What might cause you towake upbefore you want to?
It’s frequently associated with early morning awakenings.
Another factor that helps you sleep is your homeostatic sleep drive.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
This is the gradual desire for sleep that builds the longer a person stays awake.
It relates to the gradual accumulation of a chemical in the brain calledadenosine.
This “sleepiness signal” eventually helps to initiate sleep.
By morning, it should be nearly gone.
Treatment may require the use of medications or counseling.
Combination treatment is the most effective.
It is clear that sleep problems can undermine mood, and conversely, mood problems can greatly affect sleep.
By working on both issues together, the complex relationship can be unraveled.
Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apneamay contribute to early morning awakenings.
We go through severalstages of sleepthroughout the night.
This can manifest as disrupted breathing and sleep apnea.
Episodes of sleep apnea usually momentarily wake people up from sleep.
Morning awakenings may occur when sleep apnea symptoms worsen during the longer periods of REM towards the morning hours.
Treatments for sleep apnea include devices that can help keep your airway open so it won’t collapse.
With proper treatment, sleep quality improves significantly.
Many people also wake up earlier in the morning with advancing age.
As we get older, our ability to maintain a continuous, uninterrupted period of sleep diminishes.
Slow-wave sleep diminishes, and total sleep time may be reduced.
It is estimated that adults beyond age 65 need only seven to eight hours of sleep on average.
But if you aren’t getting enough rest, talk to a healthcare provider.
Lifestyle habits or medical interventions might help.
2018;10(Suppl 1):S94-S102.
doi:10.21037/jtd.2018.01.35
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Your guide to healthy sleep.
National Sleep Foundation.Depression and Sleep.
National Sleep Foundation.REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.
