

If something is bothering you, write it down and schedule worry time for the next day.Avoid spending too much time in bed most people need just seven to nine hours of sleep, and the bed should be limited to sleep and romance.Stay active during the day to build your sleep drive and increase your chances of sleeping through the night.Avoid nicotine and certain medications, such as benzodiazepines, that can cause withdrawal symptoms during sleep and lead to waking up.Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evenings, and avoid alcohol right before bedtime.Keep a regular sleep schedule and relaxing bedtime routine.How can I keep these awakenings from happening?īesides keeping a journal and talking with your doctor about your concerns, it’s important to practice good “sleep hygiene”. Did you take a nap earlier or otherwise change your sleep routine?.Are you hungry or did you eat too much?.Are you having hot flashes or heart palpitations?.It helps to keep a journal about these awakenings and how you feel when you wake up. If your awakenings occur at least three nights a week for at least three months and result in daytime impairment, check with your doctor. Having chronic insomnia is different from just being a short sleeper - some people are able to function well and feel refreshed after regularly sleeping six or fewer hours each night. If you’re waking up for prolonged periods at least three nights a week, and it continues for at least three months and results in your being unable to function properly during the day, then this is called chronic insomnia. 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.
#Sleep maintenance insomnia full
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 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.
