So THAT's Why You Keep Waking Up At 3AM

Even though I have insomnia, my issue doesn’t actually lie in getting to sleep. 

Nope – I nod off just fine. My problem is staying in dreamland; more often than not, I wake up at 3am and simply cannot get back to sleep. 

There are things I’ve learned to do to cope with the problem. “Clock blocking”, refusing to stay in bed for more than 20 minutes, and (paradoxically) willing myself to stay awake have all been effective at getting me back to sleep. 

But given that almost a third of us wake up in the middle of the night at least three times a week – and that multiple friends had cited 3am as their most common early rising hour – I thought I’d ask Dr Seeta Shah from PANDA London if there’s anything “special” about that time. 

Here’s what she told us...

Why do I always wake up at 3am?

“Waking up around 3am is a surprisingly common experience,” Dr Shah confirmed. 

This, she said, could be down to a mixture of biological and lifestyle factors, like your body’s natural sleep cycle. 

“During a typical night’s sleep, we go through multiple 90-minute cycles that include different stages of sleep, from light to deep and REM sleep,” the doctor said. 

“Around 3am, most people are transitioning between cycles, and the sleep tends to be lighter at this point. That makes us more susceptible to waking, especially if there are external disturbances such as noise, light, temperature changes or even the need to use the loo.” 

Then, she said, there’s a hormonal component. “In the early hours of the morning, the body begins to increase its production of cortisol, the ‘stress hormone,’ in preparation for waking,” she explained.

“This natural rise in cortisol, combined with a dip in melatonin (the sleep hormone), can make the body more alert and prone to waking around this time.”

Cortisol usually dips to a low at around midnight and slowly rises thereafter.

“If you’re feeling anxious or have an active mind, this early-morning wakefulness can quickly turn into prolonged sleeplessness,” Dr Shah told us. 

How can I stop waking up at 3am?

“Lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, late-night screen use, inconsistent bedtimes, and even blood sugar dips can all contribute to waking at this hour,” the doctor explained. 

If you suspect this may be the cause of your early morning wake-ups, consider changing your habits and seeing how it affects your kip. 

But “if waking at 3am becomes a regular pattern, it’s worth examining both physical and mental health, as well as evening habits, to identify and address any underlying causes,” Dr Shah cautioned. 

The NHS said that if poor sleep is affecting your day-to-day life and causing you distress, you should speak to your GP about it.