Waking up at the same time of night
Cat Lady
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 164
Waking up at the same time of night
Hello everyone!
So I'm 27 days sober here. I have a question... I know I've read here that people have a hard time sleeping early on. However, did anyone have any trouble STAYING asleep past a certain time?
Just about a week ago, I began waking up most days at 3:00 am (with the occurrence of waking up at 2:30 am two nights ago). I've always been an early riser, waking up at about 6:30 am most days naturally. This is abnormally early for me now. I have absolutely no problem falling asleep and staying asleep, until 3:00 rolls around and I'm wide awake. It's not all that awful because 4/5 days out of the week (starting Monday), I have to wake up around 4:00-4:15 am to get to the gym before class.
It doesn't matter if I fall asleep at 8 pm or midnight... Like clockwork, I wake up at 3:00 am. However, I did go to sleep around 10 pm the other night and that's when I woke up at 2:30 if that makes a difference.
Even though that one hour doesn't seem like a huge difference, it would still be nice to sleep at least until 4 am. I end up quite sleepy at around noon! I can't nap on the days I have class! I'm going to be on campus until 5ish pm or later each day working on the lab with my research position.
Oh! And just to note, the three weeks before this week, I had been sleeping great. Going to bed around 9:30/10 pm and waking around 6:30 each morning.
This just seems strange and quite frankly, very irritating. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
I apologize if this is a repeat thread.
Have a good morning!
So I'm 27 days sober here. I have a question... I know I've read here that people have a hard time sleeping early on. However, did anyone have any trouble STAYING asleep past a certain time?
Just about a week ago, I began waking up most days at 3:00 am (with the occurrence of waking up at 2:30 am two nights ago). I've always been an early riser, waking up at about 6:30 am most days naturally. This is abnormally early for me now. I have absolutely no problem falling asleep and staying asleep, until 3:00 rolls around and I'm wide awake. It's not all that awful because 4/5 days out of the week (starting Monday), I have to wake up around 4:00-4:15 am to get to the gym before class.
It doesn't matter if I fall asleep at 8 pm or midnight... Like clockwork, I wake up at 3:00 am. However, I did go to sleep around 10 pm the other night and that's when I woke up at 2:30 if that makes a difference.
Even though that one hour doesn't seem like a huge difference, it would still be nice to sleep at least until 4 am. I end up quite sleepy at around noon! I can't nap on the days I have class! I'm going to be on campus until 5ish pm or later each day working on the lab with my research position.
Oh! And just to note, the three weeks before this week, I had been sleeping great. Going to bed around 9:30/10 pm and waking around 6:30 each morning.
This just seems strange and quite frankly, very irritating. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
I apologize if this is a repeat thread.
Have a good morning!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 5,937
That is kind of strange! I don't have any good ideas right off. Is there some noise of event in your environment that occurs at that time every morning, something that might be waking you?
I will say though that my sleep schedule was kind of haywire for the first few months. I drank so much for so long that I guess I never really just "went to sleep" so much as passed out from drinking. Like many people I used booze to get to sleep, sometimes mixed with OTC sleep meds. Not a good combo!
The standard advice would probably be to check with your doctor. My feeling is that you should give it a couple months. It takes your body a while to find its equilibrium once you quit drinking. I wouldn't be surprised if the issue sorts itself out over the next month or so.
Congrats on 27 days! You are on the right track for sure!
I will say though that my sleep schedule was kind of haywire for the first few months. I drank so much for so long that I guess I never really just "went to sleep" so much as passed out from drinking. Like many people I used booze to get to sleep, sometimes mixed with OTC sleep meds. Not a good combo!
The standard advice would probably be to check with your doctor. My feeling is that you should give it a couple months. It takes your body a while to find its equilibrium once you quit drinking. I wouldn't be surprised if the issue sorts itself out over the next month or so.
Congrats on 27 days! You are on the right track for sure!
Cat Lady
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 164
Yeah I'm hoping it's just temporary. We'll see. I don't think there's any weird noise at that hour... Not that I've noticed anyway. I live on a busy street but it dies down during the late night/early morning.
I'll consult a doctor in a month if this doesn't resolve. I do have some klonopin prescribed for anxiety that makes me fall asleep but I take that maybe once a month now as it makes me feel really sluggish for hours. I also don't want to deal with benzos and getting addicted.
I googled it and the majority of answers that popped up said it had something to do with that being the prime time for ghosts and demons to be active. One... If that were true, does it mean they are aware of time zones? Lol and two... I don't really think I invited ghosts along with my sobriety. Haha
So we will see! Time will tell!
I'll consult a doctor in a month if this doesn't resolve. I do have some klonopin prescribed for anxiety that makes me fall asleep but I take that maybe once a month now as it makes me feel really sluggish for hours. I also don't want to deal with benzos and getting addicted.
I googled it and the majority of answers that popped up said it had something to do with that being the prime time for ghosts and demons to be active. One... If that were true, does it mean they are aware of time zones? Lol and two... I don't really think I invited ghosts along with my sobriety. Haha
So we will see! Time will tell!
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 126
Funny, I have had the same thing trouble me in the past. I would wake, glance at the digital clock next to the bed and it read 3:00 am. , sometimes a few minutes past, but mostly on the nose three am. It passed after a couple of weeks, but one thing I did do, was when I woke I quit looking at the clock. I realized when I did look, saw it was 3, I got upset it had happened again, and that was the reason I couldn't get back to sleep. That helped.
Had another time recently It was ocurred two nights in a row at a little before 2 am. I thought, "Oh no not again." I then realized on the second night that I had started leaving my blinds open and it was the full moon rising, and shining through that was waking me. I dont think that was the issue with the 3 o'clock thing, as it happened too many nights in a row
Did get me thinking that maybe there was something, maybe a train passing or some such happening responsible for the three o'clock wakings.
Had another time recently It was ocurred two nights in a row at a little before 2 am. I thought, "Oh no not again." I then realized on the second night that I had started leaving my blinds open and it was the full moon rising, and shining through that was waking me. I dont think that was the issue with the 3 o'clock thing, as it happened too many nights in a row
Did get me thinking that maybe there was something, maybe a train passing or some such happening responsible for the three o'clock wakings.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Western NY
Posts: 125
I recently listened to a podcast about sleep - it seems there is some consensus among certain sleep researchers that it is actually a normal human sleep rythym to awaken once during that timeframe. In some cultures it is called the blissful hour (I'm certain those cultures don't have to be up at 5 am!). It may be an evolutionary holdover from when we had to be vigilant about night time predators.
It happens to me every time I quit drinking - and I enjoy the peaceful time sometimes. I wonder if this is actually a return to normal after getting rid of the poison?
In any case, it's certainly better than the anxiety laden, half sleep I got after a night of drinking.
It happens to me every time I quit drinking - and I enjoy the peaceful time sometimes. I wonder if this is actually a return to normal after getting rid of the poison?
In any case, it's certainly better than the anxiety laden, half sleep I got after a night of drinking.
Left the bottle behind 4/16/2015
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NC
Posts: 1,416
Hi Rosie. It sounds like I could have written that thread because that is exactly the sleep pattern I've been in, off and on, for about 3 weeks now. The first month or so I was sober, I was sleeping great - well after the first week anyway - but then all of a sudden, I'm suffering from insomnia. My doctor prescribed Trazodone to help me get to sleep. It works OK, but I still wake up in the middle of the night, like you, around 3AM. It's just a little easier for me to get back to sleep if I take that med.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
3AM is that special hour, isn't it?
When I was drinking, 3AM was night-terror wake up time.
Then a month into sobriety I was waking at 3AM. I finally just started getting up, having a light snack and going back to sleep.
There must be some biological reason why so many people have the time as 3AM - and indeed it is usually right around 3 straight up - not 2:36 or 3:48.
I kind of like the ghosts description. You know all those paranormal shows do their surveillance at 3AM - so it could be true. Maybe smudging is in order.
When I was drinking, 3AM was night-terror wake up time.
Then a month into sobriety I was waking at 3AM. I finally just started getting up, having a light snack and going back to sleep.
There must be some biological reason why so many people have the time as 3AM - and indeed it is usually right around 3 straight up - not 2:36 or 3:48.
I kind of like the ghosts description. You know all those paranormal shows do their surveillance at 3AM - so it could be true. Maybe smudging is in order.
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