Trouble Sleeping? 10 Reasons Why You Wake Up Often at Night

Sleep problems are very annoying: you may have no problem falling asleep, but you may regularly wake up in the middle of the night.

This form of insomnia, where you wake up frequently during the night, disrupts your sleep pattern and leaves you with no energy during the day.

There are several reasons why you might wake up at night. These can range from physical conditions, such as sleep apnea or an overactive thyroid, to environmental factors, such as light or noise.

In this article you will discover the 10 most common reasons why you often wake up at night and don't sleep well.

Anxiety causes stress and is therefore one of the most common causes of difficulty sleeping through the night. For example, you may experience heart palpitations, nightmares, or even a nighttime panic attack.

If you struggle with anxiety, it can be so strong that it keeps you up at night. Research shows that people with anxiety are more likely to experience interrupted nights than people without anxiety. (1)

Anxious thoughts and feelings don't stop immediately when you go to sleep. While you sleep, you process the day's events, which means you're still preoccupied with your fears at night.

Relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga and mindfulness exercises can help you find peace within yourself.

Do them before bed to help you fall asleep more peacefully and increase your chances of sleeping through the night. If necessary, you can seek help from a psychologist.

Melatonin is the body's natural sleep hormone that helps you fall asleep faster and sleep better. (2)

Various factors can cause you to produce less melatonin: artificial light, stress and lack of nutrients.

The body needs nutrients to produce various hormones. To make these substances, you need building blocks and auxiliary substances. If you have a deficiency of one or more building blocks/auxiliary substances, your body can produce less of the desired substance.

So you need to ensure your body has enough building blocks and nutrients to produce melatonin. In the case of melatonin, these are 5-HTP (converted into serotonin and then into melatonin), magnesium (another active ingredient), vitamin B6 (another active ingredient), and zinc and vitamin B3, among others.

This natural sleep aid contains all the ingredients and building blocks that support the natural production of melatonin, along with two soothing ingredients: chamomile and valerian.

Sleep apnea can also be a reason for trouble sleeping through the night. With sleep apnea, breathing stops for a few seconds (at least 10 seconds) at least five times an hour. Sleeping through the night is therefore impossible.

Some people don't wake up from it, but apnea still disrupts your sleep. (3)

Sleep apnea is a serious condition that disrupts your sleep so much that it negatively impacts your health. An analysis of 24 studies found that obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 71%. There is also an increased risk of stroke. (4)

If you suspect you have sleep apnea, contact your doctor.

Depending on your sleep stage, you'll wake up more or less easily. At the beginning of the night, you sleep lightly and are most likely to wake up from noises. (5)

Think of a barking dog, a noisy moped passing by or music.

But you might also be a light sleeper. This is someone who wakes up easily from even the slightest changes in their sleep environment. So, a small stimulus, like a soft sound, can be enough to wake you.

If you wake up often, you're probably not getting enough deep sleep. We also have a valuable article for you about improving your deep sleep .

The time you eat dinner could be one of the reasons you have trouble sleeping through the night. (6)

If you eat too late, this can cause heartburn or stomach cramps, which will wake you up at night.

But eating too early (or too little) can also cause problems. You might wake up in the middle of the night with a rumbling stomach. It can also cause your blood sugar to drop too low. This can disrupt your sleep or even cause you to wake up.

Not only when you eat, but also what you eat affects your sleep. Research shows, for example, that eating a protein-rich dinner helps. Protein contains amino acids like tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, two hormones important for a healthy sleep cycle. (7)

There are many reasons why alcohol and sleep don't mix well. It can cause low-grade inflammation and damage the liver. It also disrupts your sleep pattern.

Alcohol disrupts your sleep by keeping you in the REM sleep stage for less time and causing you to wake up more often during the night.

Research shows that even at a low dose of 0.22g per kg body weight (about 1.3 glasses of beer for a 70kg person), you sleep an average of 28 minutes less. This effect becomes stronger with higher alcohol consumption. (8)

So you definitely shouldn't use alcohol as a nightcap. If you have trouble sleeping, it's recommended to avoid alcohol in the evening.

If you'd like to learn more about this, read our article on alcohol-related sleep problems.

Did you know that the temperature in your bedroom can be a reason why you wake up frequently during the night? A comfortable room temperature is important for the quality of your sleep. Too cold or too hot can disrupt your sleep. (9)

Try to keep the temperature between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. This range is ideal because your body doesn't need to adjust. At this temperature, your body can cool down optimally, which helps you fall asleep faster and sleep soundly throughout the night.

A good night's sleep is important. So if your bedroom gets too warm in the summer, an air conditioner might be a good option. In the winter, you could leave the heating on low.

Do you need to go to the bathroom at night? It happens to many people. Research shows that 23% of women and 29% of men wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom. (10)

It seems innocent, but this visit to the toilet interrupts your night's sleep.

One of the main causes of this is drinking too much before bed. A good solution is to drink more during the day so you won't feel as thirsty in the evening.

The thyroid gland plays a vital role in the proper functioning of various organs. If your thyroid is overactive, it produces too much of the thyroid hormone thyroxine.

This can have a major impact on all sorts of processes and could be one of the reasons why you have trouble sleeping through the night. Some of the possible symptoms include an increased heart rate, anxiety, sleep problems, muscle tremors and sweating [4] .

If you suspect you have an overactive thyroid, you can have it checked by a doctor (endocrinologist). Medication may be prescribed to slow thyroid hormone production.

Trouble sleeping through the night can also be caused by restless legs. If you suffer from this, your legs may itch, hurt, tickle, or tingle. You'll then be tempted to keep moving your legs because that provides temporary relief.

It's precisely at night that the symptoms flare up, and that can sometimes make it impossible to sleep through the night. The exact cause of restless legs isn't known. We do know that women (4.7%) experience it more often than men (2.8%), and that smoking and alcohol consumption can potentially worsen the symptoms. (13)

The neurotransmitter dopamine may also play a role. Your muscles need this substance to function properly.

If you want to wake up less often at night, it is advisable to follow the tips below.

It may sound very obvious, but you sleep best when you are really tired.

If I apply this to myself, then this is the most important factor for me to sleep through the night.

• Get enough exercise during the day - So make sure you get enough physical activity during the day, at least half an hour a day, but more is better. Avoid doing an active workout right before bed, as that will wake you up!
• Don't stay in bed too long - If you wake up during the night and can't fall back asleep right away, don't stay in bed too long. This can make it harder to fall back asleep. Get up, do something relaxing, and try again later.
• No coffee after noon - A cup of coffee can help kick-start your day, but I recommend avoiding coffee or other caffeinated beverages after noon. This will help you better listen to your body's signals and recognize more quickly when it's time to go to bed.

If you have been sleeping very poorly for a long time, sleep restriction techniques are sometimes used to improve your sleep pattern.

Sleep restriction is nothing more than making someone sleep less or not at all, which makes you extremely tired the next day and therefore falls asleep like a log.

Don't just do this yourself, but always discuss this with a specialist.

Besides caffeine, there are a number of sleep disruptors that you should avoid if you wake up often.

Avoid the use of the following agents as much as possible:

• Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it makes you wake up more often during your sleep and also interrupts your REM sleep, the phase in which memories are processed.
• Caffeine is a stimulant that makes it harder to fall asleep and causes shallow sleep, especially if you drink it later in the day.
• Tyramine is a substance found in foods like aged cheese and cured meats. It can activate your brain by releasing a chemical that makes you alert (norepinephrine), which can make it harder to fall asleep.
• Nicotine is a stimulant that increases your heart rate, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you can't quit smoking, at least try to avoid cigarettes for a few hours before bed.
• Medications can also disrupt your sleep. Examples include certain stimulants (such as Ritalin), beta-blockers (heart and blood pressure), antidepressants, diuretics (water pills), and corticosteroids. They increase your heart rate, disrupt your melatonin production, or increase your energy, making it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep.

Certain environmental factors are known to help you sleep better.

So check whether your bedroom needs some adjustments that will make it easier to sleep well.

• Check your room for disturbing noises - such as a ticking clock or a flapping roller blind.
• Insulate your room - If you're bothered by outside noise, such as traffic or neighbors, you can insulate your bedroom to sleep better. This doesn't have to be complicated. Start with simple steps like laying carpet or rugs. There are also special curtains that block not only light but also sound.
• Make it as dark as possible - Insulating curtains are a good starting point, but also check for gaps under your door where hallway light could come from.
• Keep your room cool - The ideal temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius . This helps your body cool down, so you wake up less often.
• Ensure there is plenty of fresh air - Good ventilation is essential to ensure there is enough oxygen available during the night.

For me personally, the temperature is most important. I often aim for a temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius.

That's why I bought an air conditioner for the spring/summer months, which for me is the best investment ever for my health and sleep.

A regular sleep schedule helps keep your natural sleep-wake rhythm balanced, which is essential for a good night's sleep.

This rhythm is regulated by hormones such as melatonin (helps you fall asleep and stay asleep) and cortisol (signals your body to wake up).

• Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day - The more regular your sleep pattern, the better your sleep quality.
• Limit exceptions to once a week - Having trouble getting to bed on time? No problem! Try to pick it up again the next day and limit these exceptions to once a week.

This is always a difficult one for me personally, because I sometimes have visitors that I can't put outside at 10 PM on the weekend.

Sometimes it gets to midnight or 12:30. In those cases, I just set my alarm for 7:00 (my normal wake-up time).

It is better to sleep a little less one night than to disrupt your entire rhythm by staying in bed for a long time.

You've probably experienced it before: after an extensive dinner, you feel restless in bed and can't sleep well.

This is because your body is focusing on processing the food, which can disrupt your sleep. To sleep better, try the following:

• Don't eat before bed - Ideally, don't eat for 3 hours before going to bed.
• Experiment - Try not eating anything for 4, 5, or even 6 hours before bedtime. This can sometimes lead to even better sleep.

By timing your meals, you give your body enough time to process the food before you go to sleep.

Make sure you're relaxed before bed. Everyone relaxes in their own way, so it's a matter of experimenting to find what works best for you.

• A warm bath - I personally think adding a little lavender oil is a nice addition.
• Avoid bright lights – especially blue light like that from your laptop or phone
• Write down your thoughts - Write down everything you still need to do or don't want to forget. This helps clear your mind.
• Positive thoughts - think of your fondest memories before going to sleep.
• Meditation - do a guided body scan meditation while lying in bed (at a low volume).

For me, the positive thoughts before going to sleep and "clearing" your mind have the greatest impact.

Humans are the only beings on Earth who can consciously control their mood with their thoughts.

This works with anxious thoughts (stress), but also conversely by consciously thinking of beautiful memories.

Waking up in the middle of the night can be frustrating and annoying. This can create a vicious cycle, making it harder to fall back asleep because of the frustration.

However, it's perfectly normal to wake up occasionally . Everyone experiences it, and it happens more often as you get older.

A sleep cycle lasts about 1.5 hours and then repeats. During the light sleep phase, you're most likely to wake up.

These phases are:

• Stage 1 (N1) - Light sleep, you fall asleep and your muscles relax.
• Stage 2 (N2) – Deeper sleep, your brain activity slows down.
• Stage 3 (N3) - Deep sleep, important for physical recovery.
• REM sleep (N4) - Rapid eye movement, dreaming, and brain activity resembling wakefulness.

The less noise, movement from your partner, or light in the room, the less often you'll wake up. This helps you sleep through the night more easily.

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