![]() ![]() Most of us wake up at least once a night but should be able to return to sleep with little effort. Sleep apnea, menopause or thyroid dysfunction are among other medical causes for nighttime awakenings. Your frequent wakeups could be signaling something else entirely, which is why it’s important to check with your doctor if this happens too often. If you have diabetes, check with your doctor to ensure that your blood sugar is properly controlled throughout the night. Waking up often in the night could signal that your hormone or blood glucose levels are fluctuating. Your stomachĮxperiencing acid reflux or just being too hungry or too full can lead to nighttime awakenings. ![]() Terminal insomnia, which happens when you wake up before your ideal wake-up time and just can’t fall back asleep, can be a sign of depression. ![]() But anxiety can also cause you to wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep (called middle insomnia, or sleep-maintenance insomnia). Stress can make it hard to get to sleep in the first place (that’s called sleep-onset insomnia). We’re also more likely to remember waking up if it’s closer to the time we normally get up for the day. 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. Each stage of sleep has a different threshold for how easy it is to be woken up. Throughout the night, our sleep cycles between rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. Our sleep pattern mostly depends on our circadian rhythm and homeostatic sleep drive (the bodily mechanism that regulates sleeping/waking rhythms). Here are some reasons this could be happening, and ways to make it stop: Why it might be happening Your sleep patterns While this may seem like a simple solution for those of us who find ourselves scrolling late into the night, Breus acknowledges that there is an added element of FOMO, due in part to the pandemic, making the Power-Down Hour seem a bit more daunting.Do you find yourself always waking up in the middle of the night or much earlier than you wanted to? This common issue is insomnia, but there are several types of insomnia that can affect your sleep differently. The order of each segment is what Breus claims is “the secret ingredient.” With this technique, you are not only addressing specific behaviors of self-regulation you are also considering the thoughts and feelings element. The final 20 minutes are for relaxation (such as meditation, prayer, or journaling).The second 20 minutes are set aside for hygiene (such as a hot bath).The first 20 minutes are dedicated to things that need to be done.The Power-Down Hour is composed of three 20-minute segments: How a ‘Power-Down Hour’ Can Reduce Sleep Procrastinationīreus studies the science of helping people sleep, and he helps patients with a technique he calls the “Power-Down Hour.” Featured in his first book, Good Night: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health, it is a strategy to slow your mind down while getting you to step away from technology and address daily procrastination (that could lead to sleep procrastination). ![]()
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