You wake up in the middle of the night.
Your heart rate suddenly feels a bit higher. Your body feels slightly tense. Sometimes you do not even really have thoughts, but you simply feel that you “on” is.
You turn over, try to get back to sleep, and eventually that works too.
But the next morning your sleep feels less deep than you'd like.
Many people put this down to stress. And that's true too.
What you feel often comes not only from your thoughts, but also from your breathing.
What stress does to your breathing
When you experience stress during the day, your breathing changes automatically.
You often go:
-
breathe a little faster
-
a little higher in your chest
-
a little less deep
It happens without you noticing. It is your body's response to be more alert.
Your nervous system shifts up a gear, as it were.
And the important thing is: that system does not switch off automatically as soon as you are lying in bed.
What happens at night
If you go to sleep with an active or slightly tense system, your breathing often remains a little more active as well.
Not extreme. But just enough to make a difference.
Your breathing remains a bit shallower and faster than when you are completely relaxed. As a result, your body also stays slightly more alert.
At a certain point during the night, often in the lighter stages of sleep, this can cause your body to perform a kind of "check."
Your heart rate goes up slightly.
Your breathing changes.
And you wake up for a moment.
Why this interrupts your sleep
Your sleep consists of different phases.
Recovery happens during deep sleep. But in the second half of the night, you're more often in light sleep and REM sleep. Those are phases in which you're more sensitive to internal stimuli.
A slightly faster heart rate or more active breathing can already be enough to briefly activate your brain.
You don't fully wake up, but enough to interrupt your sleep.
If that happens several times, your night feels less stable.
You slept, but you are less recovered.
One simple action you can try
If you notice that you wake up at night with a slightly elevated heart rate or a restless feeling, it helps to get your body calmer before going to sleep.
A simple way to do that is through your breathing.
Try this tonight:
Breathe in calmly through your nose for 4 seconds.
Then slowly exhale for 8 seconds.
Do this for 4 to 5 minutes while lying in bed.
By lengthening your exhalation, you give your body a clear signal that it can relax. Your heart rate often naturally drops a little as well, and your nervous system shifts toward a resting state.
It's not a trick that solves everything, but it does help your body start the night more calmly.
Every Night 1% Better.
Guy - Snoozeless
P.S. Do you notice that you at night breathes restlessly or wake up with a dry mouth? Then it can help to support your nasal breathing. Nose strips can open the airways slightly, helping your breathing remain calmer during the night.
