Why do I wake up at 4am?

Probably you have lot of work and you are stressed out. This phenomenon is called “sleep-maintenance insomnia" by doctors. Doctors say that this can even be a sign of depression, but not always. You lay your head on the pillow, and events from the day keep streaming through your brain. You’ll benefit from relaxation techniques. Consider meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation or biofeedback. Sometimes the problem is stimulants — stimulant medicines or an alcoholic “nightcap” before bed. Alcohol makes many people sleepy and helps them fall asleep. But a few hours into sleep, alcohol becomes a stimulant to the brain and causes people to awaken easily. There are many other reasons too like pain, loss of a loved one, etc.

Have you ever wondered why you always seem to wake up during the night at particular times? And it’s not just an odd night here and there. After a while you begin to realise you’re waking up again and again, the nights of sleeping through a distant memory. You start to look at the clock and find it’s always at the same time – 2:55am or between certain hours like 4am to 5am. You’re not drinking coffee late in the afternoon, you’ve cut down on your much loved sugars and you’re fairly active during the day (incidentally if you are drinking coffee all afternoon and you’re dipping into refined sugars, consider stopping and then see how you sleep!). Sure, life’s a bit stressful but how is it that it’s always 2:55am?! Those who use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) would tell you “that’s easy – look at the Chinese Medicine ‘Meridian Clock’”. It’s one of my favourite tools to use in Kinesiology. The great thing about the Meridian Clock is you don’t have to be a Kinesiologist or a practitioner of TCM to understand it or gain insight from it. Here’s a basic explanation to get you started. Chinese Medicine ‘Meridian Clock' CHINESE MEDICINE ‘MERIDIAN CLOCK' What’s your time? Firstly, have a look at the clock above and find the time you’re waking up. Take note of the name that sits directly beneath it. For example, if you’re waking between 1am and 3am then you would look at the information about the Liver meridian. Don’t worry – it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with your liver, it’s just the way they’re named in English. 14 major meridians – our electrical system There are 14 major meridians or flows of an energy substance (you may have heard of Qi/Ch’i which sustains life) with 12 of them sitting within the 24 hour clock. All are constantly flowing with energy from your environment and penetrating your body through your skin, central nervous system and organs. These portals on the skin are what acupuncture and acupressure use. Each has a two hour period where they are the primary meridian. Each meridian is linked to particular parts of the body, mechanisms of the body, other meridians, thoughts and emotions, colour, sound, seasons and other spiritual aspects. They’re also partnered together as Yin (receiving energy) and Yang (expressing energy) of an element – Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire. Think of it like electrical circuits – when the energy of a meridian is not flowing well due to a block (like stress), you’ll find that you’ll experience a sign or symptom from the meridian(s) involved. This block will also cause an imbalance in the flows between meridians. So when waking up in the night at the same time, or becoming exhausted with 3:30-itis in the afternoon, you can look at the meridian at work and what may be happening with you. Here’s a list of the basic emotions of each element (the ring below the meridians). Earth – Empathy, sympathy, balanced giving and receiving Metal – Grief and loss Water – Fear and anxiety Wood – Anger, frustration and resentment Fire – Love, hate and joy What now? Self reflection people! It can be quite simple; you just need to stop and listen. Your body is trying to tell you something by waking you up at the same time. Back to our previous example, if your time is the Liver meridian and the Wood element – ask yourself “What am I angry or frustrated at?” Or think of the Liver organ and apply this to your life “What is toxic in my life that I need to get rid of?” Perhaps you have symptoms that your digestive system is not working so well? I’ll leave you with this as food for thought. Spend some time to reflect on your life and what’s keeping you awake based on the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I will cover this in more detail in the next post Why You Wake Up At The Same Time Every Night (Part II). If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night, have a read through the Sanctuary of Sleep Series Part One Sleep & Stress: Why You Can’t Fall Asleep If you’d like to read more about Traditional Chinese Medicine start with ‘The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine’ by Ted Kaptchuk. This post is the first instalment of a series I’ll be writing on Traditional Chinese Medicine and how you can use it to help you in daily life. Easy!

There is science behind the 4am awakenings; while tedious and perhaps lunar-oriented, it's easiest to adjust our mindset. As soon as we create the story that we wake up every night at 4am, it will continue to happen. I find when this happens to me, I try to stray from analyzing it, but re-orient myself back into night by reminding myself I am safe and worthy of sleep. The stars and moon may be making some noise but it's time for us to quiet.

You could be waking at 4 am because your body knows you have something thats not finished. For example If you didn't do your homework and you go to sleep worrying about it your more likely to wake uo cause your body is under streess

I don't know...i wake up at 4:30 am or 5am to go to pee and hope to fall asleep again before getting hungry xD

I've woken up early for no reason before too. It was scary at first, but then I realised how peaceful being alone is. It's comforting to know that everyone's asleep, and that you're alone with your thoughts at not-quite-morning-or-night time

it makes you positive right from the starting of the day!u watch sunrise..the breeze..birds singing..true essence of life! feels alive n blessed! :)

you probably are anxious or excited about something or there is alot going on in your mind before or while your sleeping.

I either have a lot on my mind and think myself awake with unsettling emotional dreams, or I have a lot of urine in my bladder and need to pee. I try to drink water earlier in the evening instead of right before bed so I don't have to go to pee in the night. Outside sounds also wake me up, like the neighbor's dog who barks. I sometimes bark back. In times past, I have been awaken by anxious or menacing spirits. That was frightening then, and interesting in hindsight. I don't get that anymore. Probably because my own energy/vibration has changed.

A few days ago i was listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer Spiritual guide and mentor and he said that waking up at 2-3-4 am was a calling. That you should embrace it and see what this moment of inspiration has to offer. I know it sound wacky but hey! just give it a try. The only thing you have to do is breath and hope for inspired thoughts to come to mind.