What waking up in the middle of the night might reveal about your health

Did you know that “Why can’t I sleep?” is one of the most googles searched topics each year?

Whether you have insomnia, trouble falling asleep, or you just can’t sleep through the night, it’s worth taking a look at what might be causing some of the issues.

Many people report they wake up at pretty much the same time night after night. This is what we’re going to look at today.

In short, the time you wake up in the middle of the night might reveal details about your health that you wouldn’t expect.

(As a side note, if you wake up in the night but are able to nod back off to sleep right away, then put your worries aside. You’re probably fine.

But, if night after night you’re awake for an hour (let alone three) in the middle of the night, then it might be worth taking a look at what you could fix in your diet and emotionally to stop that from happening).

9 p.m. -11 p.m. Wake-up

If you’re an early-to-bed type and you wake up before 11 p.m., this could mean your thyroid is doing something funky.

Early stages of sleep are when our endocrine system is essentially working to re-balance itself, so if you’re waking up something could be up with your thyroid or adrenals.

Often, it just means you’re having a hard time settling down your body and brain enough to actually get a deep sleep.

In other words, too much adrenaline is pumping through your body to rest properly.

11 p.m. – 1 a.m. Wake-up

This could mean your gallbladder is irritated—which is needed for digestion and absorption.

One potential solution is to avoid eating late-night dinners and late-night snacking.

If you’re into alternative explanations, traditional Chinese medicine says the gallbladder is associated with anxiety and resentment, so maybe something is making you anxious or resentful enough to wake you up.

1 a.m. – 3 a.m. Wake-up

This is the time of night that your body is cleaning itself out and removing waste from your bloodstream and tissues.

In other words, your liver is working in overdrive. If you’re waking up during this time, it could be your liver isn’t happy.

I know whenever I drink booze and don’t drink enough water, I generally always wake up in this time frame. Consider drinking more water before you go to bed.

But a glass of wine makes you fall asleep more easily, right?

Alcohol does tend to make you sleepy, but the effects don’t last through the night.

Once the alcohol has been broken down and metabolized, your body thinks your sleep is over and your brain gets stimulated. Boom, you wake up—often between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.

An alternative explanation is that you’re full of negative emotions and stress that isn’t getting to flush itself out as it should.

3 a.m. – 5 a.m. Wake-up

In the final stages of the night, your muscles get pumped with blood and oxygen to replenish them.

So if you’re waking up then, something could be going on with your lungs.

If you’re coughing, it could be a sign that you need to breathe healthier air. Go outside and get some fresh air during the day.

Waking up at this time is also associated with feelings of sadness.

5 a.m. – 7 a.m.

If you’re not able to sleep anymore after 5 a.m. it could mean something is up with your large intestine, which is responsible for cleaning the body of toxic waste from your digestive system.

Try drinking more water during the day!

Some believe if you wake up at this time you might be feeling emotionally blocked or restricted in some way, which could be a sign that you need to let go of some kind of burdening emotions or guilt.

Of course, these are just theories, but if drinking more water, tweaking your diet, or looking into what’s holding you back emotionally helps you sleep through the night, then it’s worth a shot looking into it, right?