The 3 a.m. Struggle: Understanding Why You Wake Up and How to Sleep Through the Night

Counting sheep is hard enough if you have a small case of insomnia, but when you wake up at 3 a.m. every night like clockwork, is rough. It doesn’t matter if you took a warm bath, read a book, or added oils to your room. Nothing is working behind this mysterious magic number, causing sleep disturbance. What’s behind this mysterious 3 a.m. wake-up call, and what can you do to get back to a full night’s rest? Today’s blog tries to unpack how the quantity of sleep is anything but easy in this fast-paced world.

Stresspoints

While there’s no answer, several factors can contribute to these early morning awakenings. For many, stress is a major culprit. Our brains are wired to be more alert when stressed, and this heightened state can disrupt the natural flow of sleep. If you find your mind racing with worries in the dead of night, stress is likely playing a role.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, those who suffer from depression or anxiety claim an increase in their anxiety due to lack of sleep, with 52 percent of men and 42 percent of women stating it directly affected their ability to remain focused the following day.

Your social life can also suffer, which can lead to depression or increased depression symptoms. Without quality sleep, the body cannot repair itself and becomes a state of sleep deprivation that accumulates nightly. This leads to a rapid decline of behavioral response, including moodiness and irritability.

Beyond daily stresses and hormonal shifts like menopause, a hidden culprit could be blood sugar fluctuations. Eating sugary or refined carbs before bed can cause your blood sugar to spike, then crash during the night. Your body responds by releasing stress hormones to raise sugar levels, effectively jolting you awake around 3 a.m.

Another significant factor, particularly for women, is menopause. While often associated with hot flashes that wake you up, research suggests something more nuanced. It appears that the brain changes that cause hot flashes might also trigger awakenings before the hot flash even occurs. Even women who don’t experience disruptive hot flashes often report a general decline in sleep quality during menopause. This indicates that hormonal shifts and their impact on brain activity can independently lead to sleep disturbances, including those 3 a.m. wake-up calls.

Maximizing Sleep

If you’re tired of those early morning interruptions, there are several steps you can take to improve your sleep hygiene and encourage a full night’s rest.

• Optimize your sleep environment. Make sure your bedroom is a sleep sanctuary. Keep it quiet, dark, and cool. Even subtle light or noise can disrupt your sleep cycle.
• Establish a bedtime ritual. Our bodies thrive on routine. Develop a relaxing wind-down routine in the hour or so before bed. This could include reading a book, taking a warm bath, or listening to calming music.
• Move electronics out of the bedroom. The blue light emitted from screens can interfere with melatonin production, a hormone crucial for sleep. Aim to put away your phone, tablet, and computer at least an hour before bed.
• Watch what you eat and drink. Be mindful of what you consume, especially in the afternoon and evening. Avoid caffeine after noon and limit alcohol consumption, as both can significantly disrupt sleep patterns.

While optimizing your sleep environment and habits can go a long way, if you’re consistently waking up at 3 a.m. and it’s impacting your daily life, it’s worth consulting a healthcare professional. They can help identify underlying medical conditions or sleep disorders that might be contributing to your awakenings and provide personalized advice or treatment options.

If you live in Alaska and are ready to take back your sleep, contact The Alaska Sleep Clinic and receive a free 10-minute phone consultation with a sleep educator who can help you determine if a sleep study is right for you.