Waking at 3 a.m. is normal: what sleep experts do next
Walker, Poe, Hattar, Rebecca Robbins and Huberman all treat brief night wakings as an ordinary part of sleep and focus on how to get back to sleep without bright light, screens or clock-watching. Knowing this removes a common source of sleep anxiety that turns a short waking into a long one.
Is waking at 3 a.m. a problem? Show answer
Usually not. All the experts treat a brief night waking as an ordinary part of sleep, as long as you can fall back asleep.
Why does almost everyone wake in the night, according to Matt Walker? Show answer
Sleep runs in cycles of roughly 90 minutes, and people briefly wake at the end of a cycle to shift posture. Most never remember it.
How much time awake in a night still counts as healthy on Walker's figures? Show answer
A total of about 30 minutes, which keeps sleep efficiency at 85% or more.
What are Walker's warning signs that wakings are not normal? Show answer
Lying awake for 20 to 25 minutes or more, or waking consciously six to eight times a night.
What does Gina Poe say keeps people awake? Show answer
Worrying about not sleeping. Her remedy is to tell yourself your body will get the sleep it needs, because sleep is tightly regulated.
Why should you not check the time when you wake? Show answer
People who look at the time generally have a harder time falling back asleep. Walker says knowing the hour only makes a hard night worse.
What three tools does Andrew Huberman use to fall back asleep? Show answer
Long-exhale breathing, relaxing the face and then the whole body, and a self-hypnosis recording he practices in the daytime.
What does Samer Hattar say is the real problem at night? Show answer
Bright light and tablets, which create an alerting signal. He believes most people need about ten times less light at night than they use.
When does Rebecca Robbins say to get out of bed? Show answer
When frustration shows up. Tossing in bed trains the brain to link the bed with stress, so sit in dim light and do something boring until sleepy.
How do Poe and Walker differ on the day after a bad night? Show answer
Poe says to make up the sleep the next morning or go to bed a little earlier. Walker says to do nothing different: no sleeping in, naps or early bedtime.
What removable causes of night waking do the experts list? Show answer
Fluids late in the evening, a very full stomach, evening alcohol and a bedroom at the wrong temperature.
When should you see a doctor about night waking? Show answer
When wakings are long or very frequent, you stay unrested after seriously trying these habits, or sleep apnea is possible.