Headspace_logo_svg
Try for freeTry for free
Wind DownFalling Back to Sleep

Falling Back to Sleep

Nothing feels more frustrating than waking up in the middle of the night and having difficulty nodding off again, especially when you start overthinking it. Step out of the thinking mind with an exercise that’s designed to lull you into a place of rest, allowing you to drift off back to sleep.

Try 14 days free
Share:

Better mental health starts with Headspace. Unrivaled expertise to make life feel a little easier, using guided meditations, mindfulness tips, focus tools, sleep support, and dedicated programs.

Better mental health starts with Headspace

So just lying back down, making yourself comfortable in your bed. Taking a deep breath, breathing in through the nose and then out through the mouth. As you breathe out, closing the eyes and just taking a moment to pause, no matter how much you wanna go back to sleep, just letting go. That idea, letting go of any thinking, just pausing to feel the weight of the body pressing down into the bed. Feeling that contact, the feet, the ankles, the legs. The back, the arms, the hands, the head. Allowing the bed to support the full weight of the body. And we're just gonna begin slowly to count backwards, starting at 1000, just steadily counting without any expectation, without any effort, just creating the conditions for the mind to rest, for the body to rest. And if the body wants to, to drift back off to sleep. If you find it helps, you can even imagine the numbers as you gently move backwards from one number to the next. It's really important to do this without any gender, simply confident knowing we're resting the mind, resting the body. Knowing that we might count all the way back to zero, that's okay, just staying with that steady rhythm. As always, allowing thoughts to come and go. If you find yourself caught up in thoughts about thinking, about sleeping, just realizing that letting it go, and just coming back to accounting again. As you continue, just steadily count backwards. So counting with a very gentle touch, no effort required. So the mind is naturally moving in that direction, it's just noting, acknowledging the numbers as I pass. And allowing body to rest, allowing the mind to be at ease just continuing in that way now....

Details

TypeWind Down
Duration1-10 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

    More about Andy
  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

    More about Eve
  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

    More about Dora
  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

    More about Kessonga
  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

    More about Rosie
Look After Your Mind

Look after your mind

Proven guided meditations and programs to help you stress less, sleep more soundly, and better navigate life’s challenges

Science Backed

Science-backed

Studies show that using Headspace for 30 days can reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being

Explore Content

Explore 1000+ 
expert-led exercises

Access our library of meditations, breathing exercises, and guidance videos for stress, sleep, focus, everyday anxiety , parenting, and more.

Member reviews

Hear from some of our members

Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.

Rachel

UK

Member-Icon-01

Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.

Davide

London

Member-Icon-04

The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.

Alicia

Canada

Member-Icon-03

Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

Keri

UK

Member-Icon-02

Related to 'Falling Back To Sleep'

More to explore

Beginning Meditation

Explore-More-Icon-02

Reframe Stress and Relax

Explore-More-Icon-01

New and Popular

Explore-More-Icon-03

Becoming a Mindful Parent

Explore-More-Icon-04
    • Terms & conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Consumer Health Data
    • Your privacy choices
      Privacy Choices Icon
    • CA Privacy Notice
  • © 2024 Headspace Inc.
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Consumer Health Data
  • Your privacy choices
    Privacy Choices Icon
  • CA Privacy Notice