Can’t Stay Asleep? Experts Reveal 9 Tricks to Get More Deep, Restorative Sleep

It’s 3:14 AM. You’re staring at the ceiling. Again.

Falling asleep was no problem, but now you’re wide awake, your mind racing. You can’t stay asleep, and you know the next day will be a fog. This frustrating pattern is known as sleep maintenance insomnia, and it’s robbing you of the energy you deserve.

This isn’t just another article about “sleep hygiene.” We’ve gathered 9 actionable, expert-backed tricks. Many are drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) and neuroscience.

We’ll help you learn why you keep waking up at night and, more importantly, how to finally get more deep sleep.

1. The 20-Minute Rule (The CBT-i Gold Standard)

It is the most critical rule, drawn directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i). If you find yourself awake for what feels like 20 minutes, you must get out of bed. Staying there, tossing and turning, only teaches your brain that the bed is a place for frustration and anxiety.

You have to break this mental link. This technique, known as “Stimulus Control Therapy,” retrains your brain to associate your bed only with sleep, not with being awake and stressed. It feels difficult at first, but it’s the most effective long-term strategy for sleep maintenance insomnia.

• Go to another room with very dim lighting (a couch is ideal).
• Do something quiet and boring: read a physical book (no phone!), listen to calm music, or do gentle stretches.
• Do not do chores, check work email, or turn on bright lights.
• Only return to bed when you feel genuinely sleepy and ready to doze off.

2. Master Your Light Exposure (The Circadian Reset)

Your circadian rhythm, or internal body clock, is the single most important factor for staying asleep. This clock is set almost entirely by light. To get more deep sleep at night, you must manage your light exposure during the day.

This starts the moment you wake up. Getting bright, natural sunlight in the morning “sets your clock” and tells your brain when to start the 24-hour countdown. This morning light is what ensures your body releases the sleep hormone, melatonin, at the correct time in the evening.

• Within 30 minutes of waking, get 10-15 minutes of direct sunlight.
• Do not wear sunglasses during this “morning light” session (eyeglasses are fine).
• In the evening (1-2 hours before bed), dim all the lights in your home.
• Avoid all blue light from phones, TVs, and computers, as this “unnatural” light tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime.

3. Engineer Your Core Temperature Drop

Your body needs to drop its core temperature by 1-2 degrees to both fall asleep and stay asleep. If your room is too warm, your body struggles to do this, which can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night.

You can “hack” this system to your advantage. By taking a warm bath or shower before bed, you draw all the blood to the surface of your skin. When you get out, your body rapidly dumps this heat, causing your core temperature to plummet and signaling to your brain that it’s time for deep restorative sleep.

• Set your bedroom thermostat to an ideal temperature of 60-67°F (15-19°C).
• Take a warm bath or shower 90 minutes before your desired bedtime.
• If you don’t want to bathe, even just soaking your feet in warm water can help.
• This temperature drop is crucial for maintaining sleep through the night.

4. Prevent the 3 AM Blood Sugar Crash

If you often wake up at 3 AM feeling wired, shaky, or even a bit anxious, the culprit might be a blood sugar crash. A late-night sugary snack, dessert, or even alcohol causes your blood sugar to spike. Your body releases a big wave of insulin to fight it, but this can cause your blood sugar to crash a few hours later.

Your brain sees this crash as an emergency. It floods your system with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to wake you up and tell you to “go get more fuel,” which is why you keep waking up at night.

• Stop eating at least 2-3 hours before your bedtime.
• Avoid sugary snacks, desserts, and simple carbs (like white bread) in the evening.
• Be especially careful with alcohol, as it severely disrupts sleep.
• If you must have a snack, make it a small one high in protein and healthy fat, like a handful of almonds or a spoonful of peanut butter.

5. Perform a “Brain Dump” Before Bed

Many people can’t stay asleep because their brain decides 3 AM is the perfect time to solve problems and organize the next day. You can prevent this by giving your brain a “closing shift” before you get in bed. This is a foundational CBT-i technique that involves “offloading” all your worries and tasks.

By physically writing them down, you are signaling to your brain that these thoughts are safely captured. This “closes the loops” and gives your brain permission to switch off, rather than waking you with a jolt of anxiety.

• Keep a physical notebook and pen by your bed (do not use your phone).
• About 30 minutes before bed, take 10 minutes to write down everything.
• List your to-do items for the next day.
• Write down any specific worries or ideas that are floating in your head.
• This simple act can dramatically reduce middle-of-the-night anxiety.

6. Stop Clock-Watching (And Your Phone)

It is perfectly normal to wake up briefly between sleep cycles. The real problem isn’t the waking; it’s your reaction to it. The instant you look at the clock, your brain starts calculating: “Oh no, it’s 3:30 AM! I only have 3 hours left. I’ll be a zombie tomorrow!”

This single thought triggers a “fight or flight” panic response. Your body releases cortisol, your heart rate climbs, and your brain becomes more awake. Checking the time is the number one thing that will prevent you from falling back asleep.

• Turn your alarm clock so you cannot see the display from your bed.
• If you use your phone as an alarm, put it across the room, face down.
• If you wake up, your only job is to be comfortable and rest.
• Resist the urge to check the time. It provides no useful information.

7. Try a “Non-Sleep Deep Rest” (NSDR) Protocol

When you’re lying awake and stressed, trying to force yourself to sleep is the worst thing you can do. It only creates more anxiety. The solution is to change the goal: stop “trying to sleep” and just “try to rest.” You can do this by using a guided audio protocol like “Non-Sleep Deep Rest” (NSDR) or “Yoga Nidra.”

These are 10-20 minute scripts (you can find them free on YouTube) that guide you through relaxing your body, part by part. This calms your nervous system and gets you out of “panic mode.”

• Keep a pair of earbuds by your bed.
• If you wake up, put them in and play an NSDR or Yoga Nidra script.
• The goal is not to sleep, but simply to follow the instructions and rest.
• Popularized by neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, this technique helps you feel restored the next day, even if you don’t fall back asleep.
• Often, by taking the pressure off, sleep comes as a welcome side effect.

8. Create a “Sound Cocoon”

Even when you’re asleep, your brain is still monitoring your surroundings for threats. A sudden, sharp noise like a partner’s snoring, a car horn, or your house settling can be just enough to pull you out of a deep sleep cycle. You can prevent this by creating a “sound cocoon.”

It involves using a consistent, blocking sound that masks those sudden interruptions. This “sound floor” makes jarring noises blend in, allowing your brain to ignore them and stay in a state of deep restorative sleep.

• Use a dedicated white noise machine.
• A simple fan running in the room works just as well.
• You can also use a white noise app on your phone (placed across the room).
• A 2025 review of sleep environments found this buffers against “micro-awakenings” that destroy sleep quality.

9. Be Strategic with Sleep-Supportive Supplements

While the other tricks on this list build your long-term sleep skills, some supplements can provide gentle support. Disclaimer: Always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement.

These are not heavy-handed sedatives that knock you out. Instead, they work gently with your body’s natural processes to reduce anxiety and calm your nervous system. For example, the mineral magnesium is known to help relax muscles, while chamomile tea contains a natural compound that binds to brain receptors to promote calm.

• Magnesium Glycinate or Threonate: These forms are best for sleep (avoid Magnesium Citrate, which is a laxative).
• Chamomile Tea: A classic for a reason. Drink a cup about an hour before bed.
• Tart Cherry Juice: Contains a small, natural amount of melatonin and can support your body’s own production.
• These are helpers, not cures. Use them to support the other behavioral changes you’re making.