The 1 Counterproductive Trick To Fall Back Asleep If You Wake Up At 3 AM

You may already know that “clock-blocking” and getting out of bed can be surprisingly helpful if you keep waking up in the middle of the night and are unable to go back to sleep. 

It’s a situation I find myself in often, so I thought I’d tried every trick going. 

But reading about “paradoxical intention” for sleep ― in other words, challenging yourself to stay awake for as long as you can so you remove the pressure to fall asleep, thereby counterintuitively helping yourself kip ― was a new one to me. 

Some research seems to suggest it works, but I couldn’t wrap my sleep app-addled mind around the idea.

So, I thought I’d reach out to experts (like Jessica Meers, a psychologist focusing on insomnia; Dr Maya Weir, a clinical psychologist and the founder of therapy business Thriving California; and James Lloyd, a psychotherapist at Ceangail Psychotherapy) about whether the trick seemed legit. 

And?

Calling the method a “well-established technique,” Lloyd told HuffPost UK: “When someone tries too hard to sleep, they create pressure and worry that paradoxically keeps them awake. By flipping the script and intentionally staying awake, [paradoxical intention] can help break that anxiety-driven cycle.” 

Dr Weir agreed, saying that those suffering from insomnia should try to use a range of tools to help them sleep. “Paradoxical intention is an interesting strategy and is worth trying,” she said. 

Meers, meanwhile, wrote that “It can work really well to relieve a little bit of the self-imposed pressure to sleep.” 

So, all of the experts thought it was worth a try ― though the pros differed slightly on when they thought it should be applied. 

Dr Weir recommended trying the method for any type of insomnia (chronic or one-off), while Meers thought it was better for once-in-a-blue-moon cases. 

Lloyd thought it was best used for cases of “psychological insomnia,” or sleeplessness not caused by health conditions like sleep apnoea.

How do I do it?

“It works best in a quiet, low-pressure environment,” Lloyd told HuffPost UK. “The person using the technique should understand that it’s about reducing effort and anxiety, not actually staying awake all night ― instead of trying to force sleep, they can lie there calmly with the mindset of staying awake.” 

You can also busy yourself with low-stimulation tasks like reading or laundry.

Dr Weir shared that you can tap into your parasympathetic nervous system to max out the process too. 

“I recommend pairing it with an activity that regulates your nervous system (putting you into your parasympathetic nervous system),” she shared. “For example, try rhythmic breathing (inhaling to a count of three and exhaling to a count of six) while telling yourself you don’t need to try to sleep.” 

Meers, however, revealed that “If insomnia is happening more than once in a while, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is going to be much more effective with longer lasting results.”

If your sleep (or lack thereof) is interrupting your daily life and changing your sleep hygiene along with other lifestyle factors doesn’t work, it’s worth reaching out to a professional. 

If you want to try the counterintuitive trick for one night, though, well, you won’t be alone ― I’m definitely giving paradoxical intention a try next time I’m kept up.