How Many Times is it Normal to Wake Up at Night?
Waking up during the night is an extremely common occurrence. In fact, studies show that around 41% of adults wake up at least once per night. But how many times is considered normal?
Should you be concerned if you are frequently stirring during the wee hours? Let’s take a deeper look at what’s considered healthy and unhealthy when it comes to nighttime awakenings.
What’s Considered Normal?
Most sleep experts define “normal” as waking up no more than two times per night. So if you are briefly aroused once or twice but can easily fall back asleep, that is generally thought to be within the range of normal sleep patterns.
Waking up three or more times starts to signify a potential sleep disturbance. Frequently waking up often results in daytime fatigue and hinders health and well-being.
So if you are regularly waking up three, four, five times or more during the night, then it may be time to take a closer look at why your sleep is so disrupted.
What Causes Frequent Night Waking?
There are a number of possible explanations for why you may be waking up frequently at night:
1. Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, night terrors, sleepwalking, acid reflux, and more can all interfere with continuous sleep.
- Insomnia makes it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Those with insomnia often wake up frequently throughout the night.
- Sleep apnea causes breathing pauses that awaken sleepers once breathing restarts.
- Restless leg syndrome leads to unpleasant sensations that create an urge to move the legs. This often wakes people up.
- Night terrors and sleepwalking occur during deep sleep, leading to arousals.
- Acid reflux can cause painful heartburn that interrupts sleep.
Treating the underlying sleep disorder is crucial to minimize awakenings.
2. Medications
Some prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and dietary supplements have stimulant properties that can cause overnight awakenings. These include certain antidepressants, blood pressure and asthma medications, steroids, decongestants, seizure medicines, and more. The timing of when medications are taken can also play a role in sleep disruptions.
3. Hormonal Changes
Hormone fluctuations commonly affect sleep. Menopause, pregnancy, and menstrual cycles all go hand-in-hand with night waking due to hot flashes, nausea, pain and discomfort.
4. Bladder Issues
An overactive bladder or enlarged prostate gland causes bathroom urges that awaken sleepers. Interstitial cystitis and urinary tract infections also lead to frequent nightly trips to the restroom.
5. Environmental Factors
External issues like noise pollution, light exposure at night, uncomfortable room temperature, an uneven mattress, or flat pillow can make it very hard to sleep soundly all the way through the night.
6. Physical Pain
Chronic conditions like arthritis, injuries, migraine headaches, neuropathy, and back pain can flare up at night and causes waking from sleep.
7. Stress and Anxiety
Racing thoughts and worrying as well as high stress levels awaken the nervous system making relaxing sleep elusive.
As you can see, there are many possible reasons why someone might struggle to sleep through the night without awakening. The key is to identify which factor(s) apply to your unique situation. Bringing in a sleep specialist can help diagnose and treat the root causes leading to your night waking.
Tips to Minimize Night Waking
If you feel you are waking up too often overnight, here are some handy tips to help curb the awakenings:
1. Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day – even on weekends and days off – helps regulate the body’s internal clock for better sleep quality.
2. Develop a Calming Pre-Bed Routine
Having a set relaxing routine before bed like a warm bath, light stretches, journaling, or reading primes your body for restful sleep.
3. Optimize Your Sleep Environment
Make sure your bedroom is cool (60-67 degrees F), free of outside noise and light pollution, and your mattress and pillows provide comfort and support. Consider blackout curtains, a white noise machine, ear plugs, and temperature regulating bedding if needed.
4. Avoid Stimulants in the Evening
Cut off consumption of stimulating substances like alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine at least 4-6 hours before bedtime. This prevents midnight awakenings.
5. Power Down Electronics
Shut off TVs, laptops, smartphones and other electronics at least one hour before bed, as the blue light emitted interferes with good sleep.
6. Rule Out Any Sleep Disorders
Consult a sleep specialist to diagnose conditions like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, acid reflux or urinary problems which could be interrupting sleep. Proper treatment is essential.
7. Optimize Medication Timing
Take any stimulating medications as early in the day as possible. Discuss overnight dosing of medications with doctor to prevent awakenings.
8. Decrease Stress
Exercise, meditation, yoga, massage therapy helps lower high stress, allowing the body to fall into deeper stages of sleep.
9. Consider Sound Therapy
White noise machines, fans, or ear plugs helps dampen disruptive noises allowing sleep to continue undisturbed.
10. Use the Bathroom Before Bed
This reduces the chances of having to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Making some simple tweaks to your daily habits and sleep environment can go a long way towards continuous, uninterrupted sleep all night long.
When to Seek Help
Occasional night waking is normal. But if it occurs frequently, and none of the self-help tips seem to make a difference, then it’s a good idea to consult a sleep specialist. They can get to the root cause of what’s interrupting your sleep and recommend tailored treatment options.
A doctor may order an at-home or in-lab sleep study test to diagnose any sleep disorders that could be responsible. Common culprits like sleep apnea require proper medical treatment. Seeing your primary care provider to screen for underlying health conditions may also be warranted.
Prescription sleeping aids or talk therapy may also help in some situations. The key is to seek professional guidance when self-help isn’t cutting it, so you don’t have to live with fatigue and impaired functioning.
The Bottom Line
Waking up once or twice per night is considered within normal limits for most adults. When awakenings become more frequent (three times or more), it often indicates an underlying sleep problem or health issue. If you frequently stir overnight – and feel tired the next day as a result – don’t hesitate to check in with your doctor.
Identifying and properly treating the cause(s) is key to getting back uninterrupted, restorative sleep and better daytime energy.