My brain is screaming! Again!

“I’m telling you if I wake up at 3 A.M.  one more time I’m just going to scream”! I have heard that line so many times. In fact, I use to say it myself.

Now I say, “if that puppy wakes me up one more time in the early morning, I’m going to scream” (of course, I don’t scream), but really why do we wake up at 3 A.M. on a regular basis?

It does just make you want to scream.

Waking up in the early morning hours is so common, that a lot of people don’t really think it is a big deal.

I disagree and here’s why…

Sleep is such an integral part of maintaining our good health.

• For those of you that hate wrinkles and are trying to stop the aging clock, sleep is a key factor for anti-aging techniques.
• Trying to lose weight and it just won’t budge? Yep, lack of sleep is a BIG factor.
• Disgusted with how stressed you are throughout the day, or how easily you get upset? Guess what, lack of sleep is a factor here too.

There are so many theories about what wakes us up at 3 A.M., that it can be hard to sort through them.

It reminds of when I was pregnant with my firstborn and very overdue.

People would give me advice like:

• “Walk with one foot on the curb and one foot off”.
• “Drive over speed bumps”
• or the really smart one: walk up a really steep hill.

Now I want to know what would have happened if I had gone in labor on that hill? No, I don’t!

Do you get all kinds of “helpful” advice as to why you are awake at 3 A.M. again?

I’d love to hear it, put some of that stellar information in the comments below.

The point here is that some of the advice we are so graciously given, meant to help us stay asleep might be very helpful, but usually it is just chasing after the symptoms is not really getting to the root of the problem.

The women that work with me to find real solutions, will often tell me they heard:

• that it’s because their estrogen is low.

Yes, hormones absolutely play an important part in helping us sleep.

Cortisol itself is a hormone. Cortisol is the hormone that regulates our circadian rhythm, that 24-hour wake and sleep cycle. More about Cortisol in a minute

Hormones are only one hidden clue in this big sleeplessness puzzle.

Sometimes it could be something as simple as:

• Sluggishly digesting a big meal. You remember that time when you were already so full, but grandma’s fried chicken and mashed potatoes were sooooo good that you just had to get a second helping?

We’ve all done that and it could wake you up at 3 A.M. because that’s our digestion window of time.

An Overactive Digestive system is stressful.

But why do we really keep waking up at 3am (or 2, or 4 etc.…)

There won’t be any surprise when I say this, unless of course we are just meeting for the first time.

(If we are; welcome and please read this post on the effects of stress on the body.

I’m just going to say it STRESS.

You see stress comes in so many shapes, forms, flavors, you name it. There are multiple types of stress inside our body and the outside influences too. 

They are attacking us constantly. Our body is on the run day and night. It’s really true.

How does stress wake us up at 3 A.M.?

Well, here’s the scoop…

The very hormone that manages our circadian rhythm, you know Cortisol? Well, it is also our “fight or flight” hormone.

Yep, it comes charging in when you are trying to out run that proverbial bear.

When you’re in a bear fight, I bet you wake up!

“When you need me, I’ll be there” Remember that line from an old song?

Guess what; Cortisol answers that call. Your body needs to have the energy to run for your life when your brain perceives stress.

That stress can be:

• weird things like that heavy food you can’t digest
• those crazy mixed-up hormones you might have.
• Common household products you use and breathe
• Everyday body-care essentials
• Some Hidden-dysfunctions in your body, like blood-sugar metabolism or backed-up detox pathways.
• That argument you had with your mom last week.

Whatever the weird stress that it is, you need energy to run for your life!

Cortisol helps you have the energy you need to make that BIG survival run, so it essentially can raise your blood-sugar because it plays a role in blood-sugar metabolism too. (It’s a busy hormone)

Have you ever had a sugar-high and couldn’t be still or fall asleep because you just had to stop at your favorite ice-cream hut on the first day of spring?

Yep, you guessed it.

That’s exactly what it’s like in your body when your brain is screaming ‘Run for your life” and Cortisol is surging.

Low Blood-sugar at night can also wake you up.

The body calls on that friendly energizer, known as Cortisol to help raise it. (Remember our song)

Shakey, Shakey, Wakey, Wakey goes the beat of the Cortisol surge. Wake up it’s 3 A.M again!

There is quite a bit more to know, but here’s the thing…

I could get out all the charts.

I could give you at least a dozen more reasons with-out crossing my fingers or toes. (See, I’m telling the truth about this hidden stress thing).

Waking up in the early morning hours is a multi-faceted problem that deserves a serious approach to rooting out the contributors in the very foundations of your body systems.

You’re here now and  looking for answers, so its time to start somewhere.

I’m going to leave you with some simple steps to follow and I encourage you to grab my guide to Have More E.N.E.R.G.Y!

Let’s get to know each other better. I’d love to tell you why I’m so passionate about helping you.

But I know how tired you are.

I know you just want to get some sleep, so I’m going to wrap up this conversation, so we can all go get some Sleep.

Here’s simple lifestyle tips to try:

They cost you nothing, but your time and effort to give it a go, so why not give them a try?

If I were you, and believe me, I’ve had trouble sleeping at 3 A.M. in the past…

1. Eat earlier in the evening
2. Keep a food journal to see if you could identify any trigger foods.
3. You could take at least an hour every night before bed and just chill.
4. Let it all go.
5. Maybe read a boring book
6. Take a warm bath.
7. Simply try to empty your mind from the stresses of the day.
8. Think about the best parts of your day instead.
9. As hard as it might be, you might want to forego that glass of wine in the evenings and just see if it could actually be a trigger instead of a relaxing tonic.

Try some simple lifestyle changes.

If you see some relief, but not enough, then consider going deeper by getting on the wait list for my next E.N.E.R.G.Y Solutions!

It’s time to root out those hidden little dysfunctional-buggers in the body that we’ve been talking about.

It’s past my bedtime, so until next time then.

Thoughtfully,

Tess

It’s Nerdy Science time…

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7045300/

https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/why-do-i-keep-waking-up-at-3-am#sleeping-tips

The information in this article is provided for educational, inspirational and self-enrichment purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice. It is the personal opinion and experience of the writer. Please see your medical professional for specific advice and medical needs.