Lack of sleep? Here’s why you’re often awake between 3 and 5 a.m.
Ideally, we all want to sleep through the night at one stretch. Sometimes, unfortunately, you may wake up in the middle of the night and stay that way. Falling asleep again then seems like an impossible task. But why is it that between three and five you can’t seem to get back to sleep?
That sleep is important for good health, everyone knows. Yet not every night do we manage to get those eight hours of sleep. Do you notice that you regularly lie staring at the ceiling between 03:00 and 05:00? Then it’s not because you might have had a nightmare or needed to take a leak. No, according to one expert, it has to do with something more important.
Blood sugar
Author and lifestyle guru Dave Asprey says waking up at night may have to do with your blood sugar levels. “For most people who wake up between 3 and 5 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep, it’s usually because of a crash in your blood sugar levels.”
When your blood sugar drops, cortisol and adrenaline are released into the body. These stress hormones then cause you to wake up. “The problem is that cortisol and adrenaline wake you up. While the brain gets what it wants, you don’t get your sleep,” Asprey explained.
Bold solution
The self-proclaimed sleep guru came up with a bold idea to avoid nighttime waking. His golden tip? A bedtime snack. But not chips or chocolate, no, it should be a mixture of raw honey, collagen and MCT oil. Sounds like a culinary challenge.
Why this blend? It gives you steady energy and prevents a blood sugar crash that can rip you out of your dreams. So, if you want to sleep through the night, it seems time for a dash of oil and a spoonful of honey….
Source: her.ie, Adobe
