Key Takeaways
- Sleep becomes lighter in the second half of the night, which could explain our 3 a.m. wake-ups.
- Fixing your sleep environment and eating habits before bedtime can alleviate sleep disturbances.
- Check in with a health professional or sleep specialist if these awakenings happen more than three nights a week for over a month and affect your daytime well-being.
Last night, I woke up, looked at the clock, and it was 2:57 a.m. I’m not groggy or feeling the need to go back to sleep. It’s as though I was ready to take on the day. But I’ve only had about four hours of sleep, and I usually need at least seven to feel fully rested. What’s going on?
What Causes Those 3 A.M. Wake-Ups?
There can be many reasons someone wakes up around 3 a.m.
Natural Sleep Cycle
Julia Kogan, PsyD, health psychologist and stress and insomnia specialist, explains that it is common for people to wake up between sleep cycles. Sleep cycles last approximately 90–100 minutes, and we typically return to light sleep at the beginning of the next sleep cycle. This is usually the time when we naturally wake up. During the second half of the night, sleep becomes lighter; therefore, we’re more likely to wake up around 3 a.m. since we’ve completed two to three sleep cycles.
“[Waking up at 3 a.m.] is quite natural for many people. People may wake up between sleep cycles earlier in the night, but because sleep is generally lighter, they are more likely to remember waking up….than earlier in the night. As long as someone can go back to sleep with relative ease, this is generally not considered to be a problem,” says Dr. Kogan.
Conditioned Insomnia
Annie Miller, LCSW-C, therapist and owner of DC Metro Therapy, says that conditioned insomnia is one of the most common — yet overlooked — reasons people wake up at 3 a.m. This happens when your brain learns to expect wakefulness at a certain time, often after a period of stress, disrupted sleep, or frequent nighttime awakenings. Even once the original trigger is gone, your brain may continue to “wake you up on schedule,” reinforcing the cycle night after night.
Cortisol Fluctuations
Nilou Esmaeilpour, MSc, RCC, clinical director, registered clinical counselor, and founder of Lotus Therapy, shares that cortisol bursts are apt to occur at this time as part of the normal circadian rhythm. For someone who is already in a state of hyper-stress, a cortisol burst will awaken them.
Miller adds that cortisol naturally rises in the early morning to prepare you for waking. But when your nervous system is dysregulated — due to anxiety, chronic stress, or trauma — this rise can happen too early or too sharply, causing premature wake-ups.
Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Miller explains that stressful life events can make your brain more alert during lighter stages of sleep, especially around 3 a.m., when your sleep is more fragile.
“If someone is experiencing chronic worry, particularly the kind that manifests as ruminating thoughts about work, relationships, or health, it can lead to early morning awakenings,” explains Esmaeilpour.
Depression is also associated with disrupted circadian rhythms. Dr. Kogan explains that those with depression tend to spend excessive time in bed or sleeping, which can lead to awakenings around this time. This can also occur with people who don’t experience depression.
“Most people need between seven to nine hours of sleep…[but if] someone is trying to sleep or staying in bed for…longer than they need, their body will wake up and stay awake because it does not need that much sleep,” says Dr. Kogan.
Meals and Blood Sugar
What and when you eat or drink can impact your sleep. Dr. Kogan says that heavy meals or consuming liquids before bed can lead to lighter and more interrupted sleep with awakenings in the second half of the night. Esmaeilpour adds that a drop in blood sugar can cause someone to wake up, especially if they have an early dinner or drink alcohol before bedtime.
Medical Conditions
Lastly, medical conditions can also contribute to frequent night awakenings. Miller shares that during perimenopause, fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can cause hot flashes and night sweats that disrupt sleep in the early morning hours.
“Menopause is associated with middle-of-the-night and early morning awakenings….Breathing disorders, pain, cardiovascular issues, and neurological disorders can cause frequent awakenings. Medications associated with these conditions can also cause nighttime awakenings,” says Dr. Kogan.
What Not to Do at 3 A.M.
At that moment when I woke up, I was so tempted to check my phone and do a bit of light doomscrolling. But I didn’t. Instead, I got into a cozy pose, tried to clear my head, and fell back asleep. Dr. Kogan advises avoiding devices and focusing on relaxing the mind and body.
Miller shares other don’ts when trying to fall back asleep:
- Don’t lie in bed awake: If you haven’t fallen back asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, get out of bed. Staying in bed trains your brain to associate it with wakefulness (and stress about not sleeping), not rest.
- Don’t look at the clock: Checking the time adds pressure and keeps your brain in problem-solving mode, which makes sleep even more elusive.
- Don’t try to force sleep: Sleep happens when we let go, not when we chase it. If you focus on resting and distracting yourself gently, sleep is more likely to return on its own.
Grounding Techniques to Fall Back Asleep
Grounding techniques that involve connecting with your body can help you fall back asleep during this moment. Esmaeilpour explains that body-based practices include feeling the weight of your body against the bed, watching your breath, scanning the room, or putting a hand over your heart to provide gentle touch.
“Mild to moderate gentle movements such as pressing feet into the mattress, soft humming, and gentle rocking of hips can help to re-establish a sense of grounding. Merely being aware of your body, as it is, without the urge to change anything, can be very soothing,” says Esmaeilpour.
Merely being aware of your body, as it is, without the urge to change anything, can be very soothing.
—
NILOU ESMAEILPOUR, MSC, RCC
Dr. Kogan shares that if someone wakes up briefly without an overly active mind, it can be helpful to visualize a floating object, such as a 3D shape or peaceful imagery or something else that does not overly activate the mind, but can keep the mind from starting to overthink. If the mind or body has started to become active or there is tension in the body, then deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can be effective.
Fixing the sleep environment can support falling back asleep. For instance, having a fan or extra blankets nearby can be helpful if you tend to wake up due to body temperature changes.
When to Seek Help for Chronic Interruptions
Esmaeilpour says that if this kind of awakening happens more than three nights a week for over a month and affects your daytime well-being, it may be a sign of deeper nervous system dysregulation.
“Working with a therapist who understands the connection between the mind and body can help address both the sleep disruption and the underlying causes, supporting more restful nights and greater emotional resilience,” advises Esmaeilpour.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Iao SI, Jansen EC, Shedden K, et al. Associations between Bedtime Eating or Drinking, Sleep Duration and Wake after Sleep Onset: Findings from the American Time Use Survey. British Journal of Nutrition. 2021;127(12):1–30. doi:10.1017/s0007114521003597
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