Why Do I Wake Up At 3 In The Morning And Never Go Back To Sleep?

The phenomenon of waking up around 3 a.m. or even a little later, is really common. Far from having a mystical or supernatural explanation, it is actually a very common type of problem.

This disorder is related to sleep disturbances due to anxiety. In this article we detail the symptoms and some solutions to this problem.

It is a phenomenon that deserves to be explained in detail in order to better understand it and, in turn, face it. Waking up at this time of the morning and not being able to fall asleep again is a very serious problem if it is repeated over many days. Hence the importance of knowing how to manage this situation.

Waking up at 3 in the morning

To begin with, we must be clear that there is nothing strange about this phenomenon. It is actually a reaction of our brain to a heightened state of anxiety. We can feel it at a specific moment or, on the contrary, it can become a persistent sleep disturbance that we should begin to address.

Related symptoms

• The moment the person wakes up at this time, they feel great restlessness and unease.
• Tachycardias and a feeling of threat appear.
• When we want to go back to sleep, it is impossible for us. This increases our nervousness, negative thoughts, and inability to sleep.
• If we fall asleep, it will be very light, which will make us wake up tired.
• This phenomenon, waking up around 3 in the morning, can repeat itself about twice a week.

The anxiety

If throughout the week you begin to notice that you wake up unexpectedly around 3 in the morning and almost always during these hours, ask yourself first if you are worried about something. If you feel threatened by a problem, if your job demands too much of you or if you currently have an emotional problem. According to this review carried out by the University of Navarra, this class of sleep disorders could be caused by an anxiety problem.

All these factors generate stress that we are not always aware of. Later, one way our brain reacts to this problem is through rest at night.

We started having trouble falling asleep. Finally, when we fall asleep,  the tension generated and accumulated  causes us to wake up suddenly and with a feeling of threat.

How does anxiety work in sleep?

• Anxiety directly alters our central nervous system (CNS).  This is stated in this study carried out by the University of Medical Sciences of Santiago de Cuba. It begins to make small changes in your biochemistry and in the neurochemical systems involved in your wake-sleep cycles. All of this will directly alter the sleep phases (non-REM and REM).
• In general, and in these cases, when we go to bed it is difficult for us to fall asleep, so we end up falling asleep around midnight. Anxiety will make our sleep fragmented without reaching the stage where it is deeper and more restorative.

• In turn, in our brain this anxiety is interpreted in the form of a threat, as something from which we must escape. The feeling of alertness causes us to wake up violently within hours of falling asleep. That is, around 3 in the morning.
• It is a natural reaction of our body to a state of  anxiety. In reality, our neurotransmitters are altered causing changes in our sleep.

How can we tackle it?

We are facing a sleep disturbance caused by anxiety. In order to get a good night’s sleep, we need to deal with these sources of stress first . We must face that problem that is causing us anxiety:

Emotional issues

• It is important that you recognize that something is happening. Waking up in the early morning feeling scared or threatened is a direct sign that something is wrong. Ask yourself why, what is it in your life that makes you uncomfortable, that makes you unhappy, or that inspires you with a sense of threat.

• Make small changes in your life, set priorities and, in turn, vary some habits so that your brain finds new stimuli and relieves tension.
• When you get home, take a relaxing bath and go to bed with ease. The last thing you should do is think about “I have to sleep well all night so I can perform tomorrow.” This thought creates stress in your brain because it understands it as pressure, as an obligation: “I have to sleep.”
• Relaxation techniques can also help you, which contribute to rest and mitigate the effects of anxiety, as indicated by some research in this regard.
• Talk to a psychologist. They can help you end this problem.

Tips before going to bed

• It would be very convenient if, after dinner, you could take a relaxing walk of at least half an hour. Go, breathe, relativize things. Just relax.
• The best thing is that you empty your mind and don’t think about anything.
• Make sure the room is cool and well ventilated and that it also smells good. The most suitable temperature to sleep well is between 19 and 22 ºC.  A higher or lower temperature causes discomfort, according to the Global Sleep Observatory.