Do you suddenly wake up at 3 am? NHS doctor shares the real reason why it happens: ‘If you are constantly stressed…’

If you are experiencing frequent 3 AM wake-ups in a row, it means there's a ‘disturbance’ in your lifestyle.

Do you wake up in the middle of the night? 3 am wake-ups may draw gasps if you believe in superstitious, supernatural theories. But there's nothing unnatural about it. In fact, there's a real, scientific reason behind why you wake up. Your biological rhythm is at play, and it can be attributed to diurnal variation.

Do you keep waking up at 3 AM? Know the reasons and how you can fix it.

Dr Amir Khan, a UK-based NHS general practitioner, explained in the No Appointment Needed Podcast episode dated April 14, why you may keep waking up at 3 AM and how cortisol plays a role. While this is a natural process, one lifestyle habit can make you more prone to late-night wakefulness.

Why do you keep waking up at 3 AM?

Waking up at 3 AM is not mysterious, as it happens because of how your cortisol acts throughout the day and night.

“What we call diurnal variations, which means it ebbs and flows through the day, and you get higher parts of it in the morning in the daytime, and then it starts to drop off at night," he said.

What does this mean? In simple words, in the mornings, cortisol naturally rises, making you feel more alert, and drops at night, so your body feels relaxed, and you get ready for sleep.

This cycle, which the doctor described as ‘ebb and flow’, is natural, and any disruption will throw this cycle off sync, and in turn throw off sleep quality.

What is the disturbance?

“If you are constantly stressed, you are not getting that drop in cortisol which you need to help you sleep, so getting off to sleep becomes really difficult. Your cortisol level starts to rise around 3-4 am, and then it starts to wake you up a bit later on, but if you have a baseline cortisol that is already high, and it starts to rise naturally at 3-4 am because it is not a natural rise anymore, you have already started at a much higher level,” the doctor explained.

What does this mean? Let's break down. When you are stressed, your body experiences higher levels of cortisol. Instead of the natural dip at night, it stays up, making you stay alert instead of winding down. Automatically, it also disturbs the sleep quality.

Now, naturally, the body's cortisol levels increase around 3-4 am, just about the time you are about to wake up in the morning. This is normal. But what is not normal? Your stress, which pushes the early morning cortisol even higher. This spike jolts you awake at 3 AM, and you toss and turn the remaining night, wide awake, trying to fall asleep.

Dr Khan reminded that 3 am wakings are quite common. But it is nothing mysterious or supposedly ‘spooky.' "That 3 am waking is so common," he said. It instead only implies how pervasive stress has become in daily life.

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.