What are the best ways to fall back asleep after awakening?

Warm milk and honey. I’m 31 and female.

Do you have a medical condition that makes dehydration a danger?

If not then having your last glass of water at 8 or 9pm would not put in danger of becoming dehydrated.

Beyond that close your eyes and think about things that happy and tranquil.

Do something. I know this is general, but seriously – you need to do something. If your mind is racing, the best way to stop it is to distract yourself.

Laying in bed trying to get calm can be more frustrating than it’s worth.

Concentrate on your breathing, totally, and if your mind wonders, haul it back. you’ll relax and sleep.

I don’t drink anything after 6:00pm and get through the night without going. I haven’t died of dehydration yet. If I do have to go to the loo I don’t put any lights on as there is just enough light to see by and I get back to sleep where I left off.
PS taking alcohol in the evening will keep you awake late at night.

If you have a tv where you sleep, put it to a nature channel. I swear those things are made so that we can sleep and nap to them. In fact, the Spanish go home in the middle of their day and siesta with them on in the background specifically for the purpose of putting them gently to sleep. Sov godt! (sleep well)

Find a boring mantra and repeat it over and over again while coordinating your breathing.

“I am 19”...inhale…“and male”...exhale. That is putting me to slee…

If you wake up, close your eyes again.

Masturbate :) haha. it works.

I have a CD player next to my bed on the shelf under the night stand.

I always have a mellow music CD, like nature sounds, flutes, native american music, asian music, lullaby type classical or other instrumentals.
Also narrative ‘spiritual’ type CD’s on standby.

Push the button, back asleep in about 3 minutes to the soothing sounds of whatever.

Watch C-Span (for real)

Read something light

Crank one out

Meditate and try to relax.

this happens to me when I wake up in the middle of the night, too. My rule is I try not to drink anything past 9 pm. I will also try not to drink any large quantities in the evening, especially any kind of soda. I also try to go to the bathroom as late as possible, before i fall asleep, so like 11 or 12 I try to go. It does not always work, sometimes I wake up around 3 or 4 and then I toss and turn and think of all kinds of stuff, and then around the time I’m supposed to be waking up, I am falling back asleep. I really need the extra hour or two of sleep because it will have been only 3 or 4 that I slept for, but that extra hour or two screws me up because then I’m late and also, waking exhausted. If I don’t have to get up to go to the bathroom I can sleep all night, so that’s why I try to not drink.

I like to have a fan switched on while I sleep, even in the winter. Making the room nice and cold while I’m burrowed under lots of blankets makes me sleepy, and the air gently blowing on my face and the little bit of background noise are soothing.

I have books on my ipod. I set the timer and put on a boring book, within minutes I am back to sleep. The important part is to not allow your head to start going. Meditation is good, you just have to keep your mind empty. That is why boring books work for me.

I have good books on my laptop and they still put me to sleep. It took me weeks to get through The Road. The reader had such a low, calm voice, I only heard a bit each night.

thanks everyone great answers!

@WillWorkForChocolate , that was actually probably the most useful answer for my situation. thank you =D

@WillWorkForChocolate , I just have a cuple questions, I know I would want the milk hott, so would I put the honey in before or after putting the milk in the microwave?

And also, how much honey do you think would be good, the less the better =D, like a tablespoon?

Don’t turn on any lights when you get up. I can’t tell from your description if you do or don’t do this, but it’s one thing that popped into my mind.

If hot cocoa really works, maybe you could eliminate a few calories from other foods throughout the day (or increase your exercise) and have a cup in the middle of the night anyway. But keep the lights off!

I agree with @iamthemob, if my mind is whizzing the only way to get back to sleep is to get up, read something, watch some TV, do something to distract myself. Then I go straight back to sleep. Works for me.