Why do we regularly wake up at three o’clock in the morning?

This experience is familiar to many people. However, sleep specialists assert that it’s perfectly normal to wake up at three or four in the morning. In fact, most of us actually wake up not just once, but several times throughout the night. So, why does this happen?

Throughout the night, we all go through several sleep cycles. Each cycle begins with light sleep, which then transitions into deeper sleep as we enter the slow-wave sleep phase. Following this, we enter the more active phase of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, after which we are likely to wake up before falling back asleep.

This entire process spans about four hours. So, if you typically go to bed around 11 PM to midnight, you can expect to experience a brief awakening between phases after about three hours. Ideally, these interruptions in sleep shouldn’t last more than a few minutes. However, if you accidentally fall into a negative thought spiral, you may find it difficult to drift off again.

Sleep scientists note that stress isn’t necessarily the culprit behind waking up in the middle of the night. However, it can turn our brief awakenings into true torment. Moreover, it turns out we tend to be less rational in our nighttime thoughts than during the day. As a result, our problems always seem much more serious at three in the morning, as reported by IFLScience.

According to psychologist and cognitive therapist Greg Murray, this happens because we know there’s really nothing we can do to solve our problems at that hour. During the day, we can actively tackle challenges, but at night, all we can do is worry. That’s just how we’re wired.

Is it possible to combat these distressing awakenings? Mr. Murray recommends practicing what’s known as mindfulness meditation. When we wake up in the middle of the night, we should focus on our breathing or sensations. This helps calm the mind and overcome anxiety. If you’re lucky, this practice may lead to a quick return to sleep. And if that attempt doesn’t succeed, it’s worth picking up a book to distract yourself from heavy thoughts, says Greg Murray.