The song was written by Blue, Lukas Costas, Rebecca Krueger and Why Don't We's members Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery and Zach Herron, and produced by Blue.

Blue said in a press release: "'Don't Wake Me Up' has a real depth to the lyrics.

[3] An accompanying music video was released on 28 January 2022, and directed by Isaac Rentz.

It depicts an "impromptu" party taking place in a Los Angeles parking lot, and was described by Vents Magazine as featuring "dancing, fast cars and the promise of romance".

On 13 July 2022, a version of "Don't Wake Me Up" featuring Japanese boy band Be:First was released.