What to Do When You Cannot Fall Asleep at Night

Some nights, sleep does not arrive when you expect it to.

You may feel tired during the evening but become alert after getting into bed. You may think about tomorrow, notice every sound or become increasingly frustrated as you calculate how little sleep remains before morning.

An occasional difficult night does not necessarily mean you have insomnia. However, trying harder to force sleep can make the experience more stressful.

This guide explains what you can do during a difficult night, how to prepare differently the following day and when repeated trouble falling asleep should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

Do not try to force yourself to sleep

Sleep is not an action you can complete through effort in the same way as a household task.

Thoughts such as these can increase your attention to being awake:

• “I must fall asleep now.”
• “Tomorrow will be ruined.”
• “Why is this happening again?”
• “I only have five hours left.”

Instead of demanding immediate sleep, focus on creating quiet conditions in which sleep can occur.

You can remind yourself:

I cannot force sleep, but I can keep the rest of the night calm.

This does not guarantee that you will fall asleep immediately. It reduces the need to solve the entire night in one moment.

Stop checking the time repeatedly

Looking at the clock can turn the night into a countdown.

Each check may lead to another calculation:

• how long you have been awake
• how many hours remain
• how tired you expect to feel tomorrow

If possible, turn the clock face away, move your phone out of reach or avoid activating the screen simply to check the time.

You do not need an exact measurement of every awake minute. A general estimate in the morning is enough for a sleep diary.

Get out of bed if you remain awake and frustrated

If you cannot sleep and remaining in bed is making you more alert or frustrated, get up and move to another comfortable place.

Keep the lights low and choose a quiet activity such as:

• reading a book
• listening to quiet audio
• doing a simple puzzle
• sitting and breathing slowly
• writing down a thought you do not want to forget

Return to bed when you feel sleepier.

You do not need to watch the clock until a particular number of minutes has passed. The purpose is to avoid spending a long, frustrating period associating the bed with wakefulness and worry.

Getting out of bed when you cannot sleep is part of stimulus control, an approach included in cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia.

Keep the activity quiet and uninteresting

The alternative activity should not turn into the beginning of another day.

Avoid:

• starting work
• cleaning the whole house
• watching an exciting programme
• playing an interactive game
• opening social media
• reading stressful news
• turning on bright overhead lights

Choose something calm enough that you can stop when sleepiness returns.

Avoid using your phone as the default solution

Picking up your phone may relieve boredom, but it can introduce light, notifications and content that keeps your attention active.

A quick check can also become a much longer period of scrolling.

If your phone is your alarm, place it across the room or turn on Do Not Disturb while allowing any contacts who genuinely need to reach you.

Prepare an offline option before bedtime so that you do not need to decide what to do while tired.

For a complete evening boundary, read Screen Time Before Bed: How to Create a Better Wind-Down Routine.

Write down thoughts that keep returning

You may be awake because your mind is trying to hold unfinished tasks, worries or reminders.

Keep a piece of paper nearby and write a short note:

• the task you need to remember
• the first action you will take tomorrow
• the concern you will return to during the day

Do not try to solve a complicated problem in the middle of the night. The note gives the thought a place outside your head until morning.

You might write:

Email Alex about the schedule after breakfast.

This is more useful than creating a long late-night plan that keeps you mentally active.

Try a simple relaxation method

Relaxation does not need to become another performance test.

You could try:

• slow, comfortable breathing
• relaxing one muscle group at a time
• listening to quiet music
• a familiar guided relaxation without browsing
• noticing physical sensations without trying to change them

If a technique makes you more frustrated, stop using it. There is no requirement to complete a particular breathing count or meditation perfectly.

The purpose is to reduce stimulation, not to force sleep through a special exercise.

Check the immediate sleeping environment

Sometimes there is a practical reason you remain awake.

Check whether:

• the room is too warm or cold
• light is entering the room
• noise can be reduced
• your phone is creating alerts
• you are physically uncomfortable
• hunger, thirst or another basic need requires attention

Make the smallest useful change and return to a quiet environment.

A dark, quiet and comfortable room supports sleep, but you do not need to begin reorganising the entire bedroom during the night.

Think about caffeine timing

Caffeine consumed many hours earlier may still be relevant, particularly when the dose was high or you are sensitive to it.

Possible sources include:

• coffee
• tea
• energy drinks
• cola
• pre-workout products
• chocolate
• some medications

Do not try to determine the cause from one difficult night. Record when you consumed caffeine and look for a repeated pattern.

Our guide Caffeine and Sleep: How Late Is Too Late? explains how to test a personal cut-off.

Do not use alcohol as a sleep solution

Alcohol may make some people feel sleepy initially, but it can contribute to disrupted sleep later in the night.

Avoid using alcohol as a treatment for difficulty falling asleep.

Do not combine alcohol with sleeping medication or other sedating substances. Speak with a pharmacist or healthcare professional before using a non-prescription sleep aid, particularly if you take other medication or have a health condition.

Follow your normal morning routine when possible

After a difficult night, sleeping much later may be tempting. However, a large change in wake-up time can make the following bedtime more difficult.

Try to return to your normal wake-up time and morning routine when it is safe and realistic.

Useful morning actions include:

• getting out of bed at approximately the usual time
• opening the curtains
• getting some daylight
• eating and drinking normally
• adjusting demanding plans if severe tiredness creates a safety concern

Do not drive or operate machinery if you are struggling to remain awake.

If your schedule regularly shifts after a difficult night, read How to Build a Consistent Bedtime and Wake-Up Routine.

Be careful with daytime naps

A nap may temporarily improve alertness after a short night. A long or late nap may also make it more difficult to feel sleepy at your usual bedtime.

If you choose to nap:

• make it intentional
• consider a shorter nap
• take it earlier rather than close to bedtime
• notice whether it affects the following night

Your safety matters more than protecting a perfect schedule. If you are dangerously sleepy, stop driving or performing a hazardous task and take appropriate steps to rest safely.

Review what happened without blaming yourself

The following morning, make a short note rather than analysing the night for a long time.

Record:

• when you attempted to sleep
• your rough estimate of time spent awake
• whether you got out of bed
• caffeine or alcohol timing
• screen use before bed
• unusual stress, pain or discomfort
• how sleepy you feel during the day

Look for repeated patterns across several nights. One difficult night does not prove that one food, drink or activity caused the problem.

See How to Track Your Sleep Without an App or Wearable for a simple manual sleep diary.

Prepare differently for the following evening

Use the information to make one practical adjustment.

You might:

• stop caffeine earlier
• finish screen use before getting into bed
• begin your wind-down routine earlier
• write tomorrow’s tasks before bedtime
• make the room darker or quieter
• avoid going to bed much earlier solely because the previous night was poor

Do not change every part of your routine after one bad night. A single adjustment is easier to evaluate.

Check whether you are allowing enough time for sleep

Difficulty reaching a sleep-duration goal can have two very different causes:

• You do not leave enough time between bedtime and your alarm.
• You leave enough time but cannot fall or remain asleep.

If the problem is a crowded schedule or late bedtime, the solution may involve protecting more sleep opportunity rather than treating insomnia.

Continue with:

• How to Make More Time for Sleep During a Busy Week
• How to Stop Going to Bed Later Than Planned

If you repeatedly create enough time but cannot sleep, professional assessment may be appropriate.

When does trouble sleeping become insomnia?

Insomnia involves repeated difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early, together with effects on daytime functioning.

The NHLBI describes chronic insomnia as difficulty occurring at least three nights per week and lasting three months or longer.

You do not need to wait three months to ask for help, particularly when sleep problems significantly affect your wellbeing, work, daily activities or safety.

When should you speak with a healthcare professional?

Seek professional advice if:

• difficulty sleeping continues for weeks or months
• changes to your routine have not helped
• sleep problems make everyday life difficult
• you regularly feel very sleepy during the day
• you snore loudly or wake gasping for air
• pain, restless legs, medication or another condition may affect sleep
• your mood or mental health is being affected
• sleepiness creates a risk while driving or working

A healthcare professional can look for possible causes and discuss appropriate treatment.

What is CBT-I?

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, usually called CBT-I, is generally recommended as the first treatment option for long-term insomnia.

According to the NHLBI, CBT-I may include:

• learning about sleep
• relaxation or meditation techniques
• reducing worry about not sleeping
• stimulus control
• a professionally structured adjustment of time spent in bed

Do not attempt aggressive sleep restriction by yourself based on a short online article. A qualified professional can help determine whether CBT-I is suitable and guide the process safely.

How does a difficult night affect the Better Sleep Path?

The 30 Day Better Sleep Path records the nights when you reach your chosen sleep-duration goal.

If you do not reach the goal:

1. Leave the next circle incomplete.
2. Record a short note about the night.
3. Make one useful adjustment if you identify an obstacle.
4. Continue when you next reach your goal.

A difficult night does not remove previously completed circles. The Path does not require a perfect uninterrupted sequence.

It also cannot diagnose or treat a sleep disorder. Its purpose is to make goal-reaching nights visible and help you observe your routine.

For the complete challenge, read How to Get 8 Hours of Sleep: 30 Day Challenge.

Keep the night calm and seek help when needed

When you cannot fall asleep, avoid forcing it or repeatedly checking the clock. If remaining in bed makes you increasingly alert or frustrated, move to another comfortable place, keep the lights low and choose a quiet activity until you feel sleepier.

The following day, return to a reasonably consistent routine, record what happened and make one practical adjustment.

If the problem continues or affects your daytime life, speak with a healthcare professional. Persistent difficulty sleeping deserves more than another habit-tracking circle.

You can use the 30 Day Better Sleep Path to record goal-reaching nights or explore more practical resources in the Sleep Better collection.

Sources

• NHLBI: Insomnia Treatment and CBT-I
• NHLBI: Insomnia Diagnosis
• NHS: How to Fall Asleep Faster and Sleep Better