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8-Second Breathing Exercise for When You Wake Up in the Middle of the Night
In TODAY.com’s Expert Tip of the Day, a sleep medicine doctor shares an 8-second trick to fall back asleep after waking up in the middle of the night.
May 8, 2026, 5:00 AM PDT / Source: TODAY

Caroline Kee
Health reporter
Sleep Routine Rules You Should Know for Getting Better Rest
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When you wake up in the middle of the night, what’s the first thing you do? If your answer is checking the time on your phone or alarm clock, you’re not alone.

However, this common habit during nighttime wakings may be sabotaging your chances of falling back asleep and getting quality rest, Dr. Kuljeet K. Gill, sleep medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine, previously told TODAY.com.

It’s normal to wake up and fall back asleep throughout the night. These interruptions are typically brief, and the brain isn’t fully conscious, so you may not remember them.

It’s important to avoid activities that can wake the brain up too much, like checking the time, and prevent us from falling back into a deep, restful sleep.

Here’s what to do instead:

Expert Tip of the Day: If You Wake up in the Middle of the Night, Try Counting Down From Eight While Taking Deep Breaths

When you find yourself awake in the wee hours of the morning, Gill recommends this trick:

“Repeatedly count down from eight to one while taking deep breaths.”

If you don’t feel sleepy after five or so rounds of the countdown breathing exercise, try to resist the temptation to check the time.

Instead, move to another quiet, dark area in the home and do something peaceful, like meditating or reading in very dim light. When you feel tired, return to bed and try sleeping again.

Why It Matters

Checking the time during nighttime wakings can disrupt sleep in two main ways.

First, it engages our brain to a conscious level so we become alert. The realization of how many hours you have left to snooze can cause anxiety or stress, which in turn wakes the body.

Next, the bright blue light from a phone screen or digital alarm clock can also suppress melatonin, the “sleep hormone” that signals our body to rest.

You may have a hard time falling back into deep sleep, and if these nighttime wakings become a pattern, this can fragment sleep and lead to long-term consequences.

How To Get Started

Whether you wake up because you need to change positions, a noisy partner or pet, or to pee during the night, try the eight-second breathing exercise to fall back asleep.

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If you can’t resist the urge to look at your phone, consider keeping it far away from the bed or in another room.

Gill also recommends going to bed and waking up around the same time every day to keep a consistent sleep schedule and allowing yourself at least seven hours to sleep.

In the evening, start your wind-down routine about an hour before bedtime — avoid screens and do other relaxing activities, like taking a hot shower or reading.

If your nighttime wakings become excessive or disruptive, it might be time to see a doctor.