Why You Keep Waking Up at 3 a.m.—And What Your Body's Trying to Tell You
According to sleep doctors we talked to, there are several different reasons why this happens; there isn't one universal cause. But in every instance, it can be frustrating and often hard to fall back asleep. Here, sleep doctors share the different reasons why people wake up in the middle of the night and their tips for what to do if you can't fall back asleep.
🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊
If you like to wind down in the evening with an alcoholic drink, your relaxing habit may be sabotaging your sleep. 'Alcohol can disturb sleep,' says Dr. Richard Schwab, MD, the Chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. 'While alcohol can help someone fall asleep faster, it causes an increase in heart rate, which leads to sleep disturbances in the second half of the night."
He explains that this happens with every type of alcohol; it doesn't matter if it's whiskey, wine, beer or something else, saying, 'When alcohol is metabolized in the body, it increases body temperature. This causes the heart to beat faster, which is likely the reason why it can interrupt sleep."
Dr. William Lu, MD,the Medical Director at Dreem Health, also says drinking alcohol can lead to waking up in the middle of the night.
"Avoiding alcohol is always beneficial for your sleep," he explains. "You may be able to fall asleep easier with alcohol, but in the back half of the night, alcohol has a stimulating effect which in turn can cause earlier wakeups. It is also known that alcohol decreases the amount of deep sleep that you get causing you to feel more tired and less refreshed in the morning."
Scientific research backs up the connection between alcohol and sleep disturbances, showing that alcohol disrupts sleep in several ways, including interrupting circadian rhythm, increasing breathing-related sleep events such as snoring and triggering insomnia. Dr. Schwab explains that alcohol interferes with REM sleep, which is important for maintaining optimal brain health.
Related:
Both doctors say that many common medications—both over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications—are associated with sleep disturbances. Dr. Schwab says this includes antidepressants, corticosteroids (which are used to treat arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and allergies, among other health conditions), beta blockers for hypertension, antihistamines, decongestants and Alzheimer's medications.
Additionally, Dr. Schwab says that Benadryl can cause sleep disturbances. He explains taht some people with insomnia take Benadryl because it can help them fall asleep, but he emphasizes that this medication can lead to waking up in the second half of the night. This also happens with many other 'PM' medications, like Tylenol PM.
If a medication is causing you to have sleep disturbances, Dr. Schwab recommends taking it in the morning instead of at night. If the problem persists, talk to your healthcare provider.
Related:
If you consistently wake up in the middle of the night, you could have sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that roughly 30 million Americans have. 'Sleep apnea causes a lot of sleep fragmentation and a lot of people don't know they have it, especially if they sleep alone,' Dr. Schwab explains.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, times when you stop breathing during sleep, gasping for air during sleep, waking up with dry mouth, morning headaches and feeling sleepy during the day. If you think you have sleep apnea, talk to your healthcare provider.
Sleep apnea isn't the only health condition that can lead to waking up in the middle of the night. Dr. Schwab says that chronic heartburn, chronic pain, COPD or lung disease and other chronic conditions can all cause sleep disturbances. Additionally, menopause symptoms such as night sweats can make it hard to stay asleep. If any of these health conditions are disrupting your sleep, talk to your doctor about possible solutions.
Dr. Schwab points out that there are all sorts of environmental reasons why you may wake up in the middle of the night too. Pets, kids, leaving the TV on at night and outdoor noises can all lead to waking up in the middle of the night.
Related:
Waking up in the middle of the night is frustrating enough, but when you can't fall back asleep, it's even more annoying. If this happens, Dr. Schwab says reading a book in very low light until you get sleepy may be a better solution than lying in bed in frustration.
"I encourage people to get out of bed and to go somewhere different such as the couch or another room. Do some quiet activities until you begin feeling sleepy again and then go back to bed to try to sleep again," Dr. Lu adds.
If you wake up tired because you didn't sleep well the night before, Dr. Schwab says to resist the urge to nap, which could lead to yet another night of poor sleep. Having general good sleep hygiene tips in place can also help with sleep, he explains. With this in mind, avoid using electronics in the evening, don't sleep with the TV on and keep your bedroom dark and cool.
Not getting enough sleep greatly impacts both physical and mental health. If you are struggling to get good, consistent sleep, it's worth it to pinpoint the reason why and troubleshoot from there. That way, you can wake up each day truly well-rested and ready for anything the day brings.
Up Next: Dr. Richard Schwab, MD, Chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Dr. William Lu, MD, sleep medician physician and Medical Director at Dreem Health
America's Sleepless Nights: Stress, Screens, and the Search for Rest in 2025 [Survey Report]. US News and World Reports
Alcohol and Sleep-Related Problems. Current Opinions in Psychology. 2020
REM Sleep: What Is It and Why It's Important. Sleep Foundation
Are your medications keeping you up at night? Harvard Health
What doctors wish patients knew about sleep apnea. American Medical Association.
Sleep apnea. Mayo Clinic
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
New research uncovers surprising connection between air pollution and major illness: 'The findings here showed a positive association'
New research uncovers surprising connection between air pollution and major illness: 'The findings here showed a positive association' The air quality and physical health benefits of decreasing pollution have been known for decades. But scientists are now finding even more positive effects from declining pollution rates, specifically as it pertains to one major issue— dementia. A recent international study published in Scientific Reports investigated whether greenness influences the association between particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and ozone, and whether this relationship affects the disease tree that includes Alzheimer's and additional forms of dementia. Spoiler alert: the results were very positive. "The findings here showed a positive association between annual average concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone exposure and the incidence, deaths, and DALYs of AD and other dementias," read the conclusion of the study's write-up, published on "A greener environment could mitigate this association, particularly at moderate-to-high greenness levels. Therefore, increasing green space worldwide would positively impact health, although the protective effects of greenness may not increase linearly at the highest levels of vegetation." Pollution negatively impacting things like air quality and human respiratory health is kind of self-evident and wasn't ever surprising. But finding conclusive evidence of its effect on long-term neurodegenerative diseases is noteworthy and may potentially even provide a window into combating that famously hard-to-understand kind of illness. The stakes of this finding couldn't be much higher. An American Lung Association analysis found that as many as one in three people in the U.S. is breathing unhealthy air, while the World Health Organization contends that nine out of 10 people globally breathe polluted air. Meanwhile, in 2021, 57 million people had dementia worldwide, over 60% of whom live in low-and middle-income countries, and nearly 10 million new cases are diagnosed every year, per the WHO. The United States government is arguably regressing in its efforts to combat pollution these days, but many other countries around the globe are rising to the challenge, slowly but surely reducing carbon pollution in the last few decades. The effects of such reductions will likely not be readily apparent for a long time, given that industrialization has coated the atmosphere in poisonous chemicals for over a century at this point. But any progress is good progress, and the bigger (and quicker) a dent the world makes in cutting pollution, the more lives can be saved. Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home? Yes — often Yes — but only sometimes Only when it's bad outside No — I never do Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Selonterra announces grant of United States patent on original discoveries in Alzheimer's disease
SAN MATEO, Calif., Aug. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Selonterra, Inc. ( a biotechnology company developing transformative therapies for neurodegenerative disorders announces that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted the U.S. Patent No. 12,385,093 entitled "Use of APOE4 motif-mediated genes for diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease". Selonterra focuses on neurodegenerative disorders with strong genetic links, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). APOE4 is the most important genetic factor associated with late onset AD. We discovered that the single nucleotide change in APOE4 regulates the expression of genes in its chromosomal vicinity. These APOE4-motif mediated genes offer novel unexploited targets for the development of small molecule therapeutics for AD. "We relentlessly pursue intellectual property coverage along the entire development path from our early discoveries, through novel targets to small molecule composition of matter patents," said Roman Urfer, PhD, Founder and CEO of Selonterra. "The issuance of our patent around our newly discovered function of the APOE4 single nucleotide polymorphism is testament to our innovative strength," said Anne Urfer-Buchwalder, PhD, Founder and President of Selonterra. "These discoveries enable us to exploit the well-established APOE4 root cause of AD from a previously unappreciated angle." About Selonterra, Inc. Selonterra, Inc. ( pursues transformative approaches to the development of therapies of neurodegenerative disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We harness human genetics, molecular pathway analysis and gene regulatory networks to identify proprietary disease-causing mechanisms and molecular targets, and exploit these to discover effective therapeutics. Selonterra's founders and advisors are scientists and executives with decades of biotech and pharma experience complemented by a global network of collaborator companies. Investor and Media Contact: T: (+1) 650 206 7025E: admin@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Selonterra, Inc. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Breakthrough study finds deficiency of this common nutrient could contribute to Alzheimer's
A deficiency of the metal lithium in the body could be a key factor contributing to the development of dementia in Alzherimer's patients, a groundbreaking new study reveals. The decade-long research, published in the journal Nature, shows for the first time that lithium occurs naturally in the brain and maintains the normal function of all its major cell types, preventing nerves from degradation. Scientists from Harvard Medical School found that lithium loss in the human brain is one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer's, while in mice, a similar lithium depletion accelerated memory decline. A reduced lithium level was found in some cases due to the metal's impaired uptake and its binding to amyloid plaques, which are known to be smoking gun signs of Alzheimer's. Researchers also showed that a new type of lithium compound – lithium orotate – can avoid capture by amyloid plaques and restore memory in mice. In the study, scientists used an advanced type of mass spectroscopy chemical analysis method to measure trace levels of about 30 different metals in the brain and blood samples from a range of people, including cognitively healthy people, those in an early stage of dementia, and those with advanced Alzheimer's. The analysis revealed that lithium was the only metal with markedly different levels across groups, which also seemed to change at the earliest stages of memory loss. 'Lithium turns out to be like other nutrients we get from the environment, such as iron and vitamin C,' study senior author Bruce Yankner said. 'It's the first time anyone's shown that lithium exists at a natural level that's biologically meaningful without giving it as a drug,' Dr Yankner said. Although lithium compounds have been historically in use to treat a range of mental conditions like bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, in these cases, they are given at much higher concentrations that could even be toxic to older people. Scientists have now found that lithium orotate is effective at one-thousandth this dose – enough to mimic the natural level of lithium in the brain. The latest findings with lithium orotate, however, needs to be confirmed in humans via clinical trials. Yet, researchers suspect that measuring lithium levels could help screen people for early Alzheimer's. The findings revise the theory of Alzheimer's disease, which affects nearly 400 million people worldwide, offering a new strategy for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Decades of studies have shown that Alzheimer's disease involves an array of brain abnormalities, including clumps of the protein amyloid beta, tangles of the protein tau, and a loss of the brain's protective protein REST. However, these abnormalities have never fully explained the condition. For instance, it remains unclear why some people with Alzheimer's-like changes in the brain never go on to develop dementia or cognitive decline. Recent treatments developed to target amyloid beta plaques also don't seem to reverse memory loss, only modestly reducing the rate of cognitive decline. Now, scientists say lithium could be the critical missing link. 'The idea that lithium deficiency could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease is new and suggests a different therapeutic approach,' Dr Yankner said. 'You have to be careful about extrapolating from mouse models, and you never know until you try it in a controlled human clinical trial... But so far the results are very encouraging,' he added.
