Waking up in the middle of the night can be frustrating, but trying too hard to fall back asleep can make it worse. Sleep experts recommend not stressing over your wakefulness, as this increases anxiety and keeps you awake longer.
Instead of lying in bed, get up and do a calming activity like reading, deep breathing, or gentle stretching. This helps reset your body’s sleep response and makes it easier to fall back asleep.
Avoid using your phone, as the blue light can interfere with sleep by suppressing melatonin production. Also, don’t worry about losing sleep—accepting occasional wake-ups can reduce anxiety and help your body fall back into its rhythm.
Key tips: 
Don’t force sleep 
Get up after 20 minutes 
Avoid screens 
Engage in calming activities 
Let go of sleep anxiety
Following these strategies can help you get back to sleep and improve your sleep quality over time.
BUT THAT’S NOT WHY PEOPLE STARTED WHISPERING We were at the Juneteenth festival—music playing, food trucks everywhere, kids laughing and running through the streets. I looked away for just a second to pay for a funnel cake, and when I turned back, my nephew Zavi was gone. Panic hit me like a wave. I dropped everything and started yelling his name, checking every bounce house, every face I passed. I was seconds away from calling 911 when I finally saw him—fast asleep in a police officer’s arms. The officer stood off to the side, calm, like this was nothing new. When I ran over, breathless and scared, he just nodded and said Zavi had wandered off near the snow cone truck and got tired. “Didn’t want to leave him alone,” he said, like it was no big deal. I thanked him, scooped Zavi up, and tried to move on. But then I noticed people staring. Whispering. A few had their phones out. Some were smiling—but not all of them. One woman near the food stand shook her head and said, “Must be nice to get that kind of response.” At first, I didn’t get it. Then it hit me. They weren’t whispering because Zavi had fallen asleep. They were whispering because of who was holding him— And what it might have looked like if just one thing had been different. Now I can’t stop thinking… Would he still be safe if he didn’t look so small, so tired, so harmless? 
(Continue reading in the first comment)
