Waking up every night around 4am.

[PeatBull]

This happens to me lately. I heard that Ray says that is when the stress hormones are highest. I heard some esoteric folks say its related to earth magnetic cycle or something like that. So I get up, go to bathroom, eat some fruits and go back to bed.
Anyone knows exactly why it happens and how to sleep all night?

 

[mostlylurking]

This happens to me lately. I heard that Ray says that is when the stress hormones are highest. I heard some esoteric folks say its related to earth magnetic cycle or something like that. So I get up, go to bathroom, eat some fruits and go back to bed.
Anyone knows exactly why it happens and how to sleep all night?

The stress hormones can be high at that time of night because you've run out of blood glucose which triggers adrenaline to rise which is supposed to trigger the liver to release more stored glucose. If the liver can't release more glucose then cortisol is released and your tissues get dissolved to make sugar so your brain doesn't suffer. These stress hormones initiate the fight or flight response which wakes you up.

Ray recommends consuming something sweet, I use milk with a tablespoon of sugar or a glass of orange juice. Eating something sweet like ice cream before bed might do the trick if the liver is able to do its job and store the glucose, then release it as needed. If the liver is working well, it should be able to do this for something like 8 hours. If your liver isn't able to do this job well it may be because it is overloaded with toxins. High estrogen will keep the liver from functioning well; so will thiamine deficiency.

 

[flame900]

I have also had this problem numerous times in the recent past.I'd say grabbing a fruit during the night might do the job as well as eating a nutritious meal consisting of carbs,fats and protein before going to bed.

 

[aniciete]

I know most recommend eating right before bed but every time I do that my sleep is disrupted. Eating a good sized dinner 2-3 hours before bed ensures I sleep through the night.

 

[flame900]

I know most recommend eating right before bed but every time I do that my sleep is disrupted. Eating a good sized dinner 2-3 hours before bed ensures I sleep through the night.

what do you usually eat before bed?

 

[aniciete]

what do you usually eat before bed?

When my sleep was bad I tried ice cream, milk, juice, etc and it never worked out. Now I eat a portion of fatty meat/seafood with starch and it works quite well as long as I give it enough time to digest.

 

[GTW]

Historically there was "second sleep."
Waking and being moderately active for a period of time in the middle of the night was normal.

 

[frannybananny]

Historically there was "second sleep."
Waking and being moderately active for a period of time in the middle of the night was normal.

Yes, and to me that second sleep can be quite useful. It was most popular before the industrial revolution because people didn't have to get up at 6 or 7 AM to go to work to put in 8hours a day. They would wake up in the middle of the night and actually walk over to their neighbors' and have a cup of tea (or something else) and go back home for their second sleep. Now that I'm retired and my husband seems to wake up around 4AM I just get up with him and we sit and chat for awhile and then go back to bed for another 4-5 hours sleep. It feels very luxurious.

 

[bistecca]

I know most recommend eating right before bed but every time I do that my sleep is disrupted. Eating a good sized dinner 2-3 hours before bed ensures I sleep through the night.

this

I never sleep well if I consume anything within an hour or 2 of going to sleep. I think i recall hearing that digestive processes really slow down in the evening with melatonin rising, which can lead to inadequate digestion and problems related to that. I've found i have some of my best sleep when i have some caffeine in the evening as well as a large meal at 6-7 pm.

 

[methylenewhite]

This happens to me lately. I heard that Ray says that is when the stress hormones are highest. I heard some esoteric folks say its related to earth magnetic cycle or something like that. So I get up, go to bathroom, eat some fruits and go back to bed.
Anyone knows exactly why it happens and how to sleep all night?

Ambient temperature drop? Try to insulate yourself