Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

Why do I wake up at 4am?

107 Answers
Last Updated: 07/13/2020 at 10:14am
Why do I wake up at 4am?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Lindsay Scheinerman, MA, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

My work with clients is to help them recognize and build on their strengths to find solutions for the conflicts presented in their lives.

Top Rated Answers
Starhippie
August 21st, 2015 8:45pm
I wake up at 4am because there is something in the day that I was not satisfied with or because I cannot sleep ... I usually try to resolve this feeling by addressing the issue or meditating
Anonymous
August 23rd, 2015 8:32pm
Any number of reasons. Your body may simply be used to getting up that early, some environmental trigger could be alerting your body to awake, or (depending on when you fall asleep) 4 am may simply be the right time to wake up for you (e.g., after sleeping for 8 hours).
optimisticHope25
August 28th, 2015 2:40pm
It is the best time to meditate. Getting up early makes one complete vital tasks with the full alertness of the mind and brain.
patientWaves84
August 29th, 2015 7:04am
sleep early at 10 pm try to sleep from 10 minutes to one hour at Noon between 12 am to 3 pm avoid play any kind of sport before sleeping avoid eating at least 3 hours before sleeping
Counthope
September 3rd, 2015 3:26am
I wake up for Pray to my God that" God Please give me courage and think to do good to others. May I have a Good rest of the Day :).
musicalNutella48
September 3rd, 2015 7:14pm
Usually it's because I'm stressed about something to come: A problem I have yet to solve, and I'm running through all the possible solutions, questions, and possible outcomes in my mind.
Anonymous
September 5th, 2015 3:40am
A person can wake up for many reasons, maybe it could be because the person's thirsty, would like to go to the bathroom, be stressed over something in his/her life, etc. Maybe it could be normal since the body have been conditioned to wake up early like an alarm. However, if anything feels not normal, it could be a good option to talk about it to a professional or to seek help if you have any worry.
Anonymous
September 6th, 2015 9:44am
Maybe it's because you feel anxious or stressed because of some thought you have. If it's not clear to you what's bothering you, you may have to seek in your past or in your future.
Supergirl94
September 10th, 2015 6:18am
Honestly, I am unsure. I myself have this issue. I would suggest talking to your doctor if it really disrupts your sleep and day
incredibleApple12
September 10th, 2015 6:40am
Depending on the evidence supplied, you may have gone too early to bed, if not it could also be because of night terrors, which are anxieties sub consciously stored in your mind, that come to show at night.
Emily619
September 10th, 2015 7:07pm
You wake up at 4 AM because you may be stressed. Try listening to calming music while falling asleep, or even counting.
Anonymous
September 11th, 2015 10:54pm
I wake up at 4AM because my mind is racing about things that have happened, people I may have hurt and the huge problems of the world.
Lotusflowers
September 12th, 2015 1:14pm
Waking up early can be a sign of stress, depression or anxiety. Some people have trouble falling asleep, waking up or having trouble sleeping all night. It's wise to discuss this with a doctor if it's really affecting your life.
sumansam
September 13th, 2015 8:08am
It's a very common phenomenon, your sleep cycle is synced with that time slot. You should try sleeping a bit late or early, changing it up. It will take a couple of days to kick the new cycle in.
Anonymous
September 16th, 2015 12:14am
There are several reasons to why you wake up through the night, it might be because you are going through tough situations and you are worried, you are not tired enough, your brain is overexcited, you might be having a nightmare at that hour, and others. You need to find the exact reason for this sleeping problem and attack it right away. I encourage you to read the "Sleeping Well" guide that 7cups provides.
spiritualsoldier
September 16th, 2015 1:34pm
It's a healthy sign and it shows that your sleep is complete and that you can begin with your day and make most of it
Anonymous
September 17th, 2015 3:50am
It sounds like you have some form of stress or anxeity keeping you from sleeping. In my personal experience, I have that problem in high stress times.
LittleGroveWitchHilde
September 17th, 2015 6:08pm
The body's natural defenses, though helpful in the wild, may not be applicable in everyday modern life. This may have a lot to do with the body's misguided internal clock or defense systems which are meant to be able to detect the passage of time and threats even while sleep. There may also be something constant in your environment at that time which you are not aware of, such as a loud car which leaves for work every morning at the same time or the alarm of another family member or a door being slammed, a pipe creaking. These things can often trigger us to wake up without us even realizing we heard them or felt them.
gloriousMelody16
September 18th, 2015 5:51am
people wake up at 4am because you may have had unresolved issues that you are anxious to seei the results so you wake up with the unresolved issues on your mind causing you to have a restless night. also sleep pattern can be off where sleep more during day up most of the night.
Anonymous
September 18th, 2015 6:15pm
Waking up at 4am is not that bad of a habit. You may have a small amount of insomnia. Your body is telling you that you've had enough sleep.
AmazingEars15
September 19th, 2015 1:37pm
You might have to go to bathroom, or you are stressed when sleeping and might be affraid you will over sleep or wake up too late.
AkaiKasaiko
September 20th, 2015 4:56am
Sometimes, when I sleep early, I wake up early. Other times, I need to use the bathroom or I'm cold.
Hopefulfuture95
September 23rd, 2015 6:25pm
There can be many different reasons why you wake up, it is very specific to you. It could be due to nightmares, night sweats, restless nights come from a number of different reasons.
jo651
September 24th, 2015 11:10pm
Maybe you go to bed too early, try going a bit later if this is the case. Maybe it's your natural body clock, if this is the case then maybe just accept it. If you wake from having nightmares then maybe see a doctor or try to focus on positive things directly before going to sleep. If you are stressed, depressed this could also be a reason why and lastly if your pregnant this is very normal, I would wake at 3am every night for quite some time during pregnancy.
Jenniferroseh98
September 26th, 2015 3:43pm
Maybe you have gotten yourself into a bad habit? What time do you sleep generally? Do you have a sleeping schedule? To sleep better you must make sure all the light has been blocked out meaning curtains closed and doors closed. If there is something on your mind try fix it before bed time if not maybe right about it. Being on technology also affects sleep make sure you aren't on anything whilst trying to sleep
Elinore
September 27th, 2015 5:41am
Because something is troubling me. Too much on my mind, stress, tension. Responsibilities that I fear I can't handle. Talking to someone puts everything into perspective.
MattySpaghetti
October 21st, 2015 8:51pm
I wake up that early, if I hear my dog barking at a car, or If I need to get up as early as that to finish a project.
Jeido
October 22nd, 2015 1:44am
Usually when I wake up that early, it's because of a nightmare. So I typically use the bathroom just in case, drink some water than lay down again. Plug in some music, and just let the time drift away again.
MynameisCat
October 22nd, 2015 11:55am
That depends on a lot of different things. I would need to know your symptoms first to give you a proper analasys. But could be stress, lack of melatonin, or other contributing factors.
musicalRiver63
October 23rd, 2015 12:29pm
Hey ! One of the reasons must be your disturbed biological clock. You must have woke up twice or thrice at 4 and then your body adjusted accordingly to wake up around that time. It is biological schedule that the body follows. And the good news, you can make it go your way. :)