Why do i keep waking up at 5am

There are multiple ways to treat waking up too early, depending on the cause. Visit your doctor to rule out emotional disorders like anxiety and depression, insomnia, and the possible medical conditions that can trigger sleeping difficulties. If an underlying condition is causing you to lose sleep, your doctor will prescribe treatments, lifestyle changes, or medications that should restore your ability to stay asleep.

For women who are experiencing pregnancy-related insomnia, symptoms should subside once your baby has been born. Ask for support from family or friends when you need it, too.

Sometimes, our sleep issues can be corrected by simple environmental and lifestyle changes, like:. For severe sleep difficulties that relate to anxiety, age, and circumstances, your doctor may recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia CBT-I or a treatment called timed-light exposure. These treatments work together to address circadian rhythm issues and thought patterns that may be interfering with your ability to cope with sleep loss or may be causing the insomnia itself.

Waking up too early is both inconvenient and distressing, and lack of proper sleep can lead to a host of other health problems. With the right tools and interventions, sleep disturbances can be treated successfully.

Weighted blankets can be beneficial for sleep disorders as well as anxiety and restless leg syndrome. But what size blanket should you buy to maximize…. While antihistamines and other over-the-counter sleep aids contain ingredients that make you drowsy, they may not be the best solution. If you live with insomnia, you may want to learn how cognitive behavioral therapy CBT can help. Learn how CBT works for insomnia. Relieving pain and any related mood issues, such as anxiety and depression, can help with related sleep problems.

Waking during the night could be due to a variety of factors and may resolve with simple lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a consistent bedtime and avoiding electronic devices and caffeine in the evening.

However, if you continue to wake up during the night despite making changes and these awakenings prevent you from attaining adequate sleep, you might want to reach out to your doctor. Your doctor can help determine if there is an underlying sleep disorder, health issue, or mental health problem causing you to wake up during the night.

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Our editors and medical experts rigorously evaluate every article and guide to ensure the information is factual, up-to-date, and free of bias. Updated September 8, Written by Sarah Shoen. When to Talk to Your Doctor. Insomnia If you struggle with falling or staying asleep, you may be experiencing insomnia. Common symptoms of insomnia include: Trouble falling asleep Waking up during the night Waking up too early in the morning and being unable to fall back asleep Not sleeping soundly Not sleeping enough despite having enough time and the right environment for sleep Feeling tired during the day Insomnia can be caused by a variety of factors : Shift work Napping during the day Using technology in bed Inconsistent bedtimes Smoking, alcohol, and drugs Caffeine late in the day Pregnancy A bright or noisy room Physical pain A lack of exercise If you think you may be struggling with insomnia , there are a variety of treatment options, including cognitive behavioral therapy , lifestyle changes, and sleep medications.

Stress Excessive stress can negatively impact almost all of the body , affecting the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems. Sign up below for your free gift. Your privacy is important to us. Was this article helpful? Yes No. Ohayon, M. Nocturnal awakenings and comorbid disorders in the American general population. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 43 1 , 48— National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

Circadian rhythms. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Brain basics: Understanding sleep. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Medical Encyclopedia. Williams, J. Cognitive behavioral treatment of insomnia. Chest, 2 , — American Psychological Association. Stress effects on the body. Almojali, A. The prevalence and association of stress with sleep quality among medical students. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, 7 3 , — Blaxton, J.

Relationships among nightly sleep quality, daily stress, and daily affect. The Journals of Gerontology. Li, J. Sleep in normal aging. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 13 1 , 1— Fiorentino, L.

Awake at 4 AM: Treatment of insomnia with early morning awakenings among older adults. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 66 11 , — Sedov, I. Luckily, the Chinese Body Clock, and paying some attention to the clock on your bedside table every time you wake up, are all you need to decipher the meaning behind mid-night disruptions to your sleep. This is a sign that something funny might be going on with your gallbladder.

Since the gallbladder is responsible for breaking down fats in your body, waking up at this time every night might mean that you should consider changing up your fat intake, either by reducing it or focusing on the consumption of healthier fats and oils.

It means that something might be up with your liver. Try to remove or minimize the number of toxic foods and beverages, like sugar and coffee, you have in your diet.