What Causes Waking Up in the Middle of the Night? Most people wake up once or twice during the night. Reasons this might happen include drinking caffeine or alcohol late in the day, a poor sleep environment, a sleep disorder, or another health condition.
The best way to put an end to late-night awakenings is to keep a consistent sleep-wake schedule. That means getting up at the same time each day (yes, even on weekends). Committing yourself to a proper bedtime is only half the battle to improve your sleep hygiene. Having other good sleep habits is just as important.
See, our circadian rhythm directs our cortisol, an awakening hormone, to rise around 3am, in preparation for the next morning. However, if you cortisol levels are already high, which is a consequence of stress, then it's likely you will wake up.
Reasons this might happen include drinking caffeine or alcohol late in the day, a poor sleep environment, a sleep disorder, or another health condition. When you can't get back to sleep quickly, you won't get enough quality sleep to keep you refreshed and healthy.
Depression and Insomnia
Early wakening is closely associated with depression, as well as difficulty falling asleep at night. Those with depression may switch back and forth between insomnia and hypersomnia during a single period of depression.
According to sleep specialists, most people actually wake up about 6 times per night, and one of those is usually around 2 or 3 am, depending on when they hit the hay. They also say that waking up at that time is just a sign that we have shifted from deep sleep to a lighter sleep where our brains are more active.
Nighttime (nocturnal) panic attacks can occur with no obvious trigger and awaken you from sleep. As with a daytime panic attack, you may experience sweating, rapid heart rate, trembling, shortness of breath, heavy breathing (hyperventilation), flushing or chills, and a sense of impending doom.
Let's take a look at the liver. According to the Organ Clock it is the most busy during 1-3am at night. (Assuming you go to bed around 10-11pm.) If things are running smooth in the liver, you will never notice that it is working at all.
Normally, at night time, melatonin levels will naturally increase, and cortisol (our stress hormone), will naturally be lower (than in the mornings). If you are under acute stress, or you have been under chronic stress, you may notice that you tend to wake up between 2-4 am and have difficulty falling back asleep.
The Witching Hour – the hour between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. – is the time of night when the barrier between the physical and spiritual realm is the thinnest. This allows Guides, Spirits and Angels to seamlessly travel between the two worlds and come whisper in your ear.
03/7Waking up at 2 am
If you often wake up at this time then it means that your body is tired and it needs a massage or some routine. Your body has toiled too much, hence, the muscles need a break.
Common reasons include the following: Stress. Poor sleep environment caused by loud noises or light. Too much caffeine.
The hours between 3am and 5am are governed by the lung meridian. Emotionally it is associated with grief and physically with the muscles around your lungs. The hours between 5am and 7am are governed by large intestine.
The recommended pressure points for improving sleep are: KD1 (the middle of the foot just behind the middle toe) SP6 (the inside of your lower leg, about four inches above the ankle) PC6 (the middle of your arm, about three inches from your hand)
Low blood sugar triggers cortisol
A common reason people wake up in the middle of the night is actually a surge of adrenaline and cortisol triggered by low blood sugar (2). When your blood sugar drops a little too low overnight, your body tries to protect you by trying to raise it.
1-3am is the time of the Liver and a time when the body should be alseep. During this time, toxins are released from the body and fresh new blood is made. If you find yourself waking during this time, you could have too much yang energy or problems with your liver or detoxification pathways.
Waking Between 3:00AM And 5:00AM
Waking up between 3am and 5am is associated with the energy meridian that runs through the lungs and is connected to the emotion of sadness. Sometimes in the middle age range of our lives, we can feel a quiet and seemingly unexplained sadness.
Morning technically starts after midnight. However, 3 a.m. is too early to be considered part of the daytime. For most of the world, it is still dark outside at this time and most people are sleeping. So, 3 a.m. is considered night.
Nocturia is waking up more than once during the night because you have to pee. Causes can include drinking too much fluid, sleep disorders and bladder obstruction. Treatments for nocturia include restricting fluids and medications that reduce symptoms of overactive bladder.
If you wake up between 1 am and 3 am it means your liver was overloaded. The liver is responsible for detoxifying our bodies and processing emotions each night. You may be suffering from an unhealthy diet, excess alcohol consumption, and/or unresolved anger or high levels of stress.