Shuteye and sleep hygiene: the truth about why you keep waking up at 3am
Curated from: theguardian.com
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Nobody sleeps the night through
It's quite normal to wake up during the night. Waking up during the night does not necessarily mean you have insomnia. People will often return to sleep without realising that they have ever been awake.
Reasons for night-time waking include being too hot or cold, needing the loo, having a nightmare, or medical (disordered breathing such as sleep apnoea or nocturia: excessive night-time urination).
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Lifestyle changes can make a big difference
Waking as much as five or seven times a night is not necessarily a cause for concern. It's more important how you feel 30 minutes after waking in the morning.
Lifestyle changes can make a big difference:
- Stop caffeine consumption by 2 pm or 3 pm
- Reduce water intake during the day
- Alcohol can help you fall asleep but it causes spikes in blood sugar and cortisol levels, disrupting sleep.
- A "pro-sleep" bedtime snack or an "anti-inflammatory" diet has been shown to improve sleep apnoea.
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Fixating on eight hours can make it harder to achieve
- For many, bedtime might be our first opportunity of the day to be alone with our thoughts. It’s connected to waking in the night because we haven’t had any processing time during the day.
- Managing stress and anxiety during waking hours and learning how to relax body and mind are key to a good night’s sleep.
- People might have this belief that they are a ‘bad sleeper’. A mindset change may be what’s needed. Accepting that you could wake up hours before dawn might be the first step towards good sleep.
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