Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN)-- Sometimes you may suffer from insomnia, or wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to sleep again, and all you really want is just to get some sleep.
Here are 8 tips from sleep experts on how to convince your body to get back to the sleep it desperately needs.
deep breathing exercises
These exercises are known to help relax and reduce stress, if done correctly.
To start, you can put your hand on your stomach, then close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath through your nose for a slow count of six, then exhale through your mouth to the number six.
Sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, explained that this method helps relax the body and mind.
Meditations before bed and muscle relaxation
Meditation is a great way to calm the mind. However, if you're not a meditator, trying to keep your mind focused can be a source of stress.
Dr. Cynthia Ackerel, an expert in anxiety management and editor of the American Institute of Stress's "Contentment" magazine, said a dedicated app could be used to guide sleep.
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"Lie there, listen, and slow your breathing," Akrill explained. "Keep focusing on their directions, and if you're listening to music, focus on your breath."
She added that whenever your mind tries to interrupt you, try to focus on your breath.
And if your body is still tense, also try to relax your muscles and relax your nerves. Starting with your toes, try to breathe in and tighten the muscles in that area for up to 10 seconds.
Release the tension quickly and imagine that you are breathing in through that part of the body as you exhale. So, move from your toes to your legs, upper thighs, and the rest of the muscle groups in your body.
The Blame Game
If you have trouble sleeping, Akrill explained, you've probably learned that lack of sleep isn't good for you. Hence, your mind will be run on these fears and anxiety over the effects of insomnia.
She said, "A little sympathy for yourself... It's not a reflection of your value."
And if you want to stop your mind from waking up at night, give yourself a break a few times during the workday.
“If your brain is on high alert all day long, it will have a hard time shutting down,” Acrill said.
Avoid watching the clock
And if you don't want to feel more anxious and guilty about not sleeping, be sure not to watch the clock.
“You usually end up determining how much time you have left to sleep, and then worrying about whether you will fall back to sleep in a reasonable amount of time,” said Dr. Bhanu Kula, MD, an addiction psychiatrist and sleep medicine expert at the Mayo Clinic. In fact, it makes the process of getting back to sleep more difficult."
Avoid alcoholic beverages before bed
"If you drink a lot of alcohol before going to bed, within about 4 hours it will turn into an aldehyde that can wake you up," Cola told CNN.
In addition to waking up during the night, Dasgupta added, alcohol can cause "frequent visits to the bathroom, as it suppresses a hormone called antidiuretic hormone (ADH)."
Write down your concerns
Experts say it's best to try to get rid of your fears as much as possible before bed. By doing so, you can write a list of your concerns and thoughts. And if you're really upset, you can write until you feel really tired.
Beware of the blue light
Experts caution against using a computer, mobile phone or tablet to write down your concerns.
The first rule of thumb is not to use any digital devices at least one hour before bed, says Dr. Vsevolod Polotsky, who directs basic sleep research in the department of lung and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Write down your list of tasks or concerns on paper, using dim light. And of course, don't turn to e-books to read.
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"Get the most boring paperback book you can find," Polotsky said, because you don't want to read or do anything exciting when you're trying to get back to sleep.
And Polotsky advises to avoid taking a shower with warm water, as this may increase sleep disturbance, as well as going for a short walk at night, and washing the dishes.
Wake up after 20 minutes
And if you can't sleep, try to avoid lying in bed and staring at the ceiling of your room.
If 20 minutes pass without you falling asleep, experts advise you to go to another room, where there is dim light, and do something soothing until you feel sleepy again.
Kola advises that you keep doing these boring activities until you start to feel sleepy again. And if you don't sleep within the first 10 minutes after you go back to sleep, get out of bed and do the same.
The goal is to avoid long periods in bed when you can't sleep.