Why Do I Keep Waking Up at Night? Unveiling the Causes and Sleep Solutions

Have you ever wondered, "Why do I keep waking up at night?"

If that sounds like you, then you're not alone. Many people face interruption in their sleep routine which affects their overall health and well-being.

When you Google this question, you’ll find all kinds of answers. Some of my favorites:

You’re following your ancestral rhythms because “segmented, or biphasic, sleep was the natural pattern of human slumber,” according to historian and sleep expert Roger Ekirch.

For a more spiritual meaning, Ryan Hart posts that waking up at 3 a.m. means that you’re hard on yourself and you struggle with perfectionism. 

Or that you’re going through a life change, and your guardian angel is trying to connect with you at that time.

When I wasn’t sleeping well, I remember being so frustrated by these answers, especially the ones that seemed downright ridiculous. The most frustrating part for me was that these absurd reasons for not sleeping meant that there wasn’t much I could do about it. I was already doing all the other recommended sleep hygiene things: avoiding screens and dimming the lights before bed, trying to manage my stress, and not eating spicy or heavy foods too close to bedtime.

Now that I’ve learned more about sleep and combined it with what I know about nutrition, I’ve found the top 3 reasons why we wake up in the night. I’m not talking about spiritual or ancestral reasons but true physiological triggers that cause us to wake up and not be able to fall back asleep. As it turns out, all of these reasons have one thing in common: the hormone cortisol.

Cortisol and Sleep: What’s the Connection?

As you may already know, cortisol is our stress hormone. Although it has a bad rap, cortisol is actually a necessary and useful hormone. It wakes us up in the morning, keeps us alert throughout the day, and helps us prepare to fight or flee during stressful situations.

But cortisol should diminish in the evening as the hormone melatonin is released, preparing us for sleep.
So the three reasons we wake up at night happen because cortisol is being released at night when it shouldn’t be. 

Top 3 Reasons We Wake Up at Night

1. Too Much Stress

Our bodies are meant to handle acute stress. When we’re chronically stressed and constantly in fight or flight mode, however, our cortisol levels are always high, even at night. If you find yourself awake in the night and wired with your thoughts racing, this could be the reason why.

So what can you do about it? Learn how to manage your stress better during the day to sleep better at night. Meditating, going to yoga, and taking a walk are all ways to lower your cortisol levels during the day, so they naturally lower at night as well. Taking recovery breaks every hour or two during the day can help, too. During these breaks, walk away from your computer or work and take the time to breathe deeply or meditate to help you tremendously sleep better at night.

2. Blood Sugar Spikes

If you’re on a blood sugar roller coaster all day from eating too much sugar and processed carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels will drop in the night. When your blood sugar drops too low at night, your body will release cortisol to raise it. You may not even feel hungry, but you will be awake and stimulated by the release of cortisol at that time.

To avoid the blood sugar roller coaster, avoid refined sugar, pastries, sweetened drinks, etc., and focus on eating whole foods with plenty of protein and healthy fats at every meal. Unfortunately, being sleep-deprived makes us more likely to crave unhealthy foods because our body wants quick energy. Sleep deprivation also messes with the hormones that control hunger, making us more likely to overeat up to 300 calories a day, studies show.

3. Parasites, Bacteria, or Fungal Overgrowth

The lesser-known reason you wake up at night has to do with an unhealthy gut and some unpleasant critters that may be living there. Having a common parasite like Blastocystis hominis or Giardia lamblia, a bacteria like H. pylori, or fungal overgrowth like Candida albicans can affect your sleep. These creatures are nocturnal, and as they’re feeding at night, they’re creating inflammation. 

Cortisol, being anti-inflammatory, comes to the rescue to deal with that inflammation. You know the drill: cortisol wakes you up and suppresses melatonin, making it hard to go back to sleep.

To find out if you have unwanted parasites, bacteria or fungus that are keeping you from sleeping, you need to get your stool tested by a lab. If you’ve tried everything else and you still aren’t sleeping, this could be the reason why.

Explore a Sleep Solution That Works

I hope this article has helped explain why you’re waking up in the middle of the night. I know how frustrating it is to not get sleep. So, I hope you can now try some new things to get a good night’s sleep: manage your stress, avoid the blood sugar roller coaster, and test for unwanted bugs that may be keeping you awake when you should be sleeping.

If you’re looking to get up to seven hours of uninterrupted sleep, try looking into our Complete Sleep Solution Program here at The Sleep Detective™. Book a consultation with our experts today to get the good night’s sleep you deserve!