Light sleeper? How to sleep more deeply and wake less
A door closes downstairs and you are awake. Your partner turns over and you are awake. Other people seem to sleep through anything, while you surface at every small sound or shift of light. You can help your body feel safe enough to sink into deeper sleep.
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Why some people sleep lightly
Everyone moves through lighter and deeper sleep in the night. Some people simply spend more time near the surface, or wake more easily from it. Stress, an irregular routine, caffeine, alcohol and a busy mind at bedtime all keep sleep lighter.
Being a light sleeper can also become a habit of listening. If you have been woken a lot, perhaps by children, shift work or a noisy home, your brain can stay on watch even when there is nothing to watch for.
Make the bedroom easier to sleep in
- Keep the room dark, with blackout curtains or an eye mask
- Keep it cool and well aired
- Use soft earplugs or steady background sound to soften sudden noises
- Turn the clock away and keep phones out of reach
- If your partner moves a lot, try separate duvets or a larger bed
Help your body go deeper
Keep a regular bedtime and wake time, even at weekends, as a steady rhythm helps deeper sleep. Get daylight and some movement during the day. Keep caffeine to the morning and alcohol low, as both make sleep lighter. Give yourself a calm half hour before bed without work or news.
When you do wake
Try not to judge it or check the time. Let your breathing slow and remind yourself that it is safe to rest. If you are wide awake after what feels like 20 minutes, get up and do something calm until you feel sleepy.
When to see a GP
See your GP if you wake many times a night and feel very tired in the day, if you snore loudly or gasp in your sleep, or if poor sleep has lasted 3 months or more. These can have medical causes that are worth checking.
If you are tired of being the one who always wakes
If you envy people who sleep through storms and alarms, and feel worn out from always being half awake, that frustration is understandable. Light sleep is not a weakness and it is not your fault.
What helps is teaching your body that it is safe to let go at night. With hypnosis we help you relax on cue and let small sounds drift past, and the same session each night builds that habit. Many people find they sleep more deeply and wake less.
I am Adam Cox, a clinical hypnotherapist with 17 years in practice and post-graduate qualifications in clinical hypnotherapy. Sleep sessions are among the most listened to on my podcast, The Hypnotist, which has been downloaded more than 20 million times.
Sleep hypnosis downloads for this
Recorded sessions from my store. Download once, keep them, and play them in bed with your phone on night mode.
Questions people ask
Why am I such a light sleeper?
Stress, an irregular routine, caffeine, alcohol and a habit of listening out at night can all keep sleep light. Some people are also naturally lighter sleepers.
How can I become a deeper sleeper?
Keep a regular routine, a dark, cool and quiet room, caffeine in the morning only, little alcohol and a calm half hour before bed.
Do earplugs help light sleepers?
Many light sleepers find soft foam earplugs or steady background sound help a lot. Keep earplugs clean and stop if your ears get sore.
Is being a light sleeper bad for you?
Not on its own. If you feel rested in the day, it is not a problem. If you feel exhausted, it is worth making changes or seeing your GP.
Can hypnosis help me sleep more deeply?
Hypnosis is designed to help your body relax deeply and feel safe to let go. Many people find a regular session helps them sleep more soundly, although results vary.
Could hypnosis help your sleep?
Take my free sleep hypnosis suitability test. Tell me what keeps you awake, try two quick hypnosis experiments and get an honest answer, with your next step.
Want help to sleep more deeply?
If recordings are not enough on their own, we can work on it together. Start with a £49 consultation call over Zoom. We talk through what happens at night and whether hypnotherapy is right for you, and the fee comes off your first session. If poor sleep has lasted 3 months or more, please see your GP too.
Further reading: NHS: Insomnia · NHS: Sleep apnoea · NHS Every Mind Matters: Sleep