Doctor Explains Simple Trick To Fall Back Asleep If You Wake Up At 3am

If you often wake up in the early hours and cannot get back to sleep, you are not alone. A UK doctor has shared a method that could make those long nights a little easier to manage.

Waking up in the middle of the night and staring at the ceiling can feel exhausting, especially when your alarm is set for 7am and you know the morning will come fast. Many people deal with this problem on a regular basis, even if they do not talk about it.

A study from 2008 found that around one in three people wake up during the night at least three times a week. That means broken sleep is far more common than most of us realize.

Sleep plays a key role in overall health. When you do not get enough rest, you may increase your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and even conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease over time.

TV doctor Amir Khan has now offered advice for those who find themselves awake during what he calls the “sad hours” of the night.

In a video shared on Instagram, Dr Khan, who regularly appears on ITV morning and daytime programs, said: "Guys, I shared a reel about why people wake up at 3am in the morning, and hundreds of thousands of people have watched it, but lots of people have asked 'well, what do you do when you wake up at 3 o'clock in the morning? How do you get back off to sleep?'"

"Let's talk about a technique called cognitive shuffling. You know that I've talked at length about the health benefits of sleep."

The doctor went on to explain the common experience many people face when they lie awake at night: "But what if you just can't get off to sleep because your brain won't let you? Imagine it. Everyone else is asleep, the house is quiet, you're lying there in bed, but your mind won't stop churning out stressful thoughts."

"Work, money, kids, planning, scheduling, problem-solving. Your brain is too active to let you sleep. In fact, the stress of all these thoughts tells the brain it's not safe to sleep, and you have to stay on high alert."

At this stage, you might assume that counting sheep is your only option. However, Dr Khan suggested trying a different approach that may be more effective for calming an overactive mind.

He continued: "It's called cognitive shuffling, and the idea is it interrupts your racing mind, and instead scrambles your thoughts, inviting your brain to go into sleep mode, and assuring it that it is safe to sleep."

So what exactly does cognitive shuffling involve, and how can you try it yourself?

There's a new method to try if you're struggling to sleep Getty Stock Photo

To begin, think of a random word. Once you have chosen it, focus on the first letter of that word and start listing as many unrelated words as you can that begin with the same letter.

As you go through each word, picture it clearly in your mind. After you finish with the first letter, move on to the second letter of your original word and repeat the process in the same way.

By continuing through each letter and keeping your thoughts random and disconnected, you may find that your brain slows down and shifts into sleep mode, helping you drift off again more easily.