We got some pretty solid advice of what not to do if you wake up in the middle of the night, and yes, looking at your phone is most definitely one of them! Dr. Michael Breus- aka the Sleep Doctor- gave RedBook some tips on how to catch shut eye if you happen to wake up before your alarm. The number one thing to do: not go to the bathroom!
Breus claims that just by sitting up in bed from awaking in the middle of the night causes the heart rate to increase and disrupts the rate at which your heart should be beating when you sleep. In order to get sent back to dreamland ASAP, your heartbeat has to lower back to 60, which usually doesn't happen right away making it difficult to fall back asleep.
Another tip the sleep doc shared with us is to try to relax and make your mind go blank, no matter how hard it can be. Not checking your phone or looking at the clock will help with this! Panicking while counting the hours of sleep left until the alarm goes off is a massive no no too. He recommends totally shutting off your thoughts and letting sleep happen naturally, without trying to force it.
Sweet dreams!