heart failure over five years — causing searches for "is melatonin bad for you?" to balloon the same month.

So, is it best to avoid melatonin supplements altogether, even if they do help you to fall asleep?

"In the U.S., it’s sold as a supplement, so dosing isn’t regulated as tightly as prescription medications, and studies have found that some products contain much more — or much less — melatonin than what’s listed on the label," warns Rissetto.

If you want to try a melatonin supplements for sleep, Risetto says to choose a high quality, reputable brand and remember that more isn't always better.

"Many products contain 5, 10, or even 20 milligrams, when research suggests much smaller doses, often around 0.3 to 1 milligram, may be sufficient for many people," she advises.

Dr. Harris agrees with smaller dosing, saying that melatonin is safest when used at the "lowest effective dose".

"Try 1-3mg max an hour before bed," says Dr Harris. "If you need more than 5mg of melatonin to sleep at night, it likely isn’t the appropriate treatment for you as 5-10 mg is quite a moderate to large dose."

"Working with a sleep specialist can be useful here to figure out specific timing," says thethe board-certified doctor.

As a sleep editor I get the opportunity to test a huge range of sleep tech and products, all geared towards helping us in our collective quest for a decent night’s sleep. I have everything I need for a good night’s rest, and yet I still struggle with middle insomnia.

Middle insomnia is characterised by falling asleep with ease, only to then wake in the middle of the night. For me, I go through periods of waking up at 3 a.m., unable to fall back to sleep. While unpicking the root cause of my nighttime awakenings is an ongoing process, I’ve learnt that there are habits that make the issue worse.

Below, three leading sleep doctors weigh in on the nighttime routine mistakes I’m making, like falling asleep in front of the TV. Plus, they share the three simple switches I can make in order to better manage my middle insomnia.

• Read more: Stress was waking me up at 3 a.m. — until two of the world's best sleep doctors shared 5 fast fixes to lower my cortisol at night

Why do I keep waking up at 3 a.m.?

• Sleeping in on the weekends: Breaks your natural circadian rhythm and causes 'social jet lag.'
• Falling asleep in front of the TV: Falling asleep in front of the TV diminishes your sleep pressure, making it harder to both fall and stay asleep.
• Getting inadequate exercise: Incorporating less movement into my day when I'm tired perpetuates the cycle of poor sleep.

3 simple doctor-approved daily routine switches to help you sleep through the night

I strongly suspect that the underlying cause of my 3 a.m. wake ups is due to elevated baseline levels of cortisol, the 'stress' hormone.

While there's no quick fix to dealing with stress and anxiety, there are several nighttime routine mistakes that I wasn't aware were contributing to my middle insomnia.

Below, sleep doctors weigh in on why certain common daily habits wreak havoc on my rest, plus the simple switches I can try instead for better sleep.

1. The 3 a.m. culprit: Sleeping in on the weekend

As a parent, sleeping in on the weekend isn’t something that I get to do all too often. But if the opportunity arises to sleep in past my usual wake time, I tend to grab it with both hands — especially following a broken night’s sleep.

But, according to experts, this is one of the biggest sleep routine mistakes I could be making.

“Even after a poor night's sleep, maintaining a consistent wake time can help restore healthy sleep patterns more effectively than sleeping in,” says Dr. Joshua Roland, medical director at Dreem Health.

Dr. Matthew Walker, a leading sleep scientist, agrees. "Irregular wake times, particularly across weekends, can create social jet lag: a mismatch between biological time and clock time, even without travel."

The swap: Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule

Following a consistent sleep schedule, like the 7:1 sleep rule where you go to bed within the same one hour window and achieve a minimum of seven hours of sleep, ensures you have enough time to build adequate sleep pressure throughout the day.

Sleep pressure is your biological urge to sleep. It’s also referred to as your homeostatic sleep drive. It starts building from the moment you wake up, reaches its peak as you nod off, before levels begin to drop again.

When you sleep in later than usual, you aren’t giving your body enough time to build enough sleep pressure to both fall and stay asleep all night.
The best way to fall into a consistent sleep schedule is by anchoring your wake up time — even on the weekend.

“A fixed wake time determines the length of the waking day, stabilizes the accumulation of sleep pressure, and provides a repeatable circadian cue when paired with morning light,” explains Dr. Walker, neuroscientist and professor of neuroscience and bioengineering at the University of Texas at Dallas.

“A consistent wake time is arguably one of the most important anchors of the body's circadian rhythm because it helps set the timing of hormone release, body temperature cycles, alertness, and subsequent sleep pressure,“ agrees Dr. Roland, a Board-Certified Sleep Medicine Physician.

2. The 3 a.m. culprit: Falling asleep in front of the TV

Falling asleep in front of the TV is my guilty pleasure, particularly on the weekend. I'm not alone, an estimated 61% of us fall asleep in front of the TV every night. However, doctors warn that it could be contributing to my middle insomnia.

“A [mistake] is the brief evening doze, often during television or reading," Dr. Walker has previously explained. "Even twenty minutes of sleep in the evening can partially discharge sleep pressure and make it harder to initiate sleep later."

Falling asleep in front of the TV or napping during the day is a common mistake that Dr. Roland also encounters.

“Many people compensate for sleepiness by resting on the couch or napping throughout the day, which can relieve sleep pressure and make nighttime sleep more fragmented,” explains the sleep doctor.

What's more, when we push past our natural sleep window, it can trigger the production of wakeful chemicals, such as orepinephrine, dopamine, orexin and, my biggest foe, cortisol.

"When we push past our natural bedtime, we create a tug-of-war inside the body. Sleep pressure has been building all day; natural melatonin is rising, and every signal is telling you it's time to rest," Dr. Roland has previously explained.

That can result in a tired and wired feeling, which is when you're physically exhausted but feel too mentally stimulated to fall asleep.

The swap: Pay attention to sleep cues and go to bed when I’m tired

Instead of napping through a film or falling asleep when reading, Dr. Walker stresses the importance of staying in tune to our natural sleep window.

“Adequate sleep pressure is usually signalled by increasing eyelid heaviness, yawning, reduced alertness, impaired sustained attention, and the repeated loss of focus while reading or watching something,” explains Dr. Walker, who notes that artificial lighting, screen time and stimulation late into the night can impair your natural sleep cues.

“These [sleep] signals are often missed because evening light exposure, screens, and mental stimulation can override or obscure the biological drive for sleep," explains the author. "Think of the system like an instrument panel: the body is displaying reduced alertness, but environmental stimulation can distort the reading."

3. The 3 a.m. culprit: Getting less exercise on the days I feel tired

Forget the under eye bags — a quick glance at my fitness tracker stats will tell you if I’ve had a good night’s sleep or not.

On the days when I’m existing in a fog of sleep deprivation, my step count is pitifully low. But when I’ve had a good night’s sleep I tend to move more.

Why does this matter? “Moving less during the day can make it harder to get a good night's sleep,” explains Dr. Shelby Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in behavioral sleep medicine.

“But it’s really a cycle because when people don't get enough sleep, they're also often more fatigued the next day, which can lead to spending more time sitting and being less physically active.”

The swap: Incorporating movement into my day to build adequate sleep pressure

Instead of leading into exhaustion and barely getting out of my chair, Dr. Harris recommends incorporating movement into my day — even after a terrible night's sleep.

“Regular physical activity helps build the body's natural drive for sleep, supports a healthy sleep-wake cycle, and can reduce stress and improve mood,” says Dr. Harris, author of The Women's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia.

However, that doesn’t mean you need to push yourself too hard. “If you're exhausted after a bad night's sleep, don't put pressure on yourself to do an intense workout," says Dr. Harris. "Even getting up to stretch every hour, taking a short walk during lunch, or walking while you're on a phone call can make a difference.”

How to fall back to sleep when you're awake at 3 a.m.

• Don't check the clock: If you're anything like me, rolling over and checking the time can stress you out further. It can also lead to the temptation of scrolling on your phone, making it even harder to go back to sleep.
• Practice the 15 minute sleep rule: When I do wake up at 3 a.m., the advice from experts is clear — get up and leave the room and do something relaxing. This prevents creating a negative association with your bed and bedroom.
• Try the cognitive shuffling method: This is a visualisation technique or random objects and helps empty my mind of racing thoughts. To practice it, think of a word and spell out as many objects as you can beginning with each letter.

Just when I think I’ve got my sleep problems under control and I'm finally getting the rest I need, my 3 a.m. wake ups make an unwelcome return. During these periods of middle insomnia (the most common cause of insomnia) I wake with a jolt and my heart pounding in my chest.

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Doctors pinpoint three potential causes of my 3 a.m. wake ups, which include a lack of adequate sleep pressure, elevated cortisol levels and blood sugar fluctuations
• Daily habits such as napping and sleeping in on the weekend are unexpected causes of middle insomnia
• Tips for sleeping through my 3 a.m. wake ups include eating my evening meals earlier and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule
• Doctors also recommend spending more time in nature to manage anxiety and lower cortisol levels

Staring at the clock and willing myself to fall back to sleep just isn’t cutting it, so I spoke to leading sleep doctors to help pinpoint the cause behind my 3 a.m. wake ups — and how, crucially, I can better manage them for improved rest.

Together, they’ve helped identify the three main culprits behind my middle of the night awakenings, along with simple routine strategies I can use to try and sleep through once and for all.

• Read more: Insomnia expert reveals 5 common fall sleep problems — plus the products to fix them

Doctors pinpoint the top 3 causes of my 3 a.m. wake ups

Whether it's a health condition such as sleep apnea, a late-afternoon caffeine habit that you can't quite kick or environmental factors (like noisy neighbors or a sweltering heatwave), many of us go through periods of waking up at 3 a.m.

My middle insomnia has ramped up over the past five years or so and I'm determined to find a solution. But in order to do so, I need to find the root cause. Here, doctors outline the likely culprits behind my 3 a.m. wake ups.

1. Lack of adequate sleep pressure

Sleep pressure can also be referred to as your sleep hunger or homeostatic sleep drive. Essentially, it's how tired you feel in the run up to bedtime. Driven by neurotransmitter called adenosine, sleep pressure begins building from the moment you open your eyes, dropping once you go to sleep.

As cortisol levels naturally begin to rise around 3 a.m., insufficient sleep pressure means you're more susceptible to being woken up by the alerting impact of cortisol. So, if your homeostatic sleep drive is on the lower side before you go to bed, you're more likely to experience fragmented sleep.

Sedentary lifestyles, excess caffeine and late afternoon naps are all examples of factors that can negatively affect your sleep pressure.

After a disrupted night's sleep, I know I'm guilty of reaching for more coffee to help me get through the day. On those low-energy days, I'm also less inclined to exercise and I'm more inclined to snatch time for a nap — and that's a big no-no.

"Think of a late-afternoon nap like snacking just before dinner: it takes the edge off your appetite," explains Dr. Matthew Walker, a professor of neuroscience and bioengineering at the University of Texas at Dallas.

"In the same way, a late nap can blunt your sleep hunger, leaving you with less biological force driving you down into sleep at night," explains the leading sleep expert.

2. Elevated cortisol levels

Cortisol has a bad reputation as being the 'stress' hormone, but it also plays a pivotal role in our sleep-wake cycles. Cortisol levels begin to naturally rise in the early hours of the morning, before peaking upon waking. That's called your Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). It's part of what helps us feel alert when we start the day.

However, if your baseline level of cortisol is higher — often caused by stress or anxiety — that slight increase of cortisol at 3 a.m. can be enough to wake you up. That's why, for some of us with middle insomnia, those awakenings are accompanied by a racing heart and feelings of anxiety.

"The Cortisol Awakening Response is when your cortisol begins to rise early in the morning, a few hours before you get out of bed, which transitions your body from sleep to wake by raising blood sugar, blood pressure, and mental readiness," Dr. William Lu, a sleep medicine physician, has previously explained to me.

"However, if this increase happens too early it can wake you at 3 or 4 a.m. This usually happens when you are on high alert from stress, anxiety, or blood sugar instability," says Dr. Lu, medical director at Dreem Health.

3. Blood sugar fluctuations

As a busy working parent, there are times during the week that I don't get the opportunity to sit down and eat my evening meal until around 8-9 p.m. While going to bed soon after eating doesn't exactly feel comfortable and often means I have difficulty actually falling asleep, I didn't know that late, heavy meals could also be contributing to my middle insomnia.

“One of the most common reasons for waking around 3 a.m. is a drop in blood sugar during the night,” Conny Wade at Wade Wellness, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) and practicing Nurse Practitioner, previously explained to us.

“If you eat dinner too late or the meal is unbalanced, your body may release stress hormones to bring blood sugar back up, and that can wake you suddenly,” Wade explains.

Again, the culprit here is rising cortisol levels, which our bodies produce as a reaction to low sugar and insulin levels — which can wake you up.

The sleep doctor-recommended routine switches to help manage middle insomnia

Unfortunately, there's no one silver bullet solution to overcoming 3 a.m. wake ups. However, I have learnt that there are a series of small actions you can take every day for sleep better at night.

I've noticed that each small habit outlined below supports the others, which helps to improve my overall sleep hygiene and reduce middle of the night awakenings.

1. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule for improved sleep pressure

Sleeping in later than usual can feel like an enticing prospect following a rough night of broken sleep. However, an erratic sleep schedule can lead to insufficient sleep pressure — which is a common culprit of middle insomnia.

Instead, sticking to a regular sleep schedule — like the 7:1 sleep rule — allows an adequate amount of time for adenosine to build, which makes you less susceptible to nighttime awakenings.

"A consistent wake time is one of the strongest behavioral anchors for the circadian system," explains Dr. Walker, who notes that while a consistent bed time is also important, sleep onset can't be forced and is therefore difficult to control.

"Waking at a stable time, followed by morning light exposure, provides the brain with a reliable daily timing cue that helps synchronize the 24-hour rhythm," says the best-selling author of Why We Sleep.

2. Forest bathing to help soothe my stressed nervous system

Forest bathing might sound like the act of rolling around on the muddy forest floor but is actually an ancient Japanese mindfulness practice that involves immersing yourself in nature.

I've written before about how making the time for a twenty minute mindfulness walk through my local woods helped calm my frazzled nervous system. However, once I saw an improvement in my stress levels and sleep, forest bathing slipped down my list of priorities.

Now that my 3 a.m. wake ups have returned, making time for activities that actively lower my baseline level of cortisol and increase my sleep pressure (adenosine is a natural by product of exercise) is something I need to prioritize.

"Science shows that spending mindful time in nature significantly lowers cortisol (our stress hormone) and blood pressure," says Gary Evans, director and co-founder of The Forest Bathing Institute in the UK.

If possible, spending time outdoors within the first 60 minutes of waking has the added benefit of natural daylight exposure, which helps build sleep pressure and anchor the circadian rhythm.

"Morning light helps stabilize the circadian signal, while daytime physical activity can strengthen the depth and continuity of subsequent sleep," explains Dr. Walker.

3. Eating evening meals earlier to regulate my blood sugar levels

Instead of carb-heavy comfort meals close to bedtime, a nutritionally balanced meal around three hours before my chosen bedtime allows my body enough time to digest dinner before hopping into bed.

Your circadian rhythm is your body's internal clock, helping you to feel tired and alert at the right time. And as well as orchestrating your sleep-wake cycle, your circadian rhythm regulates your metabolism.

“The human body thrives on routine,” Emma Zengh, a certified nutritionist, previously explained to us. “Which means that eating dinner at the same time every night helps keep the hormones in the body in check.”

So, as well as allowing enough time to digest my food (and prevent a spike in cortisol due to low blood sugar levels), eating mealtimes at roughly the same time every day is another way to cement my circadian rhythm.

Quick tips to falling back to sleep when you wake at 3 a.m.

Waking up at 3 a.m. can feel debilitating. However, I have learnt how to better manage them in the moment in order to fall back asleep faster. These are some of the strategies I find useful...

• Practice the 15 minute sleep rule: Staying in bed when you can't sleep leads to a negative association with your bed. The advice from experts is clear — if after 15 minutes you're still awake, get up and leave the room and do something relaxing. Then, when you feel tired, go back to bed.
• Don't immediately check the clock: Rolling over and checking the time can cause further feelings of anxiety. It can also lead to the temptation of scrolling on your phone, making it even harder to go back to sleep.
• Try cognitive shuffling to stop rumination: If you're waking with anxiety, it can be hard to turn off the chatter in your brain in order to fall back to sleep. To help, I try cognitive shuffling, a relaxation technique. To do it, pick a random letter then think of different words beginning with that letter.

I'm a Certified Sleep Coach but early motherhood means I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in nearly four years. Most mornings I battle with sleep inertia — that dense, groggy feeling when your brain refuses to reboot. I’ve been relying on caffeine for an energy boost, but it’s interfering with my sleep (caffeine has a half-life of up three to seven hours in adults).

To break the cycle, I decided to stop propping up my morning brain with caffeine and start biohacking it instead. That’s how I ended up testing the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses (from $249/£249 at Ayo)—lightweight phototherapy frames that use blue-enriched light to fine-tune my circadian rhythm.

NASA’s Fatigue Countermeasures Lab team, led by Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, is doing some interesting research into blue light as a way to reduce sleep inertia, so I was curious to see how effective AYO’s blue light glasses were. Here’s my experience after testing them for three months…

• Read more: I kept waking up exhausted until a NASA scientist shared her $0 lab-tested tip for beating morning grogginess — here’s how it works

At a glance: Key takeaways

• The AYO+ glasses effectively reduce sleep inertia: The 470nm blue-turquoise light effectively flushes out deep, heavy brain fog after waking.
• They help stave off afternoon slumps: In my case, implementing a 20-minute ‘blue light boost’ session after lunch stopped me from crashing later that afternoon.
• Total freedom of movement: Unlike traditional 10,000-lux light boxes, you can go about your morning routine, get dressed, and pack lunches when wearing the AYO+ glasses.
• AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are not an overnight miracle: It took around three weeks of consistent daily use for me to feel a noticeable biological shift.
• Some people need to exercise caution: Light therapy glasses aren’t suitable for everyone. People with cataracts, bipolar disorder, or lupus should speak to their doctor first.

What are AYO+ Light Therapy glasses?

• 10,000-lux equivalent: Because they sit in close proximity to your eyes, the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses produce the same powerful wake-up signals as a clinical grade light therapy box.
• Targeted blue-turquoise light: The AYO+ emit a 470nm wavelength, which studies show as the sweet spot for stimulating your internal body clock and boosting daytime energy.
• Eye-safe: These narrow-band LEDs are free of harmful UV rays and infrared rays, making them safe for daily wear.
• Optimized light strength: They deliver a peak irradiance (light intensity) of 250 µW/cm² – that’s an effective clinical dose of phototherapy without causing glare or eye strain.

AYO+ are the next-gen version of the original AYO Light Therapy Glasses, which began life as a Kickstarter in 2019. They’re often pitted against rival phototherapy glasses such as Luminette, and are fall into the circadian tech bracket – a branch of sleep tech designed to regulate, fine-tune and strengthen your circadian health.

The AYO+ glasses emit a blue-turquoise light at around 470nm (nanometer), with a ‘light strength’ (irradiance) of 250 µW/cm² (250 microwatts of light energy per square centimeter).

This targeted 470nm wavelength works by stimulating specialized receptors in our eyes called ipRGCs. Neuroscientists at Harvard discovered these receptors are uniquely tuned to blue-turquoise light for regulating sleep and alertness.

I wear contact lenses and prescription glasses and the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses work well with both.

On an eye health note, I haven’t experience any side effects since using the glasses, but on its website AYO lists possible side effects while your body adjusts to the glasses. These include headaches, eye strain and dizziness.

The glasses themselves are incredibly lightweight and can easily be worn over prescription eye glasses, emitting light downwards into your eyes via four light-emitting diodes.

The glasses turn on as soon as you open up the arms, kick-starting a 20-minute light therapy session. In the app you can change the duration of your session from 5 minutes (minimum) up to 90 minutes.

The light intensity can also be customized – choose from low, medium or high (most effective), or a custom intensity from 10% to 100%.

You also have the option of finishing your blue light therapy session with three minutes of red light.

There’s lots to dig into with narrowband red light, but in a nutshell it can stimulate the "powerhouses" of your cells (the mitochondria) to produce more energy. In terms of eye health, narrowband red light can help lower inflammation and give retinal cells a boost.

The root cause of my sleep and energy issues

There are two pain points in my day: feeling like a zombie when I wake-up, and hitting the wall, energy-wise, around 2.30 p.m. most afternoons.

In my defence, my sleep hygiene is excellent. I keep a consistent sleep schedule, follow the same bedtime routine, and go device-free and switch to circadian lighting an hour before bed. I drink water and eat soon after waking to give my body those wakeful cues, and I start moving my body.

None of that is a match for my wakeful three-year-old.

Sleeping has always been hard for him, for various health reasons. So I’m awake multiple times a night with my son, and that’s without my daytime caffeine habit fuelling more overnight chaos.

I can easily get through four or more cups of tea or coffee by 3pm. If I had to guess, I’ve probably been consuming around 400mg of caffeine in an eight-hour period (7am to 3pm) most days.

Caffeine can stay in your system for up to seven hours, which can make falling asleep within a decent time frame (20 minutes is average) quite tricky.

And according to the National Institutes of Health, even if you can fall asleep after a day on the caffeine train, high doses can reduce the amount of deep sleep you get. They can also trigger overnight awakenings.

Trading caffeine for circadian-optimized shots of blue light

I’ve tested many traditional light therapy boxes throughout my career working across Tom’s Guide, T3, TechRadar, and Top Ten Reviews, and while these S.A.D. lamps are highly effective, they require you to sit still.

The AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are my first long-term experience using wearable phototherapy — and they’ve been a revelation.

Instead of being stuck at my kitchen table for 20 minutes each morning sat near a lightbox, I simply pop the AYO+ glasses soon after waking and get on with my morning routine.

From a productivity perspective alone, being able to move around the house while getting my daily dose of light therapy is convenient. And honestly? I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a stationary light therapy box.

But convenience wasn’t my main motive for testing the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses. Instead I was desperate to tackle three major, interconnected issues:

• Intense grogginess upon waking – that heavy, stubborn sleep inertia that makes me feel like a zombie.
• Regular afternoon slumps – the ones that left me reaching for caffeine long past the recommended midday cut-off.
• Frequent overnight wake-ups – which I strongly suspect my caffeine habit was worsening.

To break the cycle, for three months I used the AYO+ glasses for 20 minutes soon after waking every morning. I wanted to see if they could reduce my morning fatigue and help me gain day-long energy without hammering the caffeine.

Here’s what happened…

My 90-day testing experience with the AYO+ Light Therapy glasses

When you’re rolling a huge sleep debt and feel so tired each morning that you want to crawl back into bed, setting up fiddly tech is a hard no. Luckily, the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are easy to use.

I keep mine next to my bed, nestled in the pill-shaped hard travel case they come in. My routine is simple: wake up, get out of bed, put on the AYO+ glasses, and go about my morning.

Here’s how effective, or not, the glasses were against each of my three big interconnected energy and sleep issues…

Sleep inertia

The AYO+ glasses were shipped to me during deep winter with its pitch black mornings. I’d given my Lumie light therapy box to a friend who was struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), so I’d been without a light therapy device for weeks at that point and I was really feeling it.

The AYO+ glasses came packed in a white reinforced cardboard box with the brand’s logo on the outside. Inside was a hard travel case, housing the glasses, a white charging cable, and a small dust bag / soft travel pouch.

After charging the glasses (a full charge takes around three hours and lasts for around nine 20-minute sessions), I placed them on my nightstand ready for the morning.

I chose my normal wake-up time of 7 a.m. as the approximate start time for each daily session, as numerous studies have shown that light therapy is most effective within an hour of waking.

On my first day of testing I used the pre-set 20-minute session. While the glasses were a novelty – they look quite ‘Tron-esque’ when switched on – I didn’t feel any benefit.

I was still yawning after taking them off, and by mid morning I was flagging and hitting the caffeine. At 2.30 p.m., despite staying hydrated, eating a good lunch and going for a brisk walk, I was firing up the kettle.

AYO states that it can take a few days to a few weeks (or longer, depending on the individual, severity of symptoms, and lifestyle habits) to see any improvement.

So I persevered for a week to see if repeated daily use would nudge my body into easing off the melatonin and ramping up the cortisol and other wakeful hormones soon after waking. But it didn’t.

Come week two, however, I was beginning to feel less groggy in the mornings.

I usually need a cup of coffee before leaving the house for work or nursery drop-off. On the morning of day eight I didn’t. Instead, I had my first cup of tea at around 11 a.m. However, I was flagging again in the afternoon.

This became my pattern for another week. During my third week of testing, my morning grogginess had vastly reduced. In fact, I was waking up a few minutes before my alarm and feeling energised to boot.

And from a caffeine perspective, I was down to one cup at 11 a.m. These were huge wins for me compared to even a month before when I would be finishing my third cup by 10 a.m.

The afternoon slumps were still hell though, so I went back to the biohack drawing board. That was when I decided to introduce what I now call my ‘2 p.m. blue light boost.’

It was a game-changer…

Goodbye, afternoon slumps

Ever heard of anticipatory anxiety? It’s a phenomenon where you have a feeling of dread or worry about something that hasn’t happened yet.

Mine would start creeping in soon after lunch, when I’d begin worrying about the inevitable energy slump waiting to ambush my afternoon.

I’d panic about not having enough fuel in the tank to get through my work-load, or to keep up with my busy bee of a son for another five hours.

So after three weeks of single-dosing with light therapy I started double-dosing. I wasn’t expecting it to work so fast, but it did; like a gentle bubbling up of fresh energy that carried me through the afternoon.

Was it as instantly powerful as a cup of coffee? No. But it also didn’t give me jitters, heart palpitations or interfere with my sleep at night.

This post-lunch, 20-minute blue light boost has become a reset button for my afternoons. And I no longer have a physical need to consume caffeine after midday.

I always finish my second dose of phototherapy by 2 p.m. too, as blue light exposure can affect sleep in some people when used later in the day.

Why the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses didn’t stop my overnight wake-ups

The AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are an excellent tool for strengthening your natural circadian rhythm and for understanding the best times of your day to eat, exercise, be productive, sleep, and wake up.

When your body clock is properly anchored, your brain naturally learns exactly when to produce the right hormones at the right time — whether that’s cortisol to keep you energized during the most productive parts of the day, or melatonin to help you wind down for sleep at night.

Biologically, this predictable rhythm should help you settle down, fall asleep faster and boost your chances of sleeping through the night.

So why am I still waking up at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m. and on? I mentioned him earlier: my three-year-old who wakes regularly due to ongoing health issues. As effective as the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are, they can’t help me there.

What I can say is this: when I do wake at night now, I fall back asleep fast. When I was necking loads of caffeine in the day, it took me an age to fall back asleep each time at night, even after practising techniques like 4 7 8 breathing or cognitive shuffling.

Energy levels rising, caffeine reliance dropping: Three months on

After three months of testing, the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses have become a daily essential for me.

I love putting them on each morning and seeing that slim band of turquoise-blue sitting above my eyes. It feels summery, tropical and mood-boosting, even on dark winter mornings.

Having spent years reviewing traditional 10,000-lux S.A.D. lamps across Tom’s Guide, T3, and TechRadar, the freedom of wearable phototherapy has been a revelation and one I wish I’d embraced sooner.

The AYO+ didn't solve my interrupted nights — no piece of wearable tech can reprogram a wakeful three-year-old. But by using clinical-grade blue-turquoise light to anchor my circadian rhythm and reduce my morning grogginess and afternoon slumps, it did something much better: it gave me my days back.

I no longer feel like a zombie in the mornings, I don’t hit the wall at 2 p.m., and I no longer have to chug several coffees just to survive the day.

My reliance on caffeine has plummeted from around 400mg a day to just one solitary, late-morning cup of tea – and some days I even skip that.

Is light therapy suitable for everyone? No. According to AYO, people with bipolar disorder, those with eye conditions such as cataracts, people on photosensitizing medications, and those with skin sensitivities such as lupus should be cautious when considering light therapy glasses.

I’d recommend speaking to your doctor or healthcare professional first.

My verdict

If you’re looking for a magic wand that instantly guarantees seven+ hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, the AYO+ glasses aren't it.

As a Certified Sleep Science Coach, my recommendations there are choosing a few good sleep hygiene tips and sticking to them, keeping a consistent wake-up time, investing in the best mattress you can afford, and not stressing too much about ‘perfect sleep’ (orthosomnia).

But if you are a parent, a shift worker, or someone drowning in sleep debt and looking to break free from a vicious cycle of morning fatigue and afternoon caffeine crashes, the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are worth it.

While there are plenty of cooling sleep products that promise to help you fall asleep during heatwaves, the key to a cooler night's sleep could actually be on your plate. Certain foods are excellent at managing body heat — but others can trigger night sweats and overheating.

However, it can be hard to know which bedtime snacks can offer a hydration boost and which ones can lead to a stuffy, sleepless night. Even the size and timing of your evening meal can make or break your sleep.

That's why I've called on Helen Tieu, registered dietician and founder of Diet Redefined, to share the best and worst foods to sleep through heatwaves. Read on to find out which light snacks can keep you refreshed all night, plus what time you should stop eating to avoid sleeping hot.

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Manage temperature by opting for water-rich foods and light, hydrating snacks such as yogurt, fruit, and protein smoothies.
• Steer clear of heavy, fried or high-fat foods close to bedtime, as they force your metabolism to work harder and generate intense internal body heat during a heatwave.
• Hydrate throughout the day and stop eating two to three hours before bed to prevent heavy digestion from raising your core body temperature.

The 2 best foods for sleeping well during heatwaves

1. Food rich in fiber and protein

The first bedtime snack that Tieu recommends is one that can top up fluid levels while ensuring your glucose levels remain consistent through the night, with studies showing a link between stable nocturnal glucose and better sleep quality.

"I would focus on lighter, cooler, hydrating snack that still include protein and fibre to help keep blood sugar stable throughout the night," the dietician recommends.

She highlights the following snacks as good options for keeping cool throughout the night:

• Greek yogurt with berries
• Protein fruit smoothie
• Fruit with cottage cheese
• Fruit with hard boiled eggs
• Salad with protein

For example, yogurt is an excellent choice as it's been shown to contain electrolytes, which assist hydration by managing fluid balance, and plenty of protein.

2. Water-rich foods

Water-rich foods, such as watermelons and celery, consist of 70% to 96% water, and Tieu says these hydration boosters can help your body manage its temperature overnight.

"Water-rich foods can help, including cucumbers, oranges, berries, tomatoes, zucchini, leafy greens, and soups served chilled," the diet expert advises.

The 3 worst foods for sleeping during heatwaves

1. Spicy and hot foods

If you're someone who likes there to be a real kick to your meals, you may want to think twice before reaching for the ultra-hot spices.

"Very spicy foods can trigger sweating or acid reflux for some people when consumed close to bedtime," warns Tieu.

The temperature of your food can also raise the temperature of your body, so make sure your meal has cooled down a little before you take a bite.

"Meals served in hot temperatures can make it harder to sleep as digestion itself produces heat, especially if the room is already warm," Tieu tells me.

2. Fried and fatty food

A lot of research has emphasized how fried, fatty food can contribute to poor sleep quality, but did you know that they can also cause hot sleeping and night sweats?

And it's all to do with a phenomenon that research calls thermogenesis, the metabolic heat generated as your body works to digest and process heavy fat.

"High-fat meals and fried foods can contribute to feeling overheated or less comfortable in bed," Tieu warns.

3. Heavy meals

Tieu warns that eating a large or heavy carbohydrate meal like spaghetti can lead to blood sugar spikes, which in turn cause night sweats.

"Not to mention heavy meals can lead to acid reflux, indigestion, or discomfort from going to bed on a full stomach," she tells me.

A dietician's top 3 rules for sleeping during a heatwave

1. Reduce fluid intake 3 hours before bed

Tieu points out the importance of drinking water throughout the day during hot weather, as it keeps you cool and hydrated. However, most of your fluid intake should be reserved for the daytime.

"It is ideal to hydrate more earlier in the day rather than drinking lots of water at night time or right before bed," the health expert advises.

While Tieu says you don't need to stop drinking in the evening completely, but it's best to avoid "chugging large amounts of fluid right before sleeping".

"I’d recommend reducing fluid intake 2 hours before bed if nighttime bathroom trips are an issue," she says.

2. Finish your dinner before 2-3 hours before bed

As mentioned above, digestion itself can raise body temperature, so Tieu advises following the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule and finishing your last meal of the day two to three hours before bedtime.

"This gives enough time for the body to digest before lying down, which can help to prevent reflux, discomfort, and feeling warm in bed," she explains.

However, while you should leave a few hours between dinner and bed, Tieu assures that it's fine to have a light bedtime snack.

"Just keep it simple with balanced whole foods, such as yogurt with berries, whole grain toast with peanut butter, cottage cheese with fruit, a protein shake, veggies and dip, or a small protein smoothie," she says.

3. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol can reduce REM sleep, but it can also exacerbate sleep issues during heatwaves, with studies finding that alcohol triggers sweating by widening blood vessels and increasing blood flow to the skin, which tricks your brain into feeling warm.

"It may initially lead to feeling more sleepy, but it can worsen sleep quality, worsen hydration and lead to worse temperature regulation overnight," warns Tieu.

More from Tom's Guide

• Experts reveal the bedroom window heatwave mistake making your sleep worse — and the 4-step cooling fix
• 4 sleep experts share how they fall asleep fast and skip waking up at 3 a.m. in hot weather — 4 steps to take tonight
• From the 'caveman method' to the 'frozen salt water fan trick' — 7 expert-approved ways to cool your bedroom and sleep well in a heatwave

If you're having trouble sleeping, there's no better resource than the experts. Board-certified sleep specialists can offer personalized and effective science-backed sleep guidance based on your unique health and lifestyle factors — if you can access a professional, that is.

However, many people are turning their backs on medical professionals for the convenience of AI. Research shows that 15% of the UK consult AI chatbots instead of a doctor, while a survey found that 49% of insured Americans have asked AI tools for medical advice. But can can a chatbot ever truly fix your insomnia?

To find out, I asked three of the most popular AI-generative assistants — Gemini, ChatGPT, and Copilot — the same request for sleep health advice. I then called on Mattress Firm's Dr Jade Wu, a board-certified sleep specialist, to evaluate and rate each response. Here's what she had to say and why AI's response might seem good at first but can't delve beneath the covers to provide long-lasting help.

My experience with Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT

To see whether AI chatbots can actually give sound sleep advice, I asked Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT the exact same question, prefaced with the prompt; "Act as a board-certified sleep doctor," to ensure each assistant knew I wanted it to replicate expert-level advice. Here's the full prompt:

"Act as a board-certified sleep doctor. I average 6 hours of sleep a night and have an erratic bedtime and wake-up schedule. In 3 actionable steps, advise me on how I can fall asleep fast, sleep through the night and increase my average sleep duration to 7 hours a night."

Each one delivered guidance in an instant and that split-second response set off alarm bells. But then I read the responses...

I frustratingly couldn't find any flaws. To me, each answer offered sound recommendations, with tips that seemed to come straight out of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) textbook (and, on reflection, quite probably did.)

"If you're awake in bed for roughly 20–30 minutes, get up and do something quiet in dim light until you feel sleepy again," said ChatGPT, bringing up the gold-standard sleep rule.

"Get 10–15 minutes of outdoor light within the first hour of waking — this accelerates melatonin shutoff and makes it easier to fall asleep at night," advised Copilot, displaying knowledge about our circadian rhythm and the morning sunlight rule (...that I already follow.)

"Waking up at the same time every day builds 'sleep drive' (the biological hunger for sleep) throughout the day," Gemini told me, promoting the sleep consistency that experts have always championed.

Still, some cracks started to show. For a start, I was being given advice I already followed, rather than being questioned on my routine.

Gemini was also the only AI that came with a flat-out disclaimer to remind me that it's not a doctor. (However, Copilot did mention that if experiencing persistent insomnia, loud snoring, or breathing pauses at night, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional — but this caveat wasn't as prominent as Gemini.)

"This is for informational purposes only", warned Gemini at the beginning of its answer. "For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional."

And when I showed all three responses to Dr Wu, she highlighted all the ways that disclaimer rang true.

A board-certified sleep doctor rates sleep advice from 3 AI assistants

Is ChatGPT sleep advice trustworthy?

When evaluating ChatGPT's advice, the first thing Dr Wu noticed was its lack of a disclaimer.

"Instead, it just launched right into advice with 'I' sentences spoken from the perspective of a medical professional," the board-certified doctor pointed out. "I don't love that."

While Dr Wu did say that ChatGPT's sleep guidance was "mostly evidence-based and sound", she tells me that the problem lies in its generalizing.

"It did not ask any follow up questions to try to figure out what exactly the sleep problem is, making its advice generic and not necessarily relevant — it may even backfire," she warned.

Dr Wu's ChatGPT rating: 2 out of 5

Is Copilot and Gemini's sleep advice trustworthy?

First of all, Dr Wu is pleased that both Copilot and Gemini did come with the caveat that it's always best to speak to a healthcare professional, but both still suffered from one-size-fits-all responses.

"They're better than ChatGPT's rating because at least there are disclaimers, but it's not 5 because, again, it did not do any assessment to see what the sleep problem actually is and what other contextual factors might be at play," she says.

Follow up questions the sleep expert herself would ask include "Are there any other symptoms, like signs of sleep apnea?" and " What have they already tried, and how well did it work?" She would also delve into daytime habits (such as whether the person naps) and work schedules, and why my question is fixated on getting 7 hours of sleep if I feel rested.

"Depending on the person's age, lifestyle, genetics, and many other factors, 6 hours might be enough, or perhaps even 7 is not enough," Dr Wu says.

"And we're just scratching the surface...I haven't even gotten to co-morbid health conditions, social factors and family history," she adds.

Dr Wu's Copilot and ChatGPT rating: 3 out of 5

Did any of the AI assistants provide good sleep advice?

While all AI assistants presented oversimplified advice without taking into account personal factors such as age, genetics, and lifestyle, Dr Wu didn't have any major concerns about the advice itself at a surface level.

"I like that all the models started with anchoring the wake up time and stabilizing sleep-wake schedule," she tells me. "The morning light exposure and evening wind-down period are also very good."

"All of them provide 'okay' advice in the sense that none of it is egregiously wrong, and there are some reasonably universal tips that would be good for almost everyone, such as stabilizing wake timing if possible," she continues.

That said, she admits that she can't look past the lack of questioning. Depending on what the sleep problem is, the advice could be "very different, or even opposite," she says.

"None of them even begin to try to understand what the real sleep problem might be," the sleep specialist says. "And all of them take the person's prompt question at face value, without pushing back at all or questioning the assumptions in the question itself. "

Dr Wu's 3 tips on how to ask AI for health advice

1. Be specific with your questions

According to Dr Wu, most flaws in the AI assistant's advice are a result of a vague or uninformed question you've asked. That might mean you're missing the real issue with your sleep or getting advice you already follow (see Copilot telling me to go outside in the morning.)

But without sleep advisor training, it's hard to identify these gaps in your knowledge.

"The main thing to remember is that you don't know what you don't know," she explains. "And that's not your fault! If you're not a Board-certified sleep clinician, why would you understand sleep neuroscience or clinical treatment at a deep level?"

2. Don't let faulty assumptions guide your questioning

There are lots of assumptions around what 'healthy sleep' looks like. But Dr. Wu points out that sometimes these assumptions are wrong, and she uses my 'fall asleep fast' prompt to illustrate this.

"Falling asleep fast is not necessarily a good thing," she explains. "In fact, it may indicate being sleep deprived, having sleep apnea, or having another problem."

So before you start grilling ChatGPT, remember that a healthy sleep onset latency is 15 to 30 minutes and falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow is likely a sign of sleep deprivation. Be clear, keep to the facts and share relevant details to get better advice.

3. Make the AI model push back or ask questions

As mentioned above, Dr Wu says that follow-up questions are a sign of a good sleep advisor.

"If the model doesn't push back on your assumptions or doesn't ask a lot of good follow up questions to figure out your holistic sleep situation, then you're not going to get good advice," she warns. "You may even get advice that backfires or delays you from getting real sleep diagnostics done."

While the AI chatbot can give you an overview of general sleep hygiene tips, without drilling into your exact circumstances, it's never going to get to the root of your sleep problems. For that, it's worth the effort of finding a specialist.

Let's face it, trying to sleep during heatwaves can be excruciating. You're frustrated, sweaty, and wide awake at 3 a.m. trying to calculate how many hours of sleep you could still salvage before you need to get up.

As a sleep writer who lives in a building without air con, I've tried practically every TikTok sleep hack that promises a cooler night's sleep, only to be left largely disappointed. But how do sleep experts mange to fall asleep during heatwaves? And what cooling sleep hacks do they use that actually work?

To find out, I've got in touch with four leading sleep experts who've shared the five hacks that help them swerve insomnia and night sweats during heatwaves. Plus, they reveal the three things you should avoid at all costs...

• Read more: I pointed a thermal cam at a luxury cooling pillow to see if it actually helps you stay cool in a heatwave

Key takeaways

• Ensure windows are closed and blackout curtains are shut during the day to trap cool night air in your bedroom
• Cooling hacks include switching to lightweight, breathable bedding, and taking a lukewarm shower to trigger your body's natural cooling process
• Avoid heavy or spicy meals and vigorous exercise close to bedtime, as both significantly raise your core body temperature.
• If sharing a bed with a partner generates too much heat, try sleeping separately temporarily or adopting the Scandinavian sleep method of using two individual duvets.
• If you are struggling to sleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed to rest in a cooler room and only return when you are genuinely tired.

5 things sleep experts do to fall asleep during heatwaves

1. The 'Caveman Method' for bedroom windows

This may be an obvious one, but the first thing you should do is try to cool down your room as much as possible. However, what isn't as obvious is how to keep your bedroom (especially when you have no air conditioning).

"Many people open their windows when it’s hot outside, but if the outside air is warmer than inside, you’re actually letting this heat in to the room," says Dr. Lindsay Browning, a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist at TroubleSleeping.

To avoid hot air streaming into your home, it's best to go full-on caveman method, and turn your room into a cool cave.

"I recommend keeping your blinds, curtains and windows closed during the day to stop the sun heating the room, then later in the evening once the outside air has cooled down you can open the windows to let the cooler evening air in," advises Browning.

2. The lukewarm shower trick

Dr. Saema Tahir, a quadruple board certified sleep and pulmonary specialist, swears by a warm shower 90 minutes before bed.

"It pulls blood to the skin surface and accelerates heat loss, triggering the core temperature drop that sleep requires," she explains.

“Not cold — lukewarm," agrees Sammy Margo, a sleep physiotherapist at Dreams.

"While it might seem obvious to take a cold shower to cool down before bed, stepping out of a lukewarm shower triggers your body’s natural cooling process and promoting relaxation, which in turn may make it easier to fall asleep comfortably,” elaborates Margo.

If you want to try this hack, aim for a water temperature between 104 °F and 108 °F (40°C and 42.5°C), which has been shown to be optimal for sleep.

3. The lightweight bedding switch

If you're using the same thick duvet or comforter that kept you warm in winter, then it'll likely make you sleep even hotter during summer.

"It still baffles me that people are still using the same duvet throughout the seasons," says researcher Hannah Shore, Head of Sleep at MattressOnline. "We need to be swapping out those thick duvets for a much thinner, lower tog duvet."

Even if you feel you're bedding is still lightweight, even the material may be trapping heat.

"Synthetic bedding, like polyester, traps humidity against the skin, preventing sweat from evaporating," says Dr. Tahir. "Loose-weave linen or cotton makes a significant difference, especially on humid nights."

"Natural fibres like cotton or linen are fantastic because they allow air to circulate and wick away moisture from your body, which may help you to keep fresh and cool throughout the night," agrees Margo.

"My favourite choice is lightweight, percale weave cotton sheets with a thread count between 200-400 as they provide optimal comfort,“ she adds.

4. The wet towel fan hack

No, we're not talking the Egyptian sleep method (which involves sleeping under cool, damp towels). We're talking about two fixes where you can use a wet towel to evaporate heat for a cooler bedroom.

The first one is a fan hack recommend by Dr. Tahir. "I point the fan across a wet towel rather than circulating hot air; it's basic evaporative cooling that can drop perceived temperature by a few degrees," says the board-certified physician.

The second tip is brought to you by sleep expert Shore, who often keeps a cold, damp towel on her nightstand in case of 3 a.m. wake ups.

"When I wake throughout the night, I can then apply this to my wrists and the back of my neck to help cool me down further," explains Shore. "Pick points on the body where the blood is closer to the surface, like your wrists, as this helps to cool your body internally as well as externally."

5. They get a (temporary) sleep divorce

This hack might be a little controversial, but it may be worth a shot if you share a bed with your partner, as Margo points out that “sharing a bed can double the body heat, making it harder to stay cool during warmer nights."

"If possible, you may wish to temporarily sleep in separate beds from your partner during a heatwave," advises Dr Browning.

If a sleep divorce seems too extreme, then you can try another sleep hack that gives you your own space while still sharing a bed.

"One simple but effective solution is the Scandinavian sleep method, using two separate duvets, which allows each person to regulate their own temperature and reduce overheating," says Margo.

3 heatwave mistakes sleep experts avoid

1. They avoid eating too late

Meal ingestion has been shown to increase body temperature, which is why you shout eat dinner earlier during heatwaves.

"Try to avoid doing things in the evening that can raise your core temperature, so leave a couple of hours between eating large meals," warns Shore.

"I also avoid heavy or spicy meals late in the evening, as these can make you feel warmer and more uncomfortable at bedtime," says Dr. Browning.

2. They avoid evening workouts

A 2025 study found that vigorous exercise within a four-hour window before bedtime can disrupt sleep. That's because the maintenance of a healthy sleep function is characterized by a decline in core body temperature.

Exercise, says Dr Browning, increases core body temperature and makes you feel even hotter during heatwave.

"Even though I am naturally an evening person and enjoy exercise in the late afternoon and evening, during a heatwave I specifically avoid vigorous exercise too close to bedtime," says Dr. Browning.

3. Clock watching

Still cant sleep in the heat? Just remember the one thing you should avoid: worrying.

"Most heatwaves are relatively short-lived," assures Dr Browning. "People are remarkably resilient at coping with short periods of poor sleep, and one bad night, or even a few disrupted nights during a heatwave, is unlikely to cause any lasting harm."

Shore says that clock-watching and counting the hours will produce "wake-promoting hormones, leading to further struggles", so the best thing to do is distract yourself.

"If you are struggling to sleep, don’t be afraid to get up, cool down elsewhere, do something to take your mind off things, such as reading or listening to a podcast, then head back to bed when you're tired," advises Shore.

"If you've been lying awake 20 minutes, get up, move somewhere cooler, and return only when sleepy,"agrees Dr. Tahir. "That's stimulus control therapy, the core of CBT for insomnia."

It's impressive how quickly my brain can pick up a thread of anxious thoughts when I find myself awake at 3 a.m. Known as middle insomnia, these late night wake-ups are plagued by a busy mind, making it hard to fall back to sleep and leaving me exhausted the next day.

I needed a technique that could put the brakes on anxieties so I could actually fall back to sleep at 3 a.m. That's when I was introduced to cognitive shuffling by Dr. Carlos Nunez Chief Medical Officer at Resmed.

This technique 'shuffles' your thoughts like a deck of cards, distracting your brain without overstimulating it. Instead of deadlines and debts, I'm thinking about ducks, dandelions, doorbells... Next thing you know, I'm snoozing. Here's how it works.

• Read more: I had no idea reading in bed could be causing my 3 a.m. wake-ups — an insomnia expert explains the simple switch for sleeping through

Key takeaways: At a glance

• Stress and anxiety causes cortisol levels to rise, keeping you alert. This makes it harder to fall asleep and leaves you prone to late night wake-ups.
• Cognitive shuffling randomizes your thoughts, as you focus on finding words beginning with a certain letter. This keeps your brain occupied, so it can't focus on anxieties.
• Using cognitive shuffling helps me fall back to sleep quickly. And on the nights it doesn't work, I get out of bed and relax until sleep pressure builds up enough that I'm ready to sleep.

What is cognitive shuffling?

I turn to cognitive shuffling on those nights when my thoughts are running around so fast sleep can't get a look in. Cognitive shuffling puts a stop to anxieties by simply directing your brain to random places. And I mean random.

I was introduced to the method by Dr. Carlos Nunez when discussing how stress is ruining sleep, who in turn was passed on the tip by a sleep doctor.

"I use it religiously," he explains, "because it works for me... even on the nights that I have the most trouble falling asleep."

Here's how to do it...

1. Start by picking a random word — nothing that might trigger stressful or anxious thoughts.
2. Focus on the first letter of your chosen word and think of other words that begin with that letter.
3. When you've run out of options, move on to the next letter in your starting word.
4. Repeat until you've reached the end of your word, and then start again with another randomly selected word.
5. Keep going until the repetitive patterns send you back to sleep.

So let's say your start word is teacup. You might go T is for telephone, top hat, turmeric... E is for elephant, elbow, eagle... and so on.

Dr. Nunez has another tip for those trying cognitive shuffling: focus on a specific room or place when choosing your words. He uses his workshop but it could be anywhere you're familiar with that won't result in stress (so you probably don't want to pick the office.)

"As I do this, I'm so focused on finding the third or fourth letter, I'm asleep," he says. "You would think I'm getting stressed trying to find the letters, but it pulls your mind so far away from your daily stress."

Dr. William Lu, medical director at Dreem Health, explained to us that cognitive shuffling works because it occupies the brain just enough to prevent rumination, without causing extra stimulation; "essentially distracting your mind from stress while keeping your body relaxed."

"It seems to work every time," Dr. Nunez adds, "so I owe that sleep doctor a debt of gratitude."

Why does anxiety wake you up at 3 a.m.?

"When we experience stress — whether from a looming deadline, a difficult relationship, or financial worries — the body activates its fight-or-flight response," said Dr. Anita Raja, a sleep expert in partnership with Herbalife, to explain why stress keeps you awake.

Part of that response is flooding the body with the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Which is terrible news for your sleep.

"These survival hormones are extraordinarily good at keeping us awake and alert," she said.

And they don't just stop you from falling asleep. This flood of cortisol might be the reason you find yourself waking up at 3 a.m. and unable to drift off again.

"Cortisol levels — which should naturally drop at night — remain elevated [when you're stressed], suppressing the production of melatonin and preventing you from reaching the deeper, restorative stages of sleep," Dr. Raja noted.

That means when your circadian rhythm causes your cortisol levels to naturally rise again at 3 a.m. (in preparation for the morning), you're already primed to wake up. And thanks to that increased alertness, you might find your mind immediately starts racing, making it harder to fall back to sleep.

More ways to fall asleep fast when you wake up at 3 a.m.

Dr. Nunez notes that cognitive shuffling might not be for everyone but it's important to find another method that can ease stress and help you sleep.

"Whatever you can do that hour before bed," he says. "Put down the screen. Don't perseverate on the stress. Calm your mind."

4-7-8 breathing technique

Described as the "perfect, portable stress antidote" by Dr. Andrew Weil, who popularized the trick, the 4-7-8 technique is a meditative breathing method that encourages repetitive breath control.

To use the 4-7-8 method, breathe in through your nose for a count of four, hold for seven, and exhale through your mouth for eight.

Repeat this 3-4 times, keeping the focus on your breath.

While cognitive shuffling is easy to learn, the 4-7-8 technique requires practice to see the biggest benefits. We recommend using it twice a day, to become familiar with the routine. And with time, it can calm your body and mind quickly during unwelcome 3 a.m. wake-ups.

The military sleep method

Created for military personnel trying to sleep in high stress situations, the military sleep method can help you drift off quickly even during anxious late night wake ups.

It's the go-to method of our Sleep Editor (and Certified Sleep Science Coach) Claire Davies, who describes it as "a great way to reduce any stress or anxiety you might be feeling in bed."

To use it, picture yourself lying in a canoe on a still lake under a clear sky, or in a hammock in a pitch black room. Methodically drop tension from your muscles, working from the head down. Imagine a warm sensation spreading through your body, wiping away all thoughts.

As with the 4-7-8 method, the military sleep technique requires practice. But once you've mastered it, it can help you fall asleep in minutes.

The 15 minute rule

The 15 minute sleep technique is best employed when you've tried other calming methods but still find yourself lying awake. If after 15 minutes of lying in bed you feel no closer to sleep, get up and move to another room.

Getting out of bed helps prevent negative connections from forming. You want to see the bed as a place of sleep but the longer you spend lying awake, the more your brain associates it with stress.

When you leave the room, make sure to maintain a calm state. Keep the lights dim and pick up a relaxing hobby, like reading or stretching.

Once enough sleep pressure has built enough that you begin to feel tired again, return to bed and reengage with your preferred calming technique.

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