Step 6

Step 6: Go Back to Sleep
More often than not, we are awakened at least once a night: we can't keep ourselves from waking, but we can help ourselves to go back to sleep.

Here are some tips to keep minor disturbances from interfering with a full night's sleep:
Keep a notebook and pen on your bedside table. Begin writing to-dos and reminders an hour before bed so that you aren't compiling a mental list for the next day. If you awake suddenly remembering an important task, write it down rather than trying to commit it to memory.
Keep a glass of water on your bedside table so that you don't have to get up and go to the kitchen if you are thirsty.
Try counting backwards from 300 by 3s. Simple math can keep our thoughts from wondering and yet isn't so difficult that it will frustrate you.
Use progressive relaxation, a technique that involves tightening and relaxing groups of muscles. Start with the hands and move up to the arms, shoulders, neck, and head, and then down to the legs and feet.
If you're still awake after 15 minutes, get up and do something quiet, like reading a book. Don't turn on the TV or read the latest Facebook updates. You have to let your body and mind slow down to be able to slip into sleep - so that means quiet activities only.