Waking upin the middle of the night can be a real drag.
Nighttime wake-ups, also known as nocturnal awakenings, are pretty common.
If this sounds a lot like your sleep experience, should you be concerned?
tampatra/Getty Images
Waking up at night can be normal.
Its the cause and frequency that help determine whether or not theres actually a problem.
(Heresmore information about how those can all wake you up, if youre curious.)
[The number can] vary night by night due to different reasons, he says.
Some of those reasons are NBD.
According to theNational Sleep Foundation, stage 1 is the lightest phase of sleep.
Once a REM sleep segment is complete, you cycle back to stage 1.
You get to go back to sleep.
This will reduce the likelihood that the awakening will start the mind racing and contribute to insomnia.
Read a book, listen to music, or work on a puzzle.
(have a go at keep the lights low so you dont throw off yourcircadian rhythm.)
When you feel sleepy again, put yourself back to bed.
Are you sleeping in a cool, quiet, and dark room?
Do you regularly go to bed and wake up at the same time?
Do you cut yourself off fromcaffeineby mid-afternoon?
Do you give yourself time to wind down and avoid screens before bed?
Its fine to need a bathroom trip every now and then in the middle of the night.
The culprit here could also be something likeasthma, which oftengets worse at night.
Or it could be because your bedroom and bed arefull of allergensthat inflame your asthma, like dust mites.
Either way, nighttime asthma flares can lead to subpar sleep and a lot of daytime drowsiness.
Whatever is causing your excessive daytime sleepiness needs to be addressed.
See a doctor for help.
Look at the big picture view of your nocturnal awakenings, Dr. Okeke-Igbokwe says.
While frequent nighttime wake-ups might be no issue for some people, they can leave others feeling wretched.
Dont just acceptfeeling tired all the timework with your doctor to figure out whats interrupting your rest.
