Why do I wake up at the same time every night?
Some people always wake up at the same time, even though it is still early in the morning. Why is that?
Sleeping hours are the part of the day in which one of the most frequent types of disorders arise: insomnia problems.
These are disturbances that can be very harmful, since they not only cause discomfort and increase the risk of developing physical and psychological illnesses, but also wear down people's mental agility and cognitive skills literally overnight. Of course, not all forms of insomnia are equally severe.
Here I will talk about one of them, the intensity of which can vary greatly, and which occurs when we tend to wake up during a certain period of time. when during a certain period of time we tend to wake up in the middle of the night, too early for the start of our day, and and more or less always at the same time of day.
Why do I wake up at the same time in the middle of the night?
This is a question asked by many patients who come for psychotherapy or a consultation with a doctor. Apparently, such a phenomenon is rare: what is it that makes us wake up in the middle of the night, if we have no time references such as an alarm clock and no reason to get up at that time?
Actually, it is not so strange. After all, it is quite normal to wake up at about the same time of day a few minutes before the alarm clock goes off; It is obvious that the body has a mechanism for estimating the time that passes even if we are not consciously aware of it..
This set of Biological mechanisms constitutes what is known as circadian rhythms: it is a kind of internal clock that determines the degree of activation of our body, and which functions on the basis of the release of hormones. The key hormone here is what is known as melatoninThe key hormone here is melatonin, since it is released according to our degree of exposure to light, whether natural or artificial. Thus, melatonin acts as a "bridge" between external time, determined by the sun, and the internal clock, which is tuned through this substance.
From this time reference, the human organism estimates which are the hours in which it is necessary to have more energy available to be burned, and which are the hours of rest. The problem is that, on some occasions, this internal biological clock can work against us. If something disturbs its functioning, it can cause it to work out of phase, causing it to act as it normally does, but at the wrong time. And this is what happens in the case of people who wake up in the middle of the night.
The phenomenon whereby some people tend to wake up in the middle of the day to sleep for several hours at a time (which in most individuals occurs at night) is called biphasic sleep, and is not in itself a disorder. It is only considered to be a problem when, after having experienced the interruption of sleep, it is very difficult to get back to sleep.. In these cases, this does constitute a sleep disorder, called middle-of-the-night insomnia.
What to do?
If this problem persists and occurs constantly, almost every night, it is important to consult a health professional. as soon as possible, ideally seeking medical and psychotherapeutic support. In the meantime, there are some simple tips that can help this form of insomnia to disappear, but it should be borne in mind that in many cases they will be insufficient and will have to wait for professional supervision.
These tips are as follows.
1. Do not stay in bed
When you wake up in the middle of the night and it is difficult to fall asleep again, get up and go do some activity out of bed, as long as it does not require much effort or concentration and does not expose you to a strong light source. In addition, it is best that this activity does not remind you of responsibilities that you must carry out during the day. For example, you can practice Mindfulness, listen to a podcast, etc. After about 20 to 30 minutes, go back to bed and try to sleep.
2. Control stress levels
On many occasions, the main reason why some people wake up too early in the middle of the night is that they have problems managing their stress or anxiety.
In other words, their nervous system is more activated than normal and this has repercussions on their state during sleep, so that after a while the need to wake up to be alert to what may happen arises.
To remedy this, there are several relaxation exercises that can help, such as Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation, but the most effective is to go to psychotherapy.
3. Lead a healthy life
People who do not take care of themselves are more likely to develop insomnia problems. Therefore, you should eat a balanced diet, do moderate exercise, and not spend too much time in the same and do not spend too much time in the same posture.
4. Strive to maintain a meaningful sleep schedule.
Even if you haven't been able to get much sleep due to insomnia, try to stick to your schedule, Try to stick to your schedule and do not postpone or advance your bedtime too much.. Otherwise, it will be difficult to "train" the body to understand what are the hours of sleep and wakefulness.
Are you looking for psychological support?
If you are experiencing this sleep problem or other psychological disturbances that affect your quality of life, I invite you to contact me, I invite you to contact me. I am an expert psychologist in the cognitive-behavioral intervention model and its associated techniques, which have proven efficacy in a wide variety of emotional and anxiety-related disorders. You can avail of my services in my office located in Madrid, or through online sessions by video call. Si te interesa ver más información sobre cómo trabajo, o quieres ver mis datos de contacto, accede a esta página.
Referencias bibliográficas:
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2001). The International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Revised (ICSD-R). Darien, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
- Duffy, J.F.; Wright, K.P. (2005). Entrainment of the Human Circadian System by Light. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 20(4): pp. 326 - 338.
- Murphy, M.J.; Peterson, M.J. (2015). Sleep Disturbances in Depression. Sleep Medicine Clinics. 10(1): pp. 17 - 23.
- Ramar, K.; Olson, E.J. (2013). Management of Common Sleep Disorders. American Family Physician, 88(4): pp. 231 - 238.
- Richter, H.G.; Torres-Farfán, C.; Rojas-García, P.P.; Campino, C.; Torrealba, F.,; Serón-Ferré, M. (2004). The circadian timing system: making sense of day/night gene expression. Biological Research, 37(1): pp. 11 - 28.
- Zee, P.C.; Michael, V.V. (2009). Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder: Irregular Sleep Wake Rhythm Type. Sleep Medicine Clinics. 4(2): pp. 213 - 218.
(Updated at Apr 12 / 2024)