Share this @internewscast.com
A sleep expert has given some guidance on what do if you’re waking up in the early hours (stock) (Image: Kate Wieser via Getty Images)
A sleep expert has revealed two key changes you should make to your routine if you consistently find yourself waking up at 3am. The NHS recommends that adults typically require between seven and nine hours of sleep each night on average. Though some individuals find they require more rest than others.
If you often find yourself waking up at 3 a.m., a sleep expert suggests two crucial changes to your routine that could help. According to the NHS, adults generally need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, although individual needs may vary.
The NHS notes, “Age, health, and personal circumstances can influence how much sleep we require, and some people naturally need more than others.” Recent surveys have shown that many Britons struggle with sleep issues. A study conducted last year found that one-third of people have trouble falling asleep, while others wake up during the night or in the early morning hours.
He explained: “I think it’s important to have a fixed wake up time. Get good exposure to, ideally, sunlight but you can also use things like daylight lamps. Having that behaviour on a regular basis, your brain’s very good at patterns, it starts to learn ‘Ah, this is wake up time’.”
On ITV’s Tonight programme, sleep clinician Joshua Piper from Resmed shared advice on adjusting sleep patterns, as reported by the Mirror.
He stated, “It’s crucial to maintain a consistent wake-up time. Aim for good exposure to sunlight, or use daylight lamps if necessary. By keeping this routine, your brain recognizes the pattern and learns, ‘This is wake-up time.'”
Joshua’s insights come as people search for effective sleep strategies, especially important as the days get longer and nights shorten.
Additionally, Joshua is not the only expert offering advice on sleep. Dr. Amir Khan also highlights how our habits can significantly affect our ability to fall asleep.
He outlined: “If you’re someone who does a just in case wee just before leaving the house, maybe before a meeting, or before bed, sometimes even twice, this is really important for you.
“It might actually be making your bladder symptoms worse. I see this all the time in clinic, people going again, even when they’ve just been, because it feels safer than risking urgency or waking up in the middle of the night to go.”
He explained that this behaviour could ultimately send incorrect signals to the brain. He said: “Your bladder is a muscle and it works with your nerves to tell your brain when it’s full. Now, normally that signal up to your brain shouldn’t come until your bladder is holding around 300 to 500ml of urine.
“But if you keep emptying it early, you know, those ‘just in case wees’, you start to retrain that system between your bladder and your brain. And over time, your bladder gets used to being emptied at lower volumes.”
