🌙 The 2 AM Rescue Routine
✨ Post 3 (2 AM Rescue Routine)
Read the series:
[Why You Can Sleep 8 Hours and Still Wake Up Exhausted]
[Evening Wind-Down Checklist for Restful Sleep]
2 AM Rescue Routine: What to Do When You Can’t Fall Back Asleep (you’re here 🌌)
Day-After-Poor-Sleep Plan (coming soon)
Foods That Support Better Sleep Naturally (coming soon)
Morning to Night: Latte Rituals for Better Sleep (coming soon)
1. Reset Calmly
Move quietly, avoiding bright lights.
Back in bed, settle under your blanket.
Try box breathing: inhale 4 → hold 4 → exhale 4 → hold 4 (repeat 3–4 times).
2. Gentle Distraction
Instead of spiraling in thoughts, I redirect my mind:
Reading with a book light 📖 → something light, calming, or familiar (not thrilling or stressful). The glow is soft, and the rhythm of reading slows me down.
Calm App sleep meditations 🎧 → recently I’ve used bedtime stories and sleep meditations (favorites: Stephen Fry’s Blue Gold, Erik Braa’s Nordland Night Train, Tamara Levitt’s gentle narrations). These stories give my mind something safe to drift with until I slip back into sleep.
3. If Still Awake After 30 Min
Switch to a soundscape — rain, ocean waves, or brown noise.
Close your eyes and remind yourself: “Even if I don’t sleep yet, my body is still resting.” This takes the pressure off, which often helps sleep come naturally.
🌱 Why This Works
Middle-of-the-night wake-ups are normal, but anxiety about not sleeping can keep you stuck awake. By pairing breathing with gentle distractions like reading or sleep stories, you reset your nervous system, making it easier to re-enter REM or deep sleep.
When 2 AM wake-ups stop feeling like a battle, your nights become gentler. This rescue routine helps me return to rest without frustration.
But what about the mornings after a bad night, when you feel nauseous, drained, or achy? In the next post of the Sleep Hygiene Series, I’ll share my Day-After-Poor-Sleep Plan — how to recover without wrecking the following night.
This post is part of my Sleep Hygiene Series: Restful Nights & Restored Mornings.
Next up: Day-After-Poor-Sleep Plan (coming soon)
