You probably know the feeling: you're lying in bed, trying to relax, but your thoughts keep racing. You know you have to get up early tomorrow, and that's precisely why you can't fall asleep. Why is that? And what can you do to still sleep well when an early morning awaits you?
The role of tension and “pre-sleep stress”
When you know you have to get up early, your body reacts as if something important is at stake. Your brain produces extra cortisol, the hormone that keeps you alert. This is helpful when you need to stay awake, but detrimental when you're trying to sleep. This mild tension, also called pre-sleep stress, prevents your body from fully relaxing and reduces deep sleep.
Also read: How stress you sleep influences and what you to it can doing
Why the pressure to sleep well is actually counterproductive
Many people are determined to sleep well, especially when they know they have to perform the next day. However, this striving for control has the opposite effect: the harder you try to sleep, the more awake you become.
You quickly end up in a thought loop: “I have to sleep now”, “Why can’t I do it?”, “If I don’t sleep now, I’ll be exhausted tomorrow.”
To break out of that circle, it helps to optimize your environment. A dark room with a sleep mask reduces light and visual stimuli, while soft background sounds are transmitted through a sleep trainer help your brain relax.
Why Looking at the Clock Only Makes Things Worse
Constantly checking the time seems harmless, but it's counterproductive. Your brain keeps calculating how many hours you can sleep, increasing your stress levels and decreasing melatonin production. The solution is simple: put your phone or alarm clock out of reach so you're not constantly confronted with the time. This gives you more rest and makes it easier to fall asleep.
Sleeping is not an achievement
One of the main causes of insomnia before an early morning is the way we think about sleep. Sleep isn't an achievement; it's a natural process. The more you try to force it, the more tension you build up.
Shift your mindset from "I need to sleep" to "I'm allowed to rest." This automatically lowers your stress levels and gives your body the chance to restore its balance.
Conclusion
Almost everyone sleeps more restlessly when they have something planned early the next morning. It's not a sign that you're doing anything wrong, but a normal reaction to tension and performance pressure. The more you try to sleep, the harder it becomes. By letting go, keeping your surroundings calm, and giving your body a chance to relax, sleep usually comes naturally.
Parts:
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The influence of nutrition on a good night's sleep