Insomnia expert shares simple brain trick to help you fall asleep

People who regularly find themselves wide awake at 3am could benefit from a simple daytime routine, according to an insomnia specialist.

Kathryn Pinkham, founder of The Insomnia Clinic, told Which? that setting aside time to jot down worrying thoughts during the day may help stop them resurfacing in the early hours. Without this simple outlet, she warned people that their mind can start thinking about these concerns during the night. She said: “If you are aware that you wake up at 2am or 3am and your mind is racing, then I would encourage everybody during the day to find some time, pen and paper, and write down things that are on your mind.

“If we don’t do that, your brain will find a way to find a slot of time to make you pay attention. And that’s going to be in the middle of the night.”

During the day, distractions such as your phone or daily activities may help keep worries at bay. However, if this pattern continues, waking up at 2am can gradually turn into a regular time for worrying during the night, something the expert calls a “worry window”.

There’s a common belief that going to bed earlier will automatically lead to more sleep, but that’s not necessarily the case.

The sleep guru explained: “What happens is that if we go to bed early to try and get more sleep, we end up spending more time in bed awake and that creates a weak connection. Then suddenly, our bed is all about vigilance.

“The first thing that I would advise anyone to do is push your bedtime back a little bit, bring your wake-up time earlier, because actually that drives is built by that time out of bed.

“So go to bed a little bit later, wake up a little bit earlier, and you will increase the momentum. Not forever, but this is a starting point.”

The founder also noted that if you’re really struggling, it’s better not to stay in bed, as that can often make things worse. She said: “Leave the bedroom. Never stay in bed fighting to sleep because you can’t win that battle.

“Your body cannot fight against that. It’s a bit like pressing the accelerator and the brake at the same time. We can’t do both.

“Go downstairs, read a book, put some telly on, and do something you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be boring. I hate the idea that you have to sit in the dark. Anything is better than lying in bed stressing.”