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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 29th, 2015 2:47am
Maybe you are stressed because you know you have stuff to do and scared it won't get done on time or your scared your alarm won't go off
HannahTribeca
July 29th, 2015 8:03pm
Hello there, I'm Hannah and I've woken up too early in the mornings as well - but perhaps to others, it is just the right time of day to wake up. So I guess what you mean to ask is that you're not getting the length of sleep you expected. First, if I'm awake with less sleep but feeling energetic and raring to go, then it is a positive experience. This happens when I'm super motivated and cannot wait to start the day. On the other hand, if I wake up worrying and panicking, it is an unpleasant feeling that I will try to identify, find the root cause, and eliminate and replace the emotion/reaction. It could also be I had too much coffee at 12am and woken up at 4am buzzed and but still tired.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2015 6:15am
You may not be getting enough exercise during the day and have too much energy, causing your body to be unable to rest. As well, you may have a lot of thoughts going on in your mind. Perhaps you are worried or very excited about the future.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2015 6:38pm
Waking early helps your serotonin hormone, I know its hard but once you wake up you will catch the day!
LikeABirdSong
July 30th, 2015 10:13pm
It can happen if you are sleeping uncomfortably, for instance lightning conditions in bedroom affects a lot at what time you wake up and how you wake up. Consider making the room dark while you are sleeping and that might be of help.
Anonymous
July 31st, 2015 1:34am
I wake up early when I am anxious of my day ahead. Even though I couldn't get to sleep the night before until the early morning and then waking up a few hours later.
Anonymous
July 31st, 2015 5:47am
It is possible you have to much on your mind. If you are having trouble with that, try writing down what you are thinking about. That works for a lot of people because then you won't forget it.
SupporterDK15
July 31st, 2015 5:47pm
Maybe you're not getting a relaxing sleep, try not to over think anything late at night before you go to bed. Mood problems can greatly affect sleep. For example, if the alarm is set for 6 AM, someone with depression may start waking at 4 AM for no good reason.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
August 1st, 2015 1:02am
You keep waking up that early because you're somebody who likes to be on time. It's a proof that you're healthy to care about those kind of things.
Anonymous
August 1st, 2015 6:27am
Maybe it is something your body is used to, when school usually comes, you have that early habit to wake up at that time. It could also be your body's natural alarm clock.
TravellingSoul
August 1st, 2015 5:46pm
Sometimes waking up too early in the morning could be a sign for stress or anxiety. Some people fear to forget important points from their agenda. You could write down the things xou need to remember so you do not need to fear forgetting them anymore. This could diminish your stress and you could come back to a more relaxing sleep.
Anonymous
August 5th, 2015 4:49pm
You might be anxious in your subconcious while sleeping, causing you to wake up early in the morning
Anonymous
August 5th, 2015 8:48pm
Is there anything that is one your mind? Perhaps that is, either if you've done something bad. Or if you have something wrong too, medical problems that could be waking you up, if so you should seek medical adivse.
PlantGiver
August 6th, 2015 9:57am
Look up to when it started. Think about any changes that happened and how it could possibly change your sleep patterns.
EndearingHope
August 6th, 2015 10:41am
Are you waking up early and your mind is full of thoughts? Are you feeling stressed? Or are you just a morning person?
Anonymous
August 6th, 2015 2:34pm
its probably because you sleep early at night. or it might be that you have something bugging you that wakes you up.
animalTurtle76
August 6th, 2015 7:58pm
This is called Insomnia. Many people with Anxiety suffer from this (and people without it). It means you will find it difficult to fall asleep and then also stay asleep. This is usually caused by stress.
Anonymous
August 8th, 2015 2:44pm
going to work ? just kidding , its either your in love , or worried, would have preferred your in love:)
mysticalcod
August 8th, 2015 3:39pm
Luckily I very rarely suffer from this. When I was looking for a jobi had a bit of anxiety so was waking up early and scouring the job websites I think it must happen when your worried
Anonymous
August 8th, 2015 7:10pm
It's not uncommon to wake up at unusual times. It may be a problem with insomnia or too much sleep. Too much or not enough sleep can mess up your desired sleep schedule.
Anonymous
August 9th, 2015 2:23am
It usually depends on your sleeping schedule. Altering it will alter what time you wake up and go to sleep.
shiningautumn
August 9th, 2015 10:36am
if you wake up in the morning at the same time your body gets used to it. so you inner clock wakes you up at the same time.
Anonymous
August 12th, 2015 5:23am
Do what you love never work a day in your life. Do what you dream, never sleep another. ~~~~~~~~~~~
Lotusflowers
August 12th, 2015 10:41am
It could be that you go to bed too early, or maybe you just don't really need a lot of sleep. It really depends on if you wake up tired and can't get back to sleep, or you just wake up fresh and happy to start you're new day. If you wake up tired, and can't get back to sleep, it might be useful to discuss this issue with your doctor. There could be hundreds of reasons why you're not sleeping properly.
Anonymous
August 13th, 2015 3:38am
You may be going to bed too early. :) Try to get yourself to bed approximately 8 hours before you know you need to wake up the next morning. Look into natural remedies such as Melatonin, that assists in resetting your body's alarm clock, and keeps you asleep during the night!
NightmareRose
August 13th, 2015 3:47am
It depends on how many hours of sleep your body needs ( some take more than 8 hours others take less), or how your brain is trained to wake at early hours. Usually the brain knows when the morning is and wakes you up because the brain needs the rest at night and energy at the morning. If you feel like this constantly is happening check your sleeping schedule and try to sleep at late hours of the night so you don't wake up too early in the morning, if not check with your doctor.
earthwalker3
August 13th, 2015 1:25pm
What time do you go to bed? It is said that children and teenagers are expected to gain 9-11 hours of sleep whilst adults are expected to gain 7-8 hours of sleep. If you're going to bed early, sleeping in during the day, taking long frequent naps then your body will wake up at a certain time because you have enough energy.
cometogether1197
August 13th, 2015 5:38pm
I have recently been experiencing this myself, where I would wake up at just before 6 AM, and I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep until after 8. I would try and fall back asleep, but eventually I would have to get up and wander to get rid of my discomfort. This happened for around a week. During this time, my mom and sisters were away, and I was feeling frustrated with my relationship. Once they returned and I got a chance to talk to my girlfriend, I was able to sleep a lot better. Maybe you are experiencing something similar, there may be something on your mind that is worrying you. The best thing you could do is talk it out with someone, to ease your mind, and everything will be okay!
Kuvira14
January 28th, 2016 6:39am
Because I have a lot in my mind that prevents me from getting the quality and quantity of sleep that I need to function
Anonymous
January 28th, 2016 8:25am
well there could be many reasons. Maybe if you have curtains open the light is waking you up or maybe you could be under stress