Just doing some light aerobics at home, something like jumping jacks, for 20 to 30 minutes can help you wake up. This is the deepest stage of your sleep cycle. That said I still wake up after 4 to 5 hours. © 2005-2021 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Before bed, engage in a calming activity like meditation, reading, or taking a warm bath. At this point, you may be wondering if 3 hours of rest is for you and could be wondering how to function after so little time. Finally, start your day off with a good breakfast and a little exercise to help you be at your most energetic. If you're waking up to an alarm clock, you'll often end up jerked awake in the middle of REM sleep. Wake up as soon as your alarm goes off. % of people told us that this article helped them. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. It’s not uncommon to wake several times a night during these cycles, though most of the time you’ll go right back to sleep afterward. Artificial light can provide a decent substitute for sunlight. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. But if it happens often, and you are consistently tired and not functioning well during the day, that indicates a problem, said Dr. Meir H. Kryger, a professor at Yale School of Medicine and the author of “The iGuide to Sleep.” ", "All of the second section helped me the most.". I noticed that the problem occurred the day after I went out during noon exposed to the intense sun. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Without a good night’s sleep, you can wake up grumpy, irritable, and suffer from a lack of focus throughout the day. It consists of six 20-minute naps for two total hours of sleep a day. But too much caffeine can cause dehydration which results in fatigue. If you wake up at 3 a.m. or another time and can’t fall right back asleep, it may be for several reasons. Avoid driving if you're running on little sleep. The calmer you can make your mind during the day, the faster you’ll fall asleep at night. Your arousal threshold—meaning how easy it is for … Avoid caffeine at least six hours before going to bed, as it has been shown interfere with sleep. unlocking this expert answer. A. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to better sleep. Even if I managed to get to sleep again I would woke up after the next 2 to 3 hours again. Then go back to sleep about an hour later. It’s possible that sleep cycles may have something to do with it; at 3:00 you may be entering a lighter phase of sleep, which makes disruptions and awakenings more likely. It’s actually fairly common to wake up during the night. This will help you feel energized throughout the day. You may go to bed and wake up earlier than you did at a younger age. So lighten your … Aim for a consistent bedtime each night, and wake up at the same time each morning. When you’re trying to wake up after a poor night’s sleep, resist the urge to hit the snooze button on your alarm. Hi. Exercise and energy-boosting foods could be helpful, healthy ways to help you adjust to this new sleep cycle. Start off the day with one to two 8-oz glasses of water. The general conception is that getting not enough sleep is the primary cause of feeling tired after waking up. Once you’re out of bed, go to an area with natural sunlight if possible to help get your body out of sleep mode. Don't overdo it. Treatments for insomnia may include lifestyle modifications, adjustments to your sleep-wake times, or therapy. Practicing good nighttime habits before bed can help you fall and stay asleep. By using our site, you agree to our. When you get older, your sleep cycles change, you may take medications that alter your sleeping patterns, and you might develop another condition that impacts sleep. After that, they would sleep again for another 3-5 hours. Temporary stress could prompt you to wake up in the middle of the night every so often. Drink Water. "I think this is going to help me a lot. Have a cup of coffee within your first hour of waking up. Have a relaxing bedtime ritual. These bodily changes can make it difficult to fall back asleep. Instead, using several of these strategies to get quality nighttime sleep may help you avoid the dreaded 3 a.m. wake-up: If you find yourself waking up at 3 a.m. and have difficulty falling back asleep on a frequent basis, it’s important to talk to your doctor. Your 3 a.m. awakenings may occur infrequently and be nothing serious, but regular nights like this could be a sign of insomnia. . If you are trying to wake yourself up, get a light alarm clock or a smart device lightbulb that can be scheduled to turn on 30 minutes before you would like to wake up. If you wake up at 3 a.m. or another time and can’t fall right back asleep, it may be for several reasons. A significant portion of the population experiences insomnia. Alex Dimitriu, MD is the Owner of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, a clinic based in the San Francisco Bay Area with expertise in psychiatry, sleep, and transformational therapy. The third reason why you’re always tired after a full … While it might be tempting to hit snooze for those few extra minutes, try to force yourself to get up as soon as your alarm goes off. Processed foods and junk foods will make you crash later on, leaving you more tired. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. You want your body to associate your bedroom with sleep time so your mind will be geared for rest when you get in bed. You should discuss your stress levels with your doctor if they’re prolonged. "By the time you wake at 4am, you have repaid some of that sleep debt. Turn off screens well before you turn the lights out. Research suggests this will boost your overall alertness later in the day. The problem with waking up after a couple of hours is in these cycles. Nightmares often occur after a traumatic life event. Go to another room and read or do other quiet activities until you feel sleepy. How to Get Up When You Want with Only a Few Hours of Sleep, Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, http://www.sleepdex.org/lightimportance.htm, http://www.aasmnet.org/jcsm/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=29198, http://www.medicaldaily.com/no-sleep-5-tips-wake-after-long-sleepless-night-275690, http://www.backtobed.com/sleep/how-more-water-helps-you-sleep-better.aspx, http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/08/how-to-get-through-a-workday-on-no-sleep.html#, http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/how-to-stay-awake-after-all-nighter?page=3, https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips, http://drowsydriving.org/about/facts-and-stats/, http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/the-secret-and-surprising-power-of-naps, Alzarti Quando Vuoi con Poche Ore di Sonno alle Spalle, se réveiller quand on veut après seulement quelques heures de sommeil, Acordar Direito com Poucas Horas de Descanso, Bangun dan Beraktivitas meski Kurang Tidur, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Sleep Divorce May Work for You, sleeping somewhere that isn’t conducive to sleep. About a quarter of people say they wake up at least once a night. I have been having lots of difficulties waking up in the mornings. The trick is in the timing: Shower as you normally would, but after scrubbing and shampooing, turn the water as cold as it goes for 30 seconds. Remember, everyone is different, so you may require a bit more or less.Bring a water bottle to work or school and periodically take sips. To fix this, we have created a quick tutorial on how to wake up Windows 10 from sleep mode if it is not responding. I … When you don’t get enough sleep, it … being unable to function at your normal levels. Therefore, you’re more prone to awakenings from external factors like noise and light. Problem: You’re Fighting Your Chronotype. You may develop a condition that affects your sleep and causes a 3 a.m. wake-up. 16 October 2019. You should avoid napping for longer than 20 minutes as that can put you into REM stage of sleep leading to sleep inertia when you awaken. These include lighter sleep cycles, stress, or underlying health conditions. You can also get yourself moving by drinking a cup of coffee, but don’t drink so much that you end up jittery and anxious. "If you go to bed at night, you immediately start to catch up on the sleep debt you have accrued over the last 16 hours or so. The most extreme one is the Uberman method. Drink two glasses of water before you go to bed and set your alarm. You have longer deep sleep cycles earlier in the night and longer REM sleep cycles as morning approaches. Here's what you need to know. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. Important tips like having a healthy sleep lifestyle, having a proper diet and many more will be talked about in the latter part of this article. Waking up in the middle of the night isn’t uncommon. But, I have observed that sometimes even with lesser sleep I wake up more energized. If you experience increased awake time during the night, resist the urge to sleep in. I've been waking up every 2 to 3 hours after I went to bed lately. More frequent wake-ups at 3 a.m. that keep you up for a significant amount of time could be the sign of insomnia or another health condition. Get adequate exercise during the day, but avoid doing it right before bed. Alex Dimitriu, MD. We’ll review all the potential causes…, Today, sleep-deprived couples say they'd be willing to file for a “sleep divorce” — opting to catch their nightly Zzz’s apart from one another, all in…, Jet lag, pulling an all-nighter, and shift work can all mess up your sleep schedule, and it can be hard to get on track. Can’t Get Shut-Eye? Approved. When U.S. and British researchers put healthy volunteers on a cycle of 33 hours awake followed by 10 hours of sleep for 21 days, the volunteers suffered even though they had longer sleep time to make up for the extra time awake. Did you know you can read expert answers for this article? One study found that 10 to 20 percent of the population has insomnia and that the rate increased to 40 percent in older adults. It is has also been observed that computer won’t wake up from sleep mode after multiple attempts. REM sleep is lighter sleep when dreams occur. Not practicing good sleep hygiene may cause nighttime awakenings. Your circadian rhythm plays a large role in your sleep-wake cycle, telling your body when it's time to sleep and wake up for the day. Therapy or lifestyle adjustments can also reduce stress. If you wake up and can't fall back to sleep within 20 minutes or so, get out of bed. Do not keep electronics in your bedroom and do not engage in activities other than sleeping (or sex) in your bed. You could also experience other physical symptoms, such as anxiety and difficulty concentrating. Light sends signals to our brain and circadian rhythm that the sun has risen and it is time to start the day. You may also want to see your doctor if these wake-ups cause problems for you during the day. Once they had managed to establish a sleep pattern, it became evident that they would sleep for 3-5 hours, then wake up for 1-3 hours. Consider walking to work or school instead of driving, if possible. I had a lot better time waking up then ever. When you feel stressed, your body activates your sympathetic nervous symptom, and you may jolt awake in the middle of the night. The reason is the sleep cycles. Sleep in a comfortable, dark, quiet space. If you sleep for a short time, less than 5 hours, then it is natural to be sluggish the next day. You could also consider a polar bear plunge if you have access to a pool. Adopt a nighttime routine that helps you relax, such as reading or meditating before bed. Reaching for the snooze button might seem like a great way to get an extra few minutes of sleep; however, hitting snooze actually results in your feeling more exhausted upon waking. Sleep formula: 1.5 hours + 3 daily naps of 20 minutes = 2.5 hours Researchers examine the sleeping patterns of infants, adults and many animals. If you suspect you have one of these conditions, your doctor can help diagnose and treat it. 4 of 12. Professionally, Alex has dual board certification in psychiatry and sleep medicine. As you age, the quality of your sleep decreases, as you spend less time in deep sleep. Each cycle ends with a brief period of wakefulness and this is completely normal. Many people occasionally wake up in the middle of the night and find themselves unable to get back to sleep. Take a quick 15-minute walk around the block before hopping in the shower. You'll feel tired before bedtime and energetic in the morning. But only under specific guidelines. This article was co-authored by Alex Dimitriu, MD. It can be jarring to be woken suddenly from REM sleep. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 145,375 times. Sleep deprivation can occur after just 24 hours of no sleep, and the symptoms become more severe the more time you spend awake. I was unaware that my waking up after 4 to 5 hours even when using a CPAP device may still be related to my breathing. The cool water stimulates blood flow and gives you a rush of endorphins. This is the deepest stage of your sleep cycle. For instance, elephants use this routine and sleep an average of two hours a day – an hour at night and then 4 more naps of 14 minutes each. If you're waking up to an alarm clock, you'll often end up jerked awake in the middle of REM sleep. Problems associated with a lack of consistent sleep may include: Waking up at 3 a.m. can be bothersome, but it’s not always a sign of a larger problem. ", "The caffeine worked so much. To motivate yourself to forgo the snooze button, try reminding yourself that this will be better for you long term. Most people actually awaken several times at night without even noticing because they fall back asleep quickly. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. The Sleep Cycles That way, you'll have to get up to turn it off. Avoid daytime napping. If you need to continue to work, your brain will try to compensate for … Ultimately, your body will tell you whether or not you can manage 3 hours sleep a day. Read on for more tips, including how to save your energy as the day goes on! Find out how much you should get…. By following a standard schedule and healthy sleep habits, the mind and body become accustomed to a routine that includes plenty of high-quality sleep. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep … Support wikiHow by Insomnia is a diagnosable sleep condition in which you have difficulty falling back asleep after waking at night on a regular basis. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. For their mental and physical health, adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep, and it’s important that they get this sleep night after night.. One of the best ways to promote consistent sleep is having a healthy sleep routine. Aging plays a huge role in your sleep cycles. If you're going to be running on little sleep, there are steps you can take to keep yourself awake during the morning hours. 3. How Much Deep, Light, and REM Sleep Do You Need? It may be difficult to identify the cause of these bothersome disruptions to your sleep, but here are some reasons you may find yourself awake at 3 a.m. Ask a friend to keep you honest. Your body will already want to wake up to go to the bathroom and the alarm will just help it a little bit more to wake up. Reconsider drinking alcohol late at night. Or your 3 a.m. wake-ups may be a sign of insomnia. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d6\/Get-Up-When-You-Want-with-Only-a-Few-Hours-of-Sleep-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-Up-When-You-Want-with-Only-a-Few-Hours-of-Sleep-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d6\/Get-Up-When-You-Want-with-Only-a-Few-Hours-of-Sleep-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid350734-v4-728px-Get-Up-When-You-Want-with-Only-a-Few-Hours-of-Sleep-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"