Do you systematically wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. for no particular reason? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one! There is a very simple explanation for this phenomenon.
Like many people, you have probably already woken up in the middle of the night, around 3 or 4 a.m., for no particular reason. Know that you are not alone in this. It is in this particular time slot that most people wake up at night. It’s as if our bodies are programmed to rouse us from deep sleep at this precise time.
The reason for this punctuality of waking up at night simply comes from the punctuality of our falling asleep. Indeed, the sleep cycle operates in intervals of 90 to 120 minutes, during which we pass into periods of slow-wave and paradoxical sleep. During REM sleep, brain activity resembles that of wakefulness, and this is when we dream. It is at this point that we often naturally wake up before going back to sleep.
During the night, it is customary to have a series of short awakenings – these are called micro awakenings –, generally around five to seven per night. Since we tend to go to bed around the same time every night and these cycles are around the same length, we generally wake up at the same time in the night.
Most people fall asleep between 11 p.m. and midnight, waking up between 7 and 8 a.m. So each night we reach a stage of light sleep and wake up, usually between 3 and 4 a.m. And it is because we look at the time that we become aware of our awakening.
There is another, completely different explanation if we adopt the point of view of Chinese medicine. According to this, the time at which we wake up is a warning signal about the poor functioning of an organ in our body, since the energies circulating in the body are linked to our internal clock. As a result, the twelve main organs of the body are associated with time slots.
There would therefore be a cause and effect relationship between the organs and nocturnal awakenings. For example, waking up between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. indicates a problem with the lungs and can therefore mean that our body is facing respiratory problems, due to smoke, stress or a high breathing rate.
So, what can you do to get back to sleep quickly? The first thing to avoid is looking at the time. This only increases the frustration and pressure. Instead, try to stay relaxed. If you can’t get back to sleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed, do a calm activity like reading or meditating, then try again. Deep breathing and relaxation techniques, such as cardiac coherence, can also help calm your mind. Finally, make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep: a cool temperature, complete darkness and an absence of noise are essential.