How to Get Back to Sleep in the Middle of the Night

Lying in bed unable to sleep will only become a self-fulfilling prophecy as you get more and more anxious: "Your body expects to have difficulty falling asleep, and so it does," says David Schulman, MD, director of the Emory Sleep Disorders Laboratory in Atlanta. (Watch Dr. Schulman explain chronic insomnia.)

Instead, get out of bed and try reading or a crossword puzzle. "Anything you can put down and pick up later," he advises. Don't get back under the covers until you feel ready for sleep.