Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall asleep again is a more common experience than you might imagine. Most people make the same mistake: trying to force sleep. They close their eyes tightly, say to themselves “I have to sleep”, and the more they try, the more awake they feel.
The problem is not a lack of will. In most cases, your body is trapped in an elevated state of arousal. Even if you’re tired, your nervous system is still on alert, as if there’s an invisible threat.
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According to Michael Breus, a sleep specialist, to go back to sleep you don’t have to fight against the body, but help it slow down.
Why do you wake up in the middle of the night?
Your rest is regulated by two opposing systems:
The sleep system, which includes the circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock) and sleep pressure, which increases the longer you stay awake.
The activation system, responsible for keeping you alert and reactive during the day.
When both are in balance, at night the activation system shuts down and sleep takes over. But sometimes—especially during the early morning—that balance is broken. The alert system stays on and overrides the natural urge to sleep, causing sudden awakenings with no clear cause.
Trying to sleep “by force” only makes the situation worse, because it activates stress and raises hormones such as cortisol. It’s like stepping on the gas when you’re trying to park.
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