Two things you shouldn't do when trying to sleep

The fear of not having enough sleep each night is something that plagues many adults. Photo / 123RF

Waking up in the middle of the night is one of the most frustrating experiences.

Desperate to fall back to sleep to stop them from being grumpy the next day, many spend hours tossing and turning.

Some resort to using their mobile phones to check the time, while others get out of bed to fetch themselves a glass of water.

But now the so-called "sleep doctor" has revealed these are the two things that you definitely want to avoid doing if you want to get some extra kip, according to Daily Mail.

DON'T LOOK AT THE TIME

The fear of not having enough sleep each night is something that plagues many adults.

But it's not something anyone should be worrying about, according to Dr Michael Breus, author of The Power of When.

Often people have a habit of checking the time when their sleep is disrupted - but this is a mistake.

Instead of counting down the hours until your alarm erupts and warns you of your need to get up if you want to make it into work in time, just ignore the clock.

This anxiety often prevents people from sleeping, he added, so knowing you've only got a few hours before you have to face your boss isn't a wise idea.

DON'T GO TO THE TOILET

Stay firmly in your bed. Don't move.

You may think you're desperate to relieve your bladder or for something to drink, but in doing so you'll struggle to get back to sleep.

Just by leaving the comfort of your duvet your heart has to pump more blood around the body.

But in order to fall asleep - a much lower, resting rate is needed. And this doesn't happen straight away, Dr Breus warns.