Getting to sleep and staying asleep is all about attention and focus. But, there is a difference. Attention is everything that has to do with sleep. It means thinking that you need sleep. This brings you in the ‘bed room’. But to stay asleep, especially after waking up in the middle of the night requires focus on sleep. It means not doing and thinking on everything else, and bring your mind – in a friendly manner – not only in the domain of sleep, but sleep, and sleep only.
It’s the difference betweeen allow yourself to check e-mails, to give the next day a quick thought or whatever, and being solely with your sleep. I have explained the essence of this many times. In one sentence: what you see is what you get!
Attention is much more your ‘alert system’. It’s not seeing everything, but see a certain spectrum. Focus is about ‘execution’. It’s doing; by directing your attention and therefore your behavior (sleep).