Waking up around 3 a.m., or even a little later, is actually quite common. Far from having a mystical or supernatural explanation, it’s a very common problem related to sleep disturbances caused by anxiety.
However, it’s a phenomenon that deserves a thorough explanation to better understand and, in turn, address it. Waking up in the early hours of the morning and being unable to fall back asleep poses a serious problem if it recurs over many days. Hence the importance of knowing how to manage this situation (non-REM and REM sleep) effectively.
Generally, in these cases, we have trouble falling asleep when we go to bed, so we end up falling asleep around midnight. Anxiety fragments our sleep and makes it very difficult to reach the REM phase, where sleep is deep and restorative. Our brain interprets this anxiety as a threat, something we must escape. This feeling of alertness causes us to wake up abruptly a few hours after falling asleep, around 3 a.m.
This is a natural reaction of our body to a state of anxiety, where our neurotransmitters are altered, causing changes in our sleep.
How can I deal with this problem?
We’re dealing with a sleep disturbance caused by anxiety. To get restful sleep, we first need to address the sources of stress, the problem that’s causing us anxiety.
