How To Fall Back Asleep During "Middle Sleep," From A Holistic Psychiatrist

But listen up: Holistic psychiatrist, author, and sleep expert Ellen Vora, M.D., shared her personal approach to the pesky phenomenon of "middle sleep" in a recent installment of mbg's new sleep series, The Wind Down—and it's too good not to try yourself.

According to Vora, waking up in the middle of the night is a completely normal experience, and it actually has a name: "middle sleep."

As sleep doctors have previously told mbg, there's usually nothing wrong with waking up in the middle of the night. But if you wake up and are unable to fall back asleep, that's when problems can occur. To that end, here's Vora's advice.

In an Instagram video for mbg, Vora expands on the idea of middle sleep further, explaining that when you wake up in the middle of the night, "what your body really needs is maybe to use the restroom and have a sip of water, and then fall back asleep."

So instead of doing any of those things, Vora suggests, you'll just want to shuffle to the bathroom (sans lights if you can!), take a sip of water, and lie back down with your eyes closed. "Trust that you're going to fall back asleep—it might take five or 10 or 20 or 30 minutes, but reassure yourself that this is a normal wake-up and you're going to fall back asleep," she says. Then, prepare to drift back into dreamland once again.

When it comes to getting quality sleep, sometimes we're our own worst enemy. If you're someone who wakes up in the middle of the night, know that it's totally normal and you're not alone. Do your best to keep your lights off and your mind calm, and with any luck, you'll be back to snoozing in no time.