Why do your eyes pop open at 3am?
It’s not just you, you aren’t broken, it’s a common phenomenon related to the normal cycle of hormones like melatonin and cortisol as well as body temperature and other processes.
Melatonin rises as darkness falls to aid sleep similarly, body temperature drops as the body winds down.
Typically around 3am melatonin levels drop and cortisol begins to increase to aid waking.
This corresponds to body temperatures drop and increase over the night towards morning.
Here’s what’s really important:
If you get up to pee, this increases heart rate and body temperature further making sleep more difficult to return to.
Switching on lights or looking at a phone screen reduces melatonin production because the body thinks it’s morning, thus making falling back asleep even more difficult.
So, to avoid the 3am wake up trap:
1. Drink more liquids earlier in the day to reduce night time bathroom breaks.
2. Try to resist the urge to get up to pee.
3. If you must get up, keep lights low and avoid bright screens such as your phone.
4. Try to avoid thoughts of the upcoming day and keep thoughts neutral as much as possible.
5. Practice box breathing when you return to bed (breathe in for a count of 8, hold for 8, exhale for 8).
6. Or, close your eyes, look up for a count of 2, then to the right, down, then to the left. Repeat in the opposite direction. Focusing on the eye movements helps to distract a wondering mind.
7. Ask your doctor if vaginal estrogen is appropriate for you as it can decrease bladder urgency.
8. A melatonin supplement can be taken from time to time, particularly when changing time zones, however long term use is not recommended.
I hope this helps!