Common causes of nighttime awakenings and how to fix them.
Find your ideal time to sleep or wake up
Calculate my sleep cycles →Cortisol (the stress hormone) can surge at night, especially between 2–4 AM when it naturally begins to rise to prepare the body for waking. If you are stressed, this peak can be exaggerated and wake you up.
If you eat dinner very early or very little, your glucose may drop low enough during the night to trigger an adrenaline response, waking you with a racing heart.
An environment that is too hot or too cold interrupts sleep. The ideal temperature is 18–20°C. Your body needs to cool down to maintain deep sleep.
Although alcohol helps you fall asleep faster, it fragments sleep in the second half of the night. It is one of the most common causes of waking up at 3–4 AM.
Drinking too many fluids before bed is an obvious cause. Reduce fluid intake 2 hours before going to sleep.
If you wake up more than 3 nights per week for more than a month, consult a professional. It could indicate sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux, or another treatable condition.