The expert shared advice for people struggling with their sleep (stock photo) (Image: Getty)
A psychologist has offered guidance for people who find themselves awake at 3 am. Dr Michael J Breus is a clinical psychologist and sleep medicine specialist who has gained a following from his books and social media appearances.
He is also the founder of ‘Sleep Doctor’ and often appears in @Thesleepdoctor’s TikTok videos. In one post, he explained: « Why you keep waking up at 3am. » The expert offered advice for people who wake in the early hours of the morning, and he revealed there could be a ‘natural’ cause.
Dr Breus said: « A lot of people wonder why do people wake up somewhere between one and three o’clock in the morning? It turns out it’s your biology.
« Your core body temperature rises, rises, rises till about 10.30pm at night, and then it begins to drop. That drop is a signal to your brain to release melatonin. Core body temperature then continues to drop, drop, drop.
« But at some point in time, it’s got to heat your body up, otherwise you go hypothermic. That has a tendency to occur somewhere between one and three in the morning, and everybody on earth, everybody wakes up. »
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However, if people find they struggle to go back to sleep after waking up, the psychologist said this could signal a problem. Dr Breus explained: « Most people roll over and fall back to sleep. Some people, however, have another problem going on called insomnia. »
The NHS says: « Insomnia means you regularly have problems sleeping. It usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits. » The health service says everyone needs different amounts of sleep, but, on average, adults need seven to nine hours.
The advice adds that you probably do not get enough sleep if you feel tired constantly. Signs of insomnia include waking up several times in the night, having difficulty falling asleep, waking up early, and still feeling tired after waking.
Some common causes of insomnia include stress, noise, uncomfortable beds, shift work, alcohol, and sleeping in a room that’s too hot or too cold.
The NHS said: « A GP will try to find out what’s causing your insomnia so you get the right treatment. Sometimes you’ll be offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This may be face-to-face with a therapist, or through an online self-help programme.
The advice continued: « GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills to treat insomnia. Sleeping pills can have serious side effects and you can become dependent on them. Sleeping pills are only prescribed for a few days, or weeks at the most, if your insomnia is very bad and other treatments have not worked. »
More advice is available on the NHS website. Always speak to a GP about any health concerns.
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