If there’s one fact the Monday workday brings to light, it’s this; most Brits aren’t getting anything like enough sleep.
In fact, a study from The Sleep Practice found that around 7.5 million UK adults get under five hours’ sleep a night – and only about 23% of us are catching enough Zzzs on the reg.
For me, a recurring sleep problem is waking up at 4am pretty much every morning. And apparently, it looks like I’m not alone.
The Sleep Foundation shared that around 35% of people wake up at the same time every night, adding that “waking up frequently at night often occurs alongside physical and mental disorders.”
So, we thought we’d share what causes the problem – and what to do about it.
How come I wake up at the same time every night?
Chances are that if you’ve faced some issues with your sleep, you’ve come across the term ‘circadian rhythm’ before. It refers to the way your internal body clock regulates things like your metabolism and sleep pattern, and can be affected by environmental factors (like light and dark).
For some people, their circadian rhythm just sort of likes waking them up at the wee hours.
“One likely explanation for waking up at the same time each night is that you go to sleep at the same time and then, at the same time each night, you reach a light stage of sleep and wake up,” said Annesa Das, Assistant Director of the Sleep Medicine Program, when speaking to The Ohio State University.
But The Sleep Foundation points out that your regular sleep pattern can be affected by your external environment. “Combined with these existing rhythms, other factors that cause people to wake up at night might result in regularly waking up around the same time,” they say.
Factors that could cause your unreqeusted 4am wake-up call include:
- Stress, anxiety, and depression
- Acid reflux, or not eating enough
- Hormones and blood glucose levels
- Being pregnant
- Sleep apnoea
- The menopause
- Inconsistent bedtimes
- Smoking
- Caffeine
- Certain medications, like beta-blockers, antidepressants, and diuretics
- Ageing
OK, so... what can I do about it?
For some people, waking up early in the morning isn’t really an issue.
“Most of us wake up at least once a night but should be able to return to sleep with little effort,” says Dr. Das. And the Sleep Foundation recommends making lifestyle changes, like not going on your phone before bed, exercising daily, setting a consistent bedtime, and skipping the late-day caffeine before worrying about something more serious
But if these changes don’t work and waking up at the same time every night is affecting your sleep significantly, it might be time to call a doctor.
“If you’re waking up for prolonged periods at least three nights a week, and it continues for at least three months and results in your being unable to function properly during the day, then this is called chronic insomnia,” Dr. Das says. They recommend keeping a sleep journal to record the quality and quantity of your sleep and sharing that information with your doctor.
Either way, though, you shouldn’t accept those sleepless nights.