Do you wake up an hour earlier than you want to and cannot fall asleep again because your mind suddenly becomes active?

This pattern is often called terminal insomnia or early morning waking, and it is very common for people who have a naturally analytical or thinker type mind. In this video, we explore why this happens and how the activity of the mind can shorten your nighttime sleep.

People try different tips and advice to sort out the issue, but general sleep advice does not always work well for thinker types because it does not address how the mind behaves during the night.

In this video, I explain several common patterns I see in my sleep coaching practice when clients wake up too early in the morning. These include situations where the mind becomes active again after a few hours of sleep, where clock checking creates pressure, or where the mind starts planning the day ahead instead of returning to rest or when giving up on adding more sleep plays a role.

Instead of adding more tools or techniques, the key is to understand how your mind is using the early morning time and how to move back toward physical, emotional and mental relaxation so your body has the opportunity to extend sleep naturally.

This video is part of my series on how to overcome long-term or chronic insomnia  and sleep problems for thinker types, where we look at falling asleep difficulties, nighttime wakings, and early morning awakening. The goal is to help you develop practical Sleep Skills for Life so you can overcome long-term insomnia and future-proof your sleep.

Watch the full video to understand why waking up too early happens and how to approach it in a more practical way.

And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. 

Beatrix

Videos in this series all about thinker type people who struggle with sleep problems or insomnia:

Part 1: How to overcome chronic insomnia or sleep problems for thinker types - Click here to watch

Part 2: How to overcome chronic sleep onset insomnia or sleep problems for thinker types - Click here to watch

Part 3: Waking up 2-3 times every night and can't fall asleep again under 30 minutes? - Sleep Maintenance Insomnia for thinker types - Click here to watch

It's always best to watch the entire video, but here are some chapters for you:

00:00 Introduction to waking up 2-3 times and night and staying asleep for at least 30 minutes each time

00:53 Don't self diagnose nighttime sleep issues

01:48 Sleep assessment appointment I offer in my sleep coaching practice

02:42 Live Online Masterclass all about being a thinker type and how that relates to long-term insomnia and sleep problems

03:30 What are the dynamics of your nighttime wakings?

05:34 The 4 versions of nighttime wakings I see in my practice, start with you in mind

06:08 First type of waking: when you closest to relaxation

08:24 Second type of waking: when you start moving around or tossing and turning

10:37 Third type of waking: leaving the bed to go to the toilet

12:15 Fourth version of waking: giving up and leaving the bed to do something else

14:57 How to find more appropriate ways to support yourself