Waking up during the night?
Waking up every so often during the night is normal. It’s something that happens to everybody at some point in their lives.
There are many reasons why you might wake up, including stress, needing to go to the bathroom, your environment, or medical conditions that affect your sleep. This is okay when you can easily drift back off to sleep after waking up. It’s a small disruption to your night that doesn’t affect how you feel the day after. But when you find yourself frequently waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to get back to sleep afterward, it can be a cause for concern.
In general, adults are recommended to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Ideally, this sleep should be uninterrupted so that you can achieve three or four sleep cycles per night. Your sleep cycle consists of light sleep, deep sleep, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. It’s important to get periods of all three types of sleep during the night. Usually, deep sleep occurs when you first get to sleep, and the lighter sleep or REM sleep occurs nearer to the morning time.
Your sleep environment
The environment you sleep in makes a huge difference in your ability to get to sleep, as well as how likely you are to stay asleep during the night.
The factors that have the most significant impact on your sleep include temperature, light and noise levels. If any of these factors are not optimal for sleep, it might lead to you waking up at regular intervals during the night.
Temperature can affect your sleeping patterns. Many people find that they have more difficulty sleeping during the hot summer months. This is because your environment affects your body’s ability to cool itself at night time. Ideally, your room should be cool (between 60- and 67-degrees Fahrenheit or 16 - 20 degrees Celsius) for optimal sleep.
Frequently needing the bathroom
Drinking a lot of water just before bed is a sure-fire way to keep yourself up during the night. As you drift off into sleep, your bladder will slowly fill with urine until, eventually, it is full. When your bladder signals to the brain that it needs emptying, it can cause you to wake up.
If you can, avoid consuming large amounts of fluid or diuretics just before you go to bed. Seek medical advice if you suspect your kidney function is compromised.
Stress and anxiety
If you're overly stressed and anxious, it can lead to difficulty getting to sleep. You might also find that you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about work or other personal responsibilities.
Aim to reduce your anxiety by practicing mindfulness and decreasing your workload. You might also benefit from counseling or therapy sessions to decrease your anxious thoughts.