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Why do I keep waking up too early in the morning?

247 Answers
Last Updated: 10/15/2018 at 2:53pm
Why do I keep waking up too early in the morning?
★ This question about Sleeping Well was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Tracy-Kate Teleke, PsyD, M.A., LMFT

Marriage & Family Therapist

I assist adults and couples in CA experiencing relationship challenges and interpersonal struggles including anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other life challenges.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
July 1st, 2015 11:21am
I used to wake up early too, and I realized that it was because I had too much on my mind. I would end up waking up at 4:00am and just toss and turn or just get up completely. What I did, was I wrote a journal at the end of the day so that I could have all my thoughts written down so that they wouldnt have to be racing through my head.
SoFabulous
October 26th, 2014 8:27pm
Well, the reason I keep on waking up too early is because of my alarm. Maybe you have the same problem?
rocktop1
October 28th, 2014 1:04pm
There is a certain disappointment about waking up early,and an even more disappointment when you cannot fall back asleep! The primary cause of difficulty staying asleep near morning is insomnia which is defined as difficulty falling or staying asleep, or sleep that's simply not refreshing. Although waking up some nights,they tend to be more frequent as the night rolls on! Anxiety or depression may be a cause and provoke any awakenings,as the individual set for a specific time of awake could wake up several hours beforehand! The causes may require the use of medications or counselling,also studies have shown that when assisted by a psychiatrist is most effective. Sleep can undermine mood, and conversely, mood problems can greatly affect sleep. By working on both issues together, the complexity of this relationship can be unraveled. When your mind is restless,you tend to get up early,also consuming alcohol or caffeine can deeply effect your sleep. When your mind is focused on an early awakening you merely will wake up unscheduled. A few tips that could help: 1-Preserve the darkness,Keep the room dark when you wake up. prevents the mind and body physically to not contribute with your energy,whether your going to the bathroom or anywhere else! 2-Move the clock out of reach. Constantly checking the clock and calculating how long you've been awake only feeds your anxiety. 3-. Breathe and ease,a 3 step approach sleeplessness that works. 1. First, do "belly breathing,which means breathing deeply enough that your diaphragm rises and falls. 2. Isolate each part of your body, from your feet up to your neck, by tensing and relaxing it. 3. imagine yourself in a favorite place, such as lying in the sun on the beach. Use all of your senses; imagine that you're hearing the waves and smelling the salt air. If it doesn't work the first time, do all three steps again in the same order.
Anonymous
August 2nd, 2015 2:00pm
I keep waking up too early in the morning when I got so many stress in my life and with no idea how to get over them
NiaS29
July 24th, 2015 1:22pm
Many people wake up early in the morning if they're anxious or after traumatic experiences, so this may be the issue. It varies for lots of people though but if it keeps happening I'd recommend talking to someone about it :)
Tomislav
August 15th, 2015 12:42am
It could be the sign of your consciousness fighting over itself over an issue. Maybe it is other way around and you feel too comfortable over yourself? Scientists are still mind boggled about sleeping. The fact is that a human body needs at least 7 and efficiently 9 hours of sleep per night for your body to stay rested and refreshed. Lack of sleep can be a sign of a physical, mental illness or an eternal struggle with yourself on a subconscious level. Waking up too early means that there is no REM phase of your sleep which is the most vital one. I don't know what is bothering you, my dear questioner, but if this continues or if it has been going on for long you might want to seek professional help. Sleep is one of the vital things in your life and key to good mental and physical health. There could be an outer factor (a rooster? An appliance emitting waves?) ? Either way, dear listener, i hope you find your good sleep and equilibrium. Sleep well :)
youarehere
June 28th, 2015 5:58am
As long as you have enough hours of sleep (something between 6 and 8 hours are optimal) and you don't feel tired over the whole day I would not worry too much about it :) You could do a bit of physical exercise every day, go to bed at regular times, try to reduce alcohol, caffeine and nicotine if applicable - so basically create a good sleep hygiene.
Anonymous
August 14th, 2015 3:47pm
Its depends from emotions or worries,If I wake up too early mean my brain doesn't rest.Something scratch my mind or my heart.
peacefulcrescents0103
July 1st, 2015 1:58am
Any of the mood disorders, most notably anxiety and depression, can provoke awakenings, which typically occur in the several hours before the intended awakening. For example, if the alarm is set for 6 AM, someone with depression may start waking at 4 AM for no good reason. It's clear that sleep can undermine mood, and conversely, mood problems can greatly affect sleep. I would recommended trying to relax your mind with soothing music before bed that helps with falling asleep and staying asleep (can be found on youtube.com).
Anonymous
October 29th, 2014 11:39am
Waking up too early probably has something to do with being used to it. Also, if you wake up very early and look at the alarm, your brain begins to take that as a sign to wake up at that time and your body clock is set to a time very early in the morning.
CosmicStranger
August 15th, 2015 12:12pm
It maybe because of the things you are thinking. it reminds you and it makes you so awake and sensitive.
HighwayUnicorn
October 30th, 2014 5:21pm
Maybe you're not getting a relaxing sleep, try not to over think anything late at night before you go to bed
CinnaBunnyHelps
June 20th, 2015 6:57am
There are different reasons you can't sleep, for example: 1. You're awake for no reason, with your mind spinning. Middle-of-the-night worrying is probably the number-one type of sleeplessness faced by people of all ages. And boy, is it frustrating. You know you need to relax and get back to sleep, but anxious thoughts and to-do list items keep popping into your head. 2. You wake up to use the bathroom and can't get back to sleep. Whether it's once a night or over and over, popping awake to use the bathroom disrupts your sleep cycle and cuts into your restful REM sleep. The best solution for this problem, officially called "nocturia," is prevention. If you don't wake up in the first place, you won't lose those precious zzz's. 3. Pain wakes you up. Chronic pain of all kinds is one of the most common sleep disrupters; between 60 and 90 percent of people who suffer from some type of chronic pain sleep poorly. Mild pain can have as profound an effect on sleep as extreme pain -- yet many people don't take pain's effect on sleep seriously. 4. Your environment won't let you sleep. Light, sound, temperature changes, and vibrations all have the effect of putting your body on alert. When subjects don't fully awaken from exposure to stimuli, they experience "microarousals" that disrupt sleep. 5. Your digestive system won't let you sleep. A growling stomach can wake you and heartburn or gas can leave you lying awake in misery. Then there's gastroesophageal reflux disease, which can disrupt your sleep without you realizing it. (You might wake with a sour taste in your mouth but not know what woke you.) Here's what you can do : (1,2,4). Preserve the darkness. Keep the room dark when you wake up. Whatever you do, don't turn on the overhead light at night, use a little night-light to guide your way through your room/bathroom. (1,4). Move the clock out of reach. Constantly checking the clock and calculating how long you've been awake only feeds your anxiety: "Oh no, now I'm only going to get five hours of sleep." Set the alarm, then move the clock where you can't see or check it. (3,5). Breathe and ease. First, do "belly breathing," which means breathing deeply enough that your diaphragm rises and falls. Next, isolate each part of your body, from your feet up to your neck, by tensing and relaxing it. Finally, imagine yourself in a favorite place, such as lying in the sun on the beach. Use all of your senses; imagine that you're hearing the waves and smelling the salt air. If it doesn't work the first time, do all three steps again in the same order.
Brettlstar
November 13th, 2014 8:54am
Not an easy question to answer. 1. You could be going to bed earlier. 2. Light levels outside might have increased 3. sleep tends to cycle so unless its a problem, just go with it and use the time 4. Pathology : Depression (but you would know that). Your question is not something that is normally asked unless it has become a problem and if so, I would go see your doctor for a check-up. Might be nothing, might be something. But without a lot more information its impossible to answer.
Anonymous
August 9th, 2015 7:17pm
I find that when I have a bad dream/nightmare, I wake up early in the morning. Also, when I sleep early the day before or take a nap, I find myself waking up early.
OQuinn
August 7th, 2015 1:53pm
I used to wake up early in the morning for no reason at all, until I figured out that sometimes it underlies something else. Like depression, anxiety can really affect your sleeping pattern. Meditation before sleep, or during the day helps a lot, just to relieve your brain. And white noise (waves, rain, fire, etc...) can relax your tense nerves and hopefully you get a longer night of sleep.
NattyByNature
June 18th, 2015 9:20pm
I wake up too early because I have a tendacy to toss and turn and I get panic attacks in my sleep...
flyingbutterfly01
July 24th, 2015 2:03am
Because you sleep early at night !!! Or when the required rest is complete for body thn we automatically wake up ... Or you don't work much hard in day to go dead in bed ... So you must be waking up ... Or your body is tuned to some specific wake up time naturally ..
Anonymous
August 16th, 2015 10:58pm
Usually it's because I don't eat dinner, so by the time that I have to wake up I'm super hungry. I guess hunger wakes me up
Anonymous
July 2nd, 2015 2:51am
This can be caused by anxiety from everyday duties. Such as work meetings, school exams etc. The cause may also be not so healthy sleep patterns and confused internal clock.
Anonymous
July 29th, 2015 4:57am
There are many reasons I may wake up earlier than I want in the morning. One reason is simply that I may not need as much sleep as I used to need. If I am depressed or using sleep as an escape, I may be sleeping so much during the day that I don't need much sleep at night. Additionally, I may be waking up from nightmares or, if I am hypervigilant about my surroundings, small noises may wake me.
Anonymous
August 14th, 2015 8:46am
Do you have any worries or pending situations ? Usually we wake up early because our body feels is something that we have to do or we didn't finish
Anonymous
August 12th, 2015 3:59am
I personally wake up too early in the morning because my house is very loud, and it is impossible to sleep. As result, I sleep earlier, nap more often, and, of course, wake up earlier.
OCDLena
July 22nd, 2015 5:04pm
Are you drinking to much water before bed? are you going to bed really early? Are you taking naps during the day or sitting still a lot? these are all things that can affect how well you sleep
SparkleAmy
October 16th, 2014 10:43am
Sometimes I wake up too early in the morning and usually its because I was having a strange dream...
DelightfulDreamer87
June 20th, 2015 1:36am
Whenever I wake up before 7 in the morning, it's usually because I went to sleep before 11:30 p.m. It sounds weird but my body is used to me sleeping after 11:30 and if I sleep before then it's almost as if gets rest faster and then is wide awake at like 3 in the morning.
Anonymous
August 5th, 2015 7:17am
Maybe your body is used to waking up early if you have been waking up early in the past. If you go to bed early that can also cause you to wake up early.
Moonshade
August 2nd, 2015 5:55pm
i would usually get up too early when I was experiencing anxiety. I didn't know what was wrong, I would wake up way before the alarm with my mind racing with thoughts. I found since my anxiety was addressed it seldom happens. If it does I know something is out of balance and I need some self-care. I find writing really helps.
Anonymous
August 15th, 2015 1:47pm
I often find that I can wake up a number of times throughout the night, especially early morning. However, being morning time, I am concerned for what time it is and that makes me check my phone, and once I get that pretty little light shining in my eyes, its all over for me! I find the most effective thing I can do is to always have an alarm set on my phone, so I never have to be concerned about over sleeping, and if I havent heard that alarm yet, it means the phone doesn not get picked up, and I get to stay in a more restful state and hopefully drift back to sleep until I'm well and truly ready to wake up for the day!
Anonymous
March 11th, 2016 12:56pm
I understood that you wake up too early in the morning. How does this make you feel? Is it a real problem, or could you turn it in to something useful?