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I Can’t Sleep. Now What?

It’s the middle of the night — and you’re wide awake. We asked sleep experts for tips to help you get some rest.

By Dani Blum July 1, 2025

Maybe your mind can’t stop racing. Maybe your afternoon coffee or dinner cocktail is keeping you up. So many factors affect our ability to sleep.

The best way to get great rest is by practicing good sleep hygiene, such as sticking to a consistent bedtime and not eating or drinking right before bed. But it’s too late for that tonight.

We asked sleep experts what to do when rest just won’t come. The first thing they said — ahem! — was to put down your phone. But if that isn’t cutting it, consider these exercises. Some of the ideas might seem out of the box, but all are backed by science or are drawn from their experience treating patients. Look for one that appeals to you, and give it a few minutes before trying another.

Good luck (and good night)!

Tense your toes, flex them for five seconds, then release.

As you lie in bed, repeat this exercise, clenching and relaxing each muscle group, making your way from your calves to your thighs, abdomen and so on. This technique, known as progressive muscle relaxation, reduces tension and calms the sympathetic nervous system.

Watch a TV show you’ve seen many times before.

For Aric Prather, a sleep specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, it’s the soothing comedy of “The Office,” although some of his patients turn to the cozy nostalgia of “Frasier.” The idea is to find something both comforting and familiar enough that you can doze off without getting invested. Make sure to keep the screen dim.

Read a nutrition label.

It sounds silly, but the label has enough information to occupy your mind, but is boring enough to coax you to sleep. It also gets you out of bed, which is actually a good thing. For better sleep in the long run, you don’t want to associate your bed with tossing and turning or anxious thoughts.

Try cognitive shuffling.

Think of a random word (maybe “bedtime,” if you want to stay on theme) and then think of as many words as possible that start with B. When you run out, think of as many words as possible that start with E, and then D, T, I, M and E. The idea is that these random words will help stop your brain from cycling through anxieties or trying to problem-solve late at night.

Picture a familiar place.

Imagine a place you know well, in as much detail as possible: the color of the carpet, the pattern of the curtains, the kitchen shelves. Maybe it’s your childhood home, a vacation spot or your favorite park. Guide yourself through a mental tour. This occupies your mind with a task that is focused, but also familiar and bordering on boring, which could help you nod off.

Play white noise.

White noise, a mix of random sound frequencies that sounds like static, can drown out any distracting sounds that are keeping you awake. And while it isn’t for everyone, the consistency of white noise can be calming. There are free apps or YouTube videos that play white noise for hours.

Count backward from 100.

The simplicity of a countdown can be soothing. The activity engages your brain, forcing you to focus on the numbers while distracting you from any of the worries that might have kept you up.

Place a cold washcloth on your forehead.

Your body temperature naturally dips at night, as part of your circadian rhythm. A cold washcloth may help cool your body down and trick it into thinking it’s still early in the night and that you’re getting ready to go to sleep, said Dr. Kim Hutchison, a neurologist at Oregon Health and Science University who specializes in sleep medicine.

Inhale for four seconds, hold for four, and exhale slowly for eight.

A simple breathing pattern like this slows your heart rate and your breathing. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, a network of nerves that play a critical role in relaxing the body before sleep. Repeat this five times.

Listen to nature sounds.

The ambient noise gives your brain something to fixate on as you drift off, but the sounds are subdued enough that they won’t keep you up. Just make sure to minimize the time on your phone and keep the screen dim as you cue up the sounds through YouTube or a podcast.

Do some light stretches.

Small, simple exercises can help relax the nervous system and reduce stress hormones. You can do these in bed or another spot in your home as long as you keep the lights dim.

Listen to a familiar audiobook.

If Dr. Neal Walia, a sleep specialist at the University of California at Los Angeles Health, can’t fall asleep, he listens to an audiobook he’s heard many times before, like “Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty. Since it’s familiar, the audio distracts him from his racing thoughts without keeping him awake to hear what happens next.

Drink ice-cold water.

A few sips can help lower your overall body temperature, mimicking its natural decline before you sleep. And getting up when you can’t rest can help retrain your brain to stop associating your bed with lying awake.

Listen to a bedtime story.

These soothing (and often boring) stories can take your mind off the day or what’s ahead. One of Dr. Prather’s patients recently recommended Dan Jones Sleep Stories, which are available on YouTube. Dr. Hutchison likes the “Sleep With Me” podcast.

Eat a light snack.

While experts warn against eating a lot at night, you can opt for a very small snack, like a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts, especially if you wake up hungry. Try to savor each bite, thinking about the flavors and textures. This focused task can help calm your mind until you feel sleepy enough to return to bed.

Count down by threes.

The period when you’re trying to fall asleep is often a time when any lingering anxieties rise to the surface. A simple, repetitive activity like this requires a bit more concentration than merely counting backward, and can interrupt the cycle of stressful thoughts.

Sit by a fan.

This accomplishes two goals at the same time. It cools you down, which is important because lower body temperatures are linked to the production of melatonin, a hormone that our brains produce to lull us into feeling sleepy. Plus, this gets you out of bed, so that you do not associate it with the struggle to fall asleep.

Stop looking at your phone — for real this time.

We know it’s tempting to keep scrolling. But staring at your phone floods your eyes with blue light, keeping you awake even longer.

Sources

We consulted Dr. Aric Prather, a sleep specialist at the University of California, San Francisco; Dr. Rafael Pelayo, a clinical professor at Stanford University’s sleep medicine division; Dr. Kim Hutchison, a neurologist at Oregon Health and Science University who specializes in sleep medicine; Dr. Ana Krieger, director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine; Dr. Patricio Escalante, a sleep medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic; Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatula, a sleep specialist at Penn Medicine; Dr. Neal Walia, a sleep specialist at the University of California at Los Angeles Health; Deirdre Conroy, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at University of Michigan Health; and Jennifer Martin, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.