Most of us wake up three to four times during the night for varied reasons, and this is considered a part of a normal sleep pattern. However, a lot of us wake more frequently, sometimes even every two to three hours in the night. This is a reason for concern.
Waking up in the middle of the night is normal. Most of us experience mini-awakenings without even noticing them—up to 20 times per hour. When it comes to observable wake-ups, most people have about two or three per night.
Because there are so many different things that can wake you up, there's no specific number of awakenings that is a cause for concern, Brandon Peters, M.D., a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist, tells SELF. “[The number can] vary night by night due to different reasons,” he says.
Waking up throughout the night is actually a normal part of sleep. In fact, a newer study1 shows that our brain wakes up more than 100 times throughout the night due to the stress hormone, noradrenaline. These moments of wakefulness are so minuscule, though, that the sleeper won't notice.
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.
Waking up in the middle of the night is common. The most common cause is a liver problem, but there may be other reasons why your sleep is disrupted including sleep apnea, nocturnal hypoglycemia, viral infection, urinary issues, digestive issues, potential food allergies or stress.
It is common to wake up during sleep. In fact most people wake two or three times during the night. We can all remember a time, when as teenagers or young children, sleep was a continuous period of unawareness or oblivion that lasted between eight or nine hours, or even longer.
You have a health condition or illness (or you're pregnant)
Anything from bad heartburn to an itchy rash could jolt you awake from even the deepest sleep. However, in some cases, waking up at night could be a symptom of a serious sleep disorder: Sleep apnea.
Beyond that, it's also common for people to awaken super briefly out of light sleep as many as 20 to 30 times (!) a night, says neurologist and sleep specialist W. Chris Winter, MD, sleep advisor at Sleep.com and author of The Sleep Solution.
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.
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.
Quick Read Nature's worst alarm clock. It's normal to wake up once a night to pee, but multiple times a night could suggest something more. Nocturia is the clinical term for waking up to pee two or more times at night. Your lifestyle, medications and various health conditions might cause or contribute to nocturia.
Many factors can cause a person to wake up often at night. Needing to urinate is a common reason, but sleep apnea, overheating, and dietary habits are just a few of the others. However, regularly waking up in the middle of the night can become problematic, as it interrupts sleep.
Everyone wakes up a few times per night. Cycling out of sleep roughly every 90 minutes to two hours is normal. But frequent wakings can affect physical, emotional and mental functioning.
Some experts say yes. For starters, getting up earlier can improve confidence, Snowden says, because it can feel like an accomplishment. And there's something to be said for not constantly feeling like you're in a rush, which only elevates stress levels and negatively impacts mental health.
Paradoxically, experts say to get out of bed. Yes, even at 3 a.m. “Abandon the idea of getting back to sleep,” Troxel said. “When you do that, when you let the pressure go that sleep isn't so effortful, sleep is more likely to come back.”
Stress, anxiety or depression
If you're consumed by what happened earlier that day or constantly thinking about the to-do list that's awaiting you in the morning, this could trigger your waking up at night. Similarly, it's common for people with depression to experience poor sleep patterns, too.
If you find yourself waking up at the same time every night (including around 3 am) overwhelmed with thoughts, you might be suffering from a serious sleep disorder. Other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome, can also cause frequent awakenings during the night.
Middle insomnia describes a difficulty maintaining sleep after initial sleep onset. For these individuals, sleep is fragmented with frequent awakenings at night. Middle insomnia is commonly associated with neurological syndromes (e.g., RLS), pain syndromes, or depression.
Napping too much.
Long naps in the afternoon or later make it harder to stay asleep at night. Consuming too much caffeine.Caffeine (in coffee, tea, and sodas) blocks a brain chemical called adenosine that helps you sleep. Go light on caffeine-containing foods and drinks beyond the early afternoon.