Table of contents:
- What are the reasons we often wake up in the middle of the night?
- 1. Pain
- 2. Mental illness and stress
- 3. Snoring
- 4. Jet lag
- 5. Hormonal changes
- 6. Diseases and medical conditions
- 7. Drink coffee
- 8. Fatigue
Everyone has their own reasons for staying up late. Whether to work on unfinished schoolwork, catch up deadline work, or is waiting video call from a lover who is in another cross country. However, what is most annoying is when we constantly wake up in the middle of the night while sleeping. As a result, even if you have slept for eight hours, you will wake up in the morning still sleepy due to disturbed sleep.
Sleeping well is not a big problem. But in fact, a study says that 70% of people who have trouble sleeping will experience fatigue in the morning, so it can interfere with daily activities. Even according to Center of Chronic Disease (CDC), sleep disorders are associated with the risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity, cancer, increasing mortality, and reducing quality of life and productivity.
What are the reasons we often wake up in the middle of the night?
The following are things that might cause you to wake up during sleep:
1. Pain
Pain or tenderness can occur due to stress or deteriorating health. In one study, 15% of Americans reported suffering from chronic pain, and 2/3 also reported having trouble sleeping. Back pain, headaches, and temporomandibular joint syndrome (problems with the jaw muscles) are the main causes of sleep deprivation associated with aches or pains.
2. Mental illness and stress
You may also wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a lot of things, like your job, your relationship with your boyfriend, or a college assignment that doesn't go away. Finally, you always go to bed with all the anxiety that often leads to stress. And it turns out, insomnia is one of the symptoms and causes of depression and anxiety which makes it harder for you to sleep.
3. Snoring
Snoring is a common condition that can affect anyone. Usually, the habit of snoring is more common in men and people who are overweight. The habit of snoring, it turns out not only disturbs your sleeping partner, but also damages the quality of your own sleep. This habit can be treated with medical assistance to get a good night's sleep.
4. Jet lag
Traveling to a country with a different time zone can actually affect your sleep time. This is called jet lag. It can take our bodies up to three days to adjust to the new light and sleep schedule in another time zone. This can make it difficult for you to sleep.
5. Hormonal changes
Menopause, menstruation, and pregnancy are some of the main sources of sleep problems among women. According to National Sleep Foundation , about 40% of perimenopausal women (people who are in the transition to menopause) will have trouble sleeping.
6. Diseases and medical conditions
Often times, trouble sleeping comes along with other medical conditions. With lung disease or asthma, for example, wheezing and shortness of breath can interfere with your sleep, especially in the morning. If you have heart failure, you can have abnormal breathing patterns. In fact, Parkinson's and other neurological diseases can cause difficulty sleeping.
7. Drink coffee
Usually, everyone who drinks coffee will have more difficulty sleeping because of the caffeine content in coffee. Because caffeine is a stimulant, most people use it after getting up in the morning or to stay alert during the day or even at night. While it's important to note that caffeine cannot replace sleep, consuming coffee with caffeine can make us feel more alert and wake up in the middle of the night, by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain and increasing adrenaline production.
8. Fatigue
The amount of activity is often tiring. I really want to lie on the bed to quickly go to sleep and recharge the lost power. However, feeling tired can just make you wake up from sleep. As it turns out, there is actually a big difference between being tired and sleepy.
When you are tired, your body is still wondering if you are tired due to stress or exertion. To put it simply, rushing to bed is not the same as rushing to sleep.