Doctor shares how to fall back asleep when you wake up in the night

Whether it’s a loud sound or the intense summer heat, waking up in the middle of the night is not fun.

With every minute gone, you feel like you are getting less and less of a well-needed slumber.

Your mind might even start spiralling, with thoughts quickly turning into worries about whether you’ll be well-rested for work tomorrow.

Fortunately, Dr Michael Breus, also known as The Sleep Doctor, took to his TikTok to share a hack that could help you fall back asleep quickly.

The doctor said: “When you wake up in the middle of the night, if you don’t have to go to the bathroom, and hopefully you didn’t look at the clock, here’s what I want you to do.

“Remember, there’s non-sleep deep rest, so you’re still getting some level of rejuvenation.

“And you can do 4-7-8 breathing to allow your body to lower its heart rate and eventually get back to sleep.”

Based on an ancient yogic technique called pranayama, this practice helps you gain control over your breathing and could eventually help you fall asleep in a shorter period of time.

The following steps describe how to practice 4-7-8 breathing and should all be carried out in the cycle of one breath:

1. To begin with, you should part your lips and exhale completely through your mouth
2. Next, you need to close your lips and inhale silently through your nose
3. Then, you need to hold that breath for seven seconds
4. Make another exhale from your mouth this time for eight seconds
5. And practice this whole pattern for four full breaths.

Interestingly, the breath which is held for seven seconds is believed to be the most critical part of this exercise.

However, experts claim that practising this technique regularly is key for increasing your odds of falling asleep faster.

The reason why the 4-7-8 technique can help you get back to shut-eye comes down to your mind and body focusing on regulating your breath, rather than replaying your worries and thoughts.