You’re lying awake in the middle of the night, trying to do the soothing breathing exercise your yoga teacher showed you, hopelessly unable to get back to sleep. Your phone is lying next to you, practically begging you to grab it. You think “I’ll just do a quick scroll, then I’ll be ready for bed.”
Hours of Tiktok later, the alarm clock is going off, your kid is asking for juice and your micro-managing boss has already sent you three emails. You got sucked into the screen, never fell back asleep and now it is morning.
Don’t let this be you! If you’re struggling to fall back asleep in the middle of the night, you may instinctively reach for your phone or computer. Think twice, urged clinical psychologist Michael J. Breus, a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
“Your phone emits blue light which disrupts circadian rhythms and inhibits melatonin production,” Breus told HuffPost. “Also, your phone is a potential source of stress. You might inadvertently read a disturbing headline or see a text about a difficult situation at work. When you’re stressed, you will have more trouble getting back to sleep.”
As Breus explained, clicking around your phone or tablet can expose you to disruptive lights and potentially stressful content. He noted that playing a phone game or doing something really interactive on a screen can also keep you awake.
“Trying to get your new high score on Candy Crush is not exactly conducive to better rest,” he said. “When you are engaged in something or playing something, you certainly are not trying to fall asleep.”
Dr. Abhinav Singh, a medical review expert at the Sleep Foundation and medical director at the Indiana Sleep Center, said that interactive or engaging content on screens increases brain activity and makes it harder to fall back asleep. It also reminds you what time it is, which can make you even more stressed.
To help you sleep more restfully, Breus and Singh broke down the best things to use in the middle of the night when you can’t fall asleep.
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"Listening to soothing sounds anchors the mind, allowing your mind to stay focused, rather than drifting into thoughts of the day," he said.
This noise machine from Sound + Sleep has 10 sound options including white noise and rainfall. You can set it to go all night, or on a loop for 30, 40, 90 or 120 minutes.
"The light and the content from your devices will increase brain activity, along with telling you the time, adding to the frustration, and almost always they will not help you fall back to sleep," Singh said. "Reading or something less stimulating is usually advised."
Thrift Books is a new and used book retailer online that usually has unbeatable prices. Pictured is a "Swing Time" by Zadie Smith, $5.29.
"Install nightlights between the bedroom and the bathroom," Breus said. "When you turn on a light, your body will stop producing melatonin. Nightlights provide enough illumination to get you safely to the bathroom without waking you further."
This is a set of four adjustable night lights with dusk to dawn sensors, so they will automatically turn on and off. The square shape means they'll only take up one outlet, and you can still charge your phone or have something plugged in below it.
"Finding a comfortable seated position essentially helps your brain associate a comfortable environment with sleep," Singh explained.
This adult bean bag is 5 feet in diameter and has a removable, machine washable cover. It comes in 36 colors.
This adjustable Bluetooth eye mask lasts for 10 hours of playing time on a single charge. The bluetooth module and wires are removable, so you can clean the mask after you use it.
"The main light source causing problems at night is the artificial blue light generated by a number of electronic devices in our homes — artificial blue light that can hinder your body’s melatonin production."
This set of more than 100 pre-cut light-blocking stickers will black-out pesky appliance lighting.
"Keep your eyes off your alarm clock in the middle of the night," Breus said. "Panicking about the sleep you’re missing is not going to help you sleep. Focus on relaxation."
Of course, if you know you need to get up at a certain time, the fear of sleeping in may keep you awake. This sunrise smart alarm clock has a dimmable clock feature, meaning you can turn off the time display as you sleep. You can set it to light up or make noise when it's time to get up. It's a phone charger, speaker, alarm clock and sunrise lamp in one, and it connects to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so you can set it all up with your phone, then leave your phone in the kitchen, far away from your bed.
EyeBuyDirect has a huge selection of blue light filtering glasses, ranging in style and price. Pictured at top is the Pacific in striped blue ($39); at bottom is Daydream in brown golden ($28).
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