Have you ever found yourself waking up around four in the morning staring off into space? Is it just a bad habit or are things even more dangerous? And why is it always four in the morning?
Lisa Aarts, partner at Canadian mattress company Simba Mattress and deputy CEO of British NGO The Sleep Charity, says: ‘We’re relatively shallow after about four to five hours. sleep I start to go and once we’re in the blur of this kind of less deep sleep, we wake up much more easily.’
If you usually go to bed around 11pm, which is a very common bedtime, you are more likely to wake up at 4am, but there are many other factors that contribute to this painful movement. are made
Hormones
According to Lisa: ‘Sleep depends on our internal clock or circadian rhythm. One of the most important and well-known circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle.’
According to him: ‘Sleep is controlled by two hormone levels, melatonin and cortisol, which follow a 24-hour pattern.
‘The hormone melatonin helps you fall asleep, while cortisol helps you wake up and keeps you awake.’
Those who wake up late at night need to monitor their hormones to prevent this.
Dr Maryam H Malik, GP at Pall Mall Medical, a private hospital in the UK, says: ‘It can be beneficial to engage in quiet activities before bed such as reading, listening to soothing music or practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing. or meditation etc.’
Similarly, switch off your phone for a while.
Dr Maryam further says that ‘blue light emitted from electronic devices can inhibit the production of melatonin hormone.
‘Try to avoid screen time at least two hours before bedtime or use blue light filters. It is better to charge them in a separate room at night.’
food
According to Maryam, caffeine, heavy meals, alcohol, sugar and a lack of magnesium or B vitamins can further disrupt your night’s sleep.
Sugar and carbohydrates can have a special effect in this regard.
“A diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause blood sugar fluctuations that can lead to nighttime awakenings,” she says.
Lisa says: ‘If your blood sugar drops, you’re less likely to feel hungry in the middle of the night, but to minimize wakefulness at this unusual time, have your last meal of the day or an evening snack. needs to be changed.
‘Choose protein-rich and magnesium-rich foods, such as hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, pumpkin seeds, spinach, dark chocolate, cashews or chicken or turkey, instead of carbohydrate- or sugar-based snacks.’
Protein can curb your nighttime hunger while magnesium supports sleep, she says.
urine
Do you wake up suddenly at the same time every night?
‘Avoid drinking large amounts of water or anything before going to bed,’ advises Dr Maryam.
He says: ‘Staying hydrated is important but try not to drink anything about two hours before your usual bedtime. Go to the toilet and empty your bladder before going to bed.
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Age and life stage
Maryam says that as people age, sleep disturbances occur.
He said: ‘Sleep patterns change with age and various factors can contribute to sleep disorders in the elderly.
‘Some common causes of sleep disturbances in the elderly include factors such as changes in your circadian rhythm, decreased production of melatonin, medical conditions or medication use and possible sleep disorders.’
‘It can also affect women when they stop menstruating,’ says Lisa.
Reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone are linked to the sleep and relaxation hormones melatonin and serotonin, he says.
According to Lisa: ‘When estrogen starts to drop before and during menstruation, it can disrupt the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, meaning it can’t balance cortisol properly. When this happens, the ability to sleep is affected.’
Frequent hot flushes, night sweats, dry skin and low libido can indicate low estrogen.
Lisa recommends adding more phytoestrogens to your diet throughout the day to help with this.
They say: ‘Phytoestrogens act like the natural estrogens found in your body. As a result, they can bind to your body’s estrogen receptors and cause similar effects.
‘For this purpose, eat lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu fish, edamame, spinach, cabbage and broccoli.’
Anxiety or stress
Stress is not good for sleep.
A study by British health insurer Bupa even found that 32 million Britons wake up at 4:05 a.m. worried about their health. The report, which surveyed 4,000 British citizens, revealed that three in five people wake up in the middle of the night.
If you find yourself waking up all the time with anxious, anxious, or stressful dreams, there are a few things that can help.
According to Dr Maryam: ‘Keep a notebook by your bed and write down your worries before you go to bed.
‘This exercise can help you get your worries out of your mind and onto paper, making it easier to let them go temporarily.’
He says: ‘You may also want to do mindfulness or meditation exercises before bed. Mindfulness can help you focus on the present moment and reduce anxiety about the past or future.’
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