Yes, Sleep Doctors Have Restless Nights Too: How They Bounce Back

April 14, 2023

Just a few hours of poor sleep are enough to kick off a stressful spiral. At least in my experience, putting too much pressure on yourself to “make up for it” the next night only makes things worse. But when it comes to sleep, nobody’s perfect. Even sleep doctors who spend day in and day out helping clients rest can struggle to snooze themselves from time to time. But they know how to take bad sleep in stride and keep it from becoming a pattern.

Here, sleep experts share the mindset shifts, nightly habits, and supportive tools that help them bounce back after the occasional restless night.

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1.

They accept that some things are out of their control.

Clinical psychologist and sleep doctor Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. sticks to a pretty strict nightly routine (that you can read all about here). But even after diligently meditating, turning off electronics, and doing his gratitude practice, sometimes he still finds himself awake late into the night.

“I can do literally everything correctly, and I still may not get a great night’s sleep based on factors beyond my control,” Breus writes on mindbodygreen. “For me, having a general understanding that every night is not going to be perfect will lower any anxiety or pressure I put on myself (which of course would have prevented me from sleeping anyway!). So I follow my disciplined routine, and when or if it doesn’t work, I accept it and move on.”

2.

They zoom out to look at weekly averages.

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3.

They recruit help to get back on track.

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4.

They have a backup plan.

In the event of a mid-night awakening, licensed clinical psychologist and sleep specialist Wendy Troxel, Ph.D. knows exactly what to do. When she can’t fall asleep around 3 or 4 a.m., she resists the urge to lay in bed and stress about what it will mean for her productivity the next day. Instead, she’ll get out of bed, go to the living room, and read a book until she feels tired enough to return to bedroom.

“This teaches my brain that the bed is for sleep, not for frustration, worry, or ‘working’ to fall asleep. Knowing that I have this backup strategy of what to do if I wake up and can’t fall back to sleep gives me a sense of control and reduces the chances that I will start feeling anxious or nervous about the consequences of not sleeping,” Troxel writes on mindbodygreen. “Having a go-to strategy of what to do when you have ‘one of those nights’ is a great way to avoid catastrophizing about the consequences of not sleeping, which will only lead to more anxiety and sleepless nights.”