What can I do if I wake up in the middle of the night (in a non recurrent episode) and I am struggling to fall asleep again because of having too many thoughts running around my head?

Use relaxation techniques to shift attention from racing thoughts to your body and help you return to sleep. It’s generally more effective to use the body to calm the mind than to try to force thoughts to stop. 1

• Try NSDR, yoga nidra, or long-exhale breathing: A body scan or guided NSDR/yoga nidra can help settle rumination; long-exhale breathing is another option. If you fall asleep during the practice, that’s fine. 2
• If you remain awake, use sleep hypnosis: A self-hypnosis script from the Reverie app is an option for falling back asleep; Huberman describes practicing the script in the daytime so it’s familiar when needed at night. 3
• Don’t become anxious about your sleep schedule: Worrying about not getting enough sleep can feed a loop of more anxiety. Try to reassure yourself and focus on relaxation rather than pressuring yourself to sleep. 4
• Support sleep with caffeine and meal timing: Avoid caffeine too late in the day, and don’t go to bed with a very full stomach. 5
• Myoinositol: Huberman reports that 900 mg of myo-inositol before bed helped him fall back asleep more easily after waking, though this is his personal experience; he advises checking with a doctor before changing a supplement routine. 6