It can be difficult to get back to sleep after waking up during the night.
Tossing and turning can be frustrating as you stare at every minute of the clock while trying to get some more shut eye. However, lying in bed trying to get back to sleep may not be the best thing to do.
According to TV doctor Michael Mosley, you are just as well getting up. The diet guru suggests using a '15 minute rule' as well as staying off social media if you are hoping to return to your slumber. The hack involves getting up and waiting until you are tired again instead of forcing your eyes shut in bed.
Chatting with Strictly star and ex-BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker and political reporter Adam Fleming on the 'Newscast' podcast, the doctor detailed his top tips, My London reports.
While discussing Dan's hectic sleep pattern, he said: "I've managed to operate for the last seven years [at the BBC] on four hours sleep. I know that wasn't enough but I knew I just had to get on with it.
"During my time on Strictly Come Dancing, I was still doing my breakfast shifts, I was still doing the NFL show on a Friday, I was trying to learn a dance.
"There were two weeks on Strictly where I slept no more than 24 hours over the course of the week. Now I know that is not ideal but what I discovered about myself is that the human brain is capable of doing amazing thing when you put it in a corner. I was high functioning during those weeks on strictly."
Dr Mosley replied: "I would say you're massively deluded. People think they're' fine, but they're not. I'd have to talk to your partner to find out if you were as bright and as sharp as you think."
The former breakfast presenter admitted that he often wakes up at 3am, with Dr Mosley urging him to give his '15 minute tule' a go.
Dan admitted that he does often wake up at 3am.
"The advice is broadly the 15 minute rule. If you are still awake after 15 minutes, get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy and then go back to bed", he said.
"The rule is to associate bed with sleep and sex and nothing else. No Twitter, no TV, nothing else", the doctor added.
The doctor also suggests wearing an eye mask to block out light - especially during the summer months.
When the nights and mornings are lighter, people get an average 25 minutes less sleep on average.
Dr Mosley said: "I'd advise getting a pair of eye shades, not very sexy in bed. The early morning light is what wakes you up. Unless you have fantastic curtains, its likely that the light will come in and wake you up"
