Why do I keep waking up at 4:00am?

[Rainbowreflect]

It does not matter what time I go to bed or how late I can sleep. Lately I seem to always wake up at 4:00am and I can't get back to sleep.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

1. Why am I still UP at 4:00 AM

Sleep patterns are weird.

[Sapphocrat]

2. Join the club...

For me, it was exactly 2:34 a.m., approximately twice a week, for about three years. Then it stopped.

Uh... Maybe a past-life reading would help? Maybe you ended your last life in some dramatic way at exactly 4:00 a.m.?

No? Okay... Is 4:00 the time the cat is scratching at the door to get out every morning?

No? Um... Well, stop drinking all that liquid before you go to bed at 10:00 p.m. ...

[Rainbowreflect]

6. Could be a past life thing.

No cat and my dogs were snoring away when I walked into the livingroom. My husband was also snoring away, maybe that's what is wakeing me up. Do the make those breathing strips for dogs?

[Sapphocrat]

8. No, but...

...all that leftover duct tape might work!

[LibertyorDeath]

3. possessed by the spirit of Christmas past maybe...

Do you have any recurring dreams?

[Dookus]

4. I went through that for a phase....

but it was tied to stress and depression. I could fall asleep fine, but as soon as I woke up even slightly, I was wide awake. It usually happened around 4:00am.

I saw a shrink and we tried a few different drugs and found the right combo. Now I sleep pretty well (when I choose to go to bed - it's now after 3:00 am and I'm still here)

[REP]

5. Some Real Reasons

Some possibilities:

Sleep apnea
Insomnia (early awakening syndrome)
Restless Leg Syndrome
Low blood sugar
Insomnia (depression)

There are others. If it continues and is a problem, see a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders.

[RebelOne]

7. Why did my dog have to wake me up at 4:30 a.m. to go out.

During the week, she never has to go out until after I wake up. But when I can sleep in, she always wakes me up between 4 and 4:30. Sadistic dog.

[Killarney]

9. That sucks. Hopefully it's a phase and will pass.

You could try to change your routine (sleep somewhere else). Hope it stops soon! :)

[LWolf]

10. I'm up at 4 am every morning.

Without fail. Depending on the time change, I may last until 4:30. My body clock just insists. I'm also asleep before the rest of the world; not much of a "night life" when 9pm is bedtime!

I like to welcome the sun. If the sun is already shining when I wake up, I'm disoriented, grumpy, and feel "late" all day long.

Not a problem now that I live alone; when I was married I compromised. Stayed up until 10 and in bed until 5, wide awake. Now that I'm not adjusting to someone else's schedule, I go to bed when I feel like it and get up the same, regardless of the clock.

[Khephra]

11. I often wake up at 3:33 AM

Now there's a fun number.

:evilgrin:

[baby_bear]

12. What do you do when you waken at 4 am?

I have gone through this sort of thing a few times, only I would wake at 2 or 3 or even earlier. I used to get up and make myself something yummy to eat and watch an old movie on TV. Then I read that if you do something like that, that is, something pleasant, you will reinforce the waking behavior and make it harder the next night to sleep through. The article said that you should get up and do something unpleasant, like clean the toilet or the cat box. That way you don't reinforce the waking behavior.

You know what; it worked. That's not to say that I haven't had the problem a few other times, I think due to thinking about my work, which gets pretty overwhelming at times. But I try to avoid doing anything "fun" when I do. And it usually passes after a few days. It sure makes it hard to get through the day though, when you've only slept a few hours at best.

Another option - you might want to try taking a 2 mg Xanax or some other light medication that induces relaxation/sleep, about 8 hours before you intend to wake up in the morning, just once or twice to break the chain of early-wakening events.

As others have noted, early wakening is a common symptom of depression, so consider that possibility as well.

Sweet dreams!

s_m

[AngryAmish]

13. Things to do when you wake at 4:00 a.m.

1. Start the day off right. Four shots of Jim Beam.
2. Start going over your life insurance policy.
3. Break out the high school yearbook and the white pages. See if anyone who has not heard from you in 10+ years is awake. Bonus points if you confess a secret crush from high school days.
4. Three words: Ding. Dong. Ditch.
5. Make a pie.

[Ellen Forradalom]

14. Puppy whining?

Take him out. He wants to piddle.

Well, that's why we wake up at 4:00 a.m. around here.

[chaska]

15. I read something recently about this.

Said, if I remember correctly, that it is not unnatural to be awake in the middle of the night. That in days long past we would often be much more active in the middle of the night than we are today. I wish I could remember the details, but I would guess it would have something to do with how long winter nights are without electricity. I know when I go on extended hiking trips (couple months) in the fall or spring I tend to awaken in the night and lay there thinking for a couple hours.