‘Sleep Doctor’ explains the reason people wake up at 3 in the morning
An expert shares advice for people struggling with sleep (stock photo). (Image: Getty)
A psychologist has offered guidance for those who wake up at 3am. Dr Michael J. Bruce is a clinical psychologist and sleep medicine expert who has gained popularity through her books and social media presence.
He is also the founder of ‘Sleep Doctor’ and frequently appears in TikTok videos of @Thesleepdoctor.
Why do you keep waking up at 3 in the morning? ” he asked in one post. The expert offered advice for those who wake up early in the morning and revealed there could be a ‘natural’ reason for their behaviour.
Dr Bruce said, “Many people wonder why people wake up between one and three in the morning. It’s your biology.
“Up until about 10:30 at night, your core body temperature rises, rises, rises, and then it starts to fall. That drop is a signal to your brain to release melatonin. The core body temperature then continues to fall, fall, fall.
“But at some point, it has to warm your body; otherwise, you’ll become hypothermic. This tends to happen between one and three in the morning, and everyone, everyone on Earth, is awake.”
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However, if people find they struggle to get back to sleep after waking up, the psychologist said it could be a sign of a problem. Dr Bruce said, “Most people turn over and go back to sleep. However, some people continue to have another problem called insomnia.”
The NHS says: “Insomnia means you have trouble sleeping regularly.” This usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits,” the Health Service says everyone needs different amounts of sleep, but, on average, adults need seven to nine hours.
The advice says that if you feel constantly worn out, you probably won’t get enough sleep. Symptoms of insomnia include waking up several times during the night, difficulty falling asleep, waking up early, and feeling exhausted even after waking up.
Some common causes of insomnia include stress, noise, an uncomfortable bed, shift work, alcohol and sleeping in a room that is too hot or too cold.
The NHS said: “A GP will try to find out what is causing your insomnia so you can get the right treatment. Sometimes you will be offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This can be face-to-face with a therapist or through an online self-help programme.
The advice continued: “GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills to treat insomnia. Sleeping pills can have serious side effects and you may become dependent on them. Sleeping pills are only prescribed for a few days or weeks at most if your insomnia is very bad and other treatments are not working.”
More advice is available on the NHS website. Always talk to your GP about any health concerns you have.
