An insomnia expert has urged people to do one simple task during the day to stop racing thoughts and an early 3am wake-up. Kathryn Pinkham, founder of The Insomnia Clinic, spoke with consumer champions at Which? and said that if you often wake up around this time, you should set aside time during the day to write down what's on your mind, otherwise your brain will have a way to remind you when you least expect it.
She said: "If you are aware that you wake up at 2am or 3am and your mind is racing, then I would encourage everybody during the day to find some time, pen and paper, and write down things that are on your mind. If we don't do that, your brain will find a way to find a slot of time to make you pay attention. And that's going to be in the middle of the night."
Why the 'Worry Window' Happens
During the day, you can distract yourself with your phone or other tasks instead of focusing on your worries. But if this pattern continues, it can turn a 2am wake-up into a recurring "worry window" at night. The sleep guru explained: "What happens is that if we go to bed early to try and get more sleep, we end up spending more time in bed awake and that creates a weak connection. Then suddenly, our bed is all about vigilance."
Adjusting Your Bedtime
There is also a common assumption that going to bed earlier will automatically lead to more sleep but this may not be the case. Pinkham advised: "The first thing that I would advise anyone to do is push your bedtime back a little bit, bring your wake-up time earlier, because actually that drives is built by that time out of bed. So go to bed a little bit later, wake up a little bit earlier, and you will increase the momentum. Not forever, but this is a starting point."
If You Can't Sleep, Leave the Bedroom
The founder added that if you're really struggling, and it could be hormone-related, then don't stay in bed. This will only make it worse. She said: "Leave the bedroom. Never stay in bed fighting to sleep because you can't win that battle. Your body cannot fight against that. It's a bit like pressing the accelerator and the brake at the same time. We can't do both."
"Go downstairs, read a book, put some telly on, and do something you enjoy. It doesn't have to be boring. I hate the idea that you have to sit in the dark. Anything is better than lying in bed stressing."
