Can't Fall Asleep? What to Do (and What Not to Do) in the Middle of the Night

It's 2 a.m. The house is quiet, and your mind is not. Almost everyone has nights like this. What you do in those long minutes matters, though — some common reactions make sleep harder, while a few simple steps can help your body settle and protect the nights ahead.

First, take the pressure off

Sleep can't be forced. The harder you try, the more alert you tend to become. Lying in bed thinking "I have to fall asleep" often keeps you awake longer.

It may help to remember a few things:

• Brief awakenings during the night are normal. Most people simply don't remember them.
• One poor night rarely causes lasting harm. You'll likely feel tired tomorrow, and you'll get through it.
• Resting quietly is still restful, even if you're not asleep.

Shifting from "I must sleep" to "I'll rest and let sleep come" can loosen the grip of a racing mind.

Don't watch the clock

Checking the time is one of the most common middle-of-the-night habits — and one of the least helpful. Each glance starts a new round of math ("If I fall asleep now, I'll get four hours…"), and that worry wakes you up further.

If you're wide awake, get up

This feels backward, but it's one of the most useful steps. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises that if you can't fall asleep after about 20 minutes, you should get out of bed and do something calm in dim light, without screens. MedlinePlus offers similar advice.

This is part of an approach called stimulus control, one of the core parts of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). The idea, as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute explains, is to strengthen the connection between your bed and sleeping — rather than your bed and lying awake, frustrated.

You don't need a stopwatch. If you notice you've been awake "a while" and you feel restless or annoyed, that's your cue.

1. Get up and go to another room if you can. If not, sit in a chair in your bedroom.
2. Keep the lights low — a single lamp is plenty.
3. Do something quiet and mildly boring: read a paper book or magazine, fold laundry, listen to calm music or an audiobook, pray, or do some gentle stretching.
4. Skip screens and anything exciting: no email, news, social media, or work.
5. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy — heavy eyelids, yawning, head nodding. If you're still awake after a while, repeat.

What not to do

• Don't scroll your phone. Bright light and engaging content are a double hit to sleepiness.
• Don't turn on bright overhead lights. Use the dimmest light that's safe.
• Don't eat a big snack or have caffeine. If you're hungry, keep it small.
• Don't drink alcohol to get back to sleep. It tends to make the rest of the night lighter and more broken.
• Don't start problem-solving. If a worry keeps circling, jot it on a notepad and set it aside until morning.
• Don't take a new sleep aid without advice. Talk with a doctor or pharmacist before trying any sleep medicine or supplement, especially if you take other medications.

Calming a racing mind

If thoughts are keeping you awake, a few simple techniques can help, whether you're in bed or in your quiet chair:

• Slow breathing: breathe in gently through your nose, then breathe out a little longer than you breathed in. Repeat for a few minutes.
• Body relaxation: starting at your feet, tense each muscle group for a few seconds, then release, working slowly upward.
• A boring mental task: picture a familiar walk in detail, or name an animal for each letter of the alphabet.
• The notepad: keep paper by the bed to "park" a thought so you don't have to keep holding it.

Protect tomorrow night

What you do the next day affects the next night. After a rough night:

• Get up at your usual time, even if you're tired. Sleeping in can make the following night harder. (See why a consistent wake-up time matters.)
• Get some daylight and movement in the morning.
• If you nap, keep it short and early.
• Avoid extra caffeine late in the day to make up for it.
• Follow your normal bedtime routine, and go to bed when you feel sleepy.
• Never drive when you feel dangerously drowsy.

When it keeps happening

Occasional sleepless nights are part of life, often tied to stress, travel, illness, or a change in routine. But if you have trouble falling or staying asleep at least three nights a week, and it continues for weeks or months and affects how you feel during the day, it may be insomnia.

The good news is that chronic insomnia is treatable. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine strongly recommends multicomponent cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as treatment for adults with chronic insomnia. CBT-I is usually a structured program over several weeks and can be delivered in person, by phone, or online. The AASM also advises against relying on sleep hygiene tips alone as the treatment for chronic insomnia.

Before you talk with a professional, keep a week of notes in our free Sleep Diary: when you went to bed, how long it took to fall asleep, how often you woke up, and how you felt the next day. That record makes for a clearer, more useful conversation. Learn more in our guide to insomnia.

Last reviewed and updated October 17, 2026. This article is for general education and isn't a substitute for advice from your own clinician. Read our medical disclaimer and editorial standards.