6 Habits That Make Waking Up Earlier Easier, According to an Insomnia Specialist

From marthastewart.com

By Kate Donovan

What separates early risers from the rest of us 

Whether you’re a natural early riser or a self-proclaimed night owl, the way you start your morning can shape the next 24 hours. No matter when you wake up, carving out time just for you can make a big difference in how you manage stress and show up throughout the day. “Having more time in the morning can give people a sense of agency over their day,” says Julia Kogan, PsyD, an insomnia specialist.

The wee morning hours are a prime opportunity to engage in a few distraction-free moments. “Because this time is often used for stress-reducing and mood-boosting activities, many early risers start their morning with better cognition, mood, and productivity,” Dr. Kogan explains. This boost in alertness can help people feel more prepared and energized before responsibilities like childcare, household tasks, and work take over. 

So how can you make waking up earlier feel easier—and reap those benefits? These six habits early risers have in common may help.

Credit:  Getty Images

The Science Behind Early Risers

Waking up early can mean different things for different people, and it’s not the clock chiming at a specific magic hour. The most important thing? Getting enough sleep. Individual sleep needs vary based on biology, particularly chronotypes, which affect the natural circadian rhythm. “Chronotypes influence when people are naturally sleepy and when they feel most alert,” says Dr. Kogan. Very early risers tend to have a chronotype that makes them naturally awake before the sun, while most people fall into the intermediate chronotype, typically rising with the sun. 

Ultimately, it’s about finding a balance that works best for your biology. “Early rising may benefit people with an early or intermediate chronotype,” Dr. Kogan explains. Those with strong night owl tendencies may struggle with focus and productivity if they force themselves to wake up too early.

Common Habits of People Who Wake Up Early

While biology certainly plays a role, early risers also commonly swear by certain daily habits. Here’s what sets them apart from the rest of us.

They Maintain a Consistent Schedule

Even if your life is busy, sticking to a consistent sleep schedule and wake-up time makes a huge difference. “Waking up at the same time most days helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm,” says Dr. Kogan. That includes the weekend, too. Sleeping in can be great every once in a while, but it makes it that much harder to get back on track come Monday morning.

They Get High Quality Sleep

According to Dr. Kogan, quality sleep is the most important (and often the easiest) way to wake up earlier. Along with a regular sleep schedule, it’s essential to allow enough time to rest deeply. “Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep, though individual needs may vary,” she explains.

This often means adjusting your bedtime, as well. When you hit the pillow too late, it’s harder to get up early.

They Have a Good Bedtime Routine

A good night’s snooze starts well before you turn out the lights. “Use the last 30 to 60 minutes before bed to relax the body and mind,” says Dr. Koban. Avoid alcohol, heavy meals, and digital distractions (doom scrollers, we’re looking at you) close to bedtime. Create a calm sleep environment with fresh bedding, soft lighting, and blackout shades or curtains. Accessories like eye masks, weighted blankets, and white noise machines can help signal to your nervous system that it’s time to wind down. 

They Set a Reasonable Wake-Up Time

Set a reasonable wake-up time and stick to it. What counts as early varies from person to person depending on their biology, schedule, and other responsibilities. If rising at 5 a.m. consistently leaves you feeling sluggish, you may need to get to bed earlier—or it just may not be the right wake-up time for you. Listen to your body, and adjust your sleep schedule accordingly. 

If you’re trying to get up earlier, Dr. Kogan recommends gradually moving your wake-up time earlier in 15-minute increments. While it may take time to adapt, consistency and earlier bedtimes make for a smoother transition. 

They Get Morning Light Exposure

Morning light helps signal to your brain that it’s time to wake up. Natural sunlight tends to work best, whether that means enjoying your coffee by a window or going on a walk around the neighbourhood. If waking before sunrise, Dr. Kogan suggests using a light-simulating alarm or turning on bright lights to help activate your body’s internal alarm clock.

They Have an Activity to Look Forward To

Many early risers use the quiet morning hours for things they enjoy, from writing in a journal to running on a treadmill. Some may use this distraction-free time to plan their schedule, get organized, and get small tasks out of the way. “This time generally has fewer interruptions, so it allows for more flexibility and personal choice,” says Dr. Kogan. Whether it’s exercise, a mindfulness practice, or simply writing a grocery list, a dedicated morning routine can help you feel more grounded and more prepared for the day ahead. 

https://www.marthastewart.com/habits-of-early-risers-12237839

Why Sleep Shapes Your Mental Health, Skin And Mood

From forbes.com

By Pooja Mistry

Sleep affects almost everything about us. It shows in our skin and our overall appearance, in how well we think and handle basic tasks, and, most importantly, in our mental health. World Mental Health Day falls on October 10 each year, and more professionals and industry experts are acting on the direct link between sleep and mental well-being. That link matters all year, not just in October. Below, experts discuss how the link between sleep, mental health, and other aspects of our wellbeing work and what tools can help maximize our ability to sleep well.

Sleep is the missing link between your mind and looks and experts explain how you can improve both. getty

Sleep And Mental Health Feed Each Other

Jason Amoury is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the American University of Beirut, where he led the Sleep and Upper Airway Research Group (SUARG) and has researched sleep for two decades. Research has tied sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), to anxiety and depression. So what happens in the brain and body when sleep is repeatedly disrupted?

“Sleep plays an important role in emotional regulation, memory, cognitive functioning and overall physiological recovery. When sleep is repeatedly disrupted, these processes can be affected,” Amoury explains over email. In OSA, the upper airway repeatedly narrows or collapses during sleep, reducing airflow and often lowering oxygen levels. The brain briefly rouses the person to restore breathing, usually without their awareness. In severe cases this can happen hundreds of times a night. The disruptions can change how the brain processes emotions and responds to stress. Oxygen fluctuations, along with repeated activation of the body’s stress response, can also contribute to inflammation and strain the nervous system. The result can be irritability, trouble concentrating, heightened emotional sensitivity and less ability to cope with everyday stress.

 The relationship runs both ways, Amoury adds. Poor sleep can worsen mental health, and anxiety and depression can interfere with sleep. Ajay Nwosu, global sports innovator and co-founder of The Ultimate Snooze, sees the same loop. “Poor sleep and mental health affect each other. Anxiety, depression, and stress can disrupt sleep, while chronic poor sleep can make emotional regulation, stress tolerance, and mental resilience worse. The relationship is a feedback loop,” he explains.

Most of us know it from experience. A rough night makes the next day harder, and a stressful day makes the next night harder. When poor sleep persists, regulating emotions and coping with stress gets tougher, and the cycle can be difficult to break.

Sleep Shows Up On Your Face And Skin

Newer research supports the idea of beauty sleep. A 2026 study in the journal Sleep Research tracked skin after one night of acute sleep deprivation, then followed a 14-day recovery period, and found the effects on skin condition could not be fully recovered. A 2025 review of what researchers call the sleep-skin axis concluded that disrupted or insufficient sleep can compromise the skin barrier and impair collagen production, cellular repair and wound healing. The effects also show in how old we look. So, what can we do to maximize our looks and mental health with something that is a basic human necessity?

Sleep Quality Matters More Than Hours in Bed

Seven or eight hours in bed doesn’t automatically mean good sleep, because it’s quality that counts. Someone with OSA, for example, might notice loud snoring, pauses in breathing and poor concentration. Tools that reveal your sleep makeup can help.

The Oura ring is one example of a tech tool. While it tracks several factors, including sleep, and metrics such as HRV, resting heart rate and sleep timing, it can offer clues about stress, mood and anxiety. Heli Koskimaki, Senior Director, Future Physiology at Oura, says, “The oura ring data is helping us see what that looks like physiologically. We look at multiple physiological signals together to understand how the body responds to stress and recovers.”

Whether it’s a tracker, a mattress or a supplement, the best sleep tool is the one you’ll use every night to protect your mental health and appearance.  getty

She points to a 2026 study of 1,290 adults. People reporting more anxiety and depression symptoms tended to have less deep and REM sleep, a higher sleeping heart rate and lower HRV. It shows an association, not cause and effect, but it suggests that how we feel can show up in the body. “Sleep duration, continuity, timing and regularity help build a broader picture of sleep health. Oura’s signals are most meaningful when viewed together, tracked against an individual’s baseline and considered alongside how they feel, helping members recognize patterns and make informed choices to support their well-being,” she adds.

According to Koskimaki, the ring can show members patterns they might otherwise miss, such as a late coffee, a drink close to bedtime or a stretch of irregular nights. Tracking trends over time helps people connect daily habits with how they feel. There is a name for getting stressed about your sleep data: orthosomnia. Koskimaki doesn’t want the ring to add to anyone’s stress. “We take orthosomnia seriously, because the point of Oura is to help you understand your body, not to give you one more thing to worry about. My advice is to zoom out. One night’s score is a data point, not a judgment, and recovery isn’t a straight line,” she says. The goal is progress over perfection and feeling more in tune with your body.

Better Sleep Can Start With A Good Mattress

If wearable technology isn’t for you, one basic way to sleep well consistently is a mattress that doesn’t fail. Most of us choose a mattress for how it looks in the bedroom and for its size, but the materials and performance are what matter. The Ultimate Snooze, a US-based brand launching in Australia and the UK, treats sleep as the first inning of wellness and longevity. The brand was built by human biologist Gary Brecka, mattress industry veteran Matt Smith and Nwosu around what happens during sleep: cellular repair, inflammation regulation and nervous system recovery.

The materials are the point. The three-model line is made with organic cotton, organic wool and natural latex, with no chemical components such as polyurethane foam. The wool provides natural temperature regulation, the materials are GOTS- and GOLS-certified, and the construction is low in VOCs. The brand is also introducing its own proprietary latex, aimed at better elasticity, buoyancy and composition. Most mattresses get replaced about every 10 years, and this one comes with a 30-year warranty.

Each mattress has a built-in pocket for the upcoming SnoozeSense sensor, which will monitor respiratory rate, sleep cycles and heart rate patterns. That is the same kind of information a wearable tracks, without strapping anything to your finger. Nwosu says the sleep environment is central. “Sleep is not the absence of performance, but where performance is built. The sleep environment matters because the brain responds to light, noise, temperature, comfort, and routine. Improving those factors can support better sleep and reduce unnecessary disruption.” The brand’s rallying cry is “let’s get to sleep.” A good mattress improves how restorative sleep is, which affects our mental performance, our brain health and, of course, our external appearance.

Sleep Support Isn’t One Size Fits All

There are solutions at every level, and speaking to a sleep expert or mental health professional is the best first step. Supplements can also play a role, working on more than falling asleep by calming the mind, supporting the nervous system and helping the body unwind.

JSHealth Vitamins’ Advanced Sleep+ Powder is a melatonin-free, multi-action formula designed to support those pathways for deep, restorative rest without next-day grogginess. Adults mix one level scoop (4 g) into water once daily, about 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime, as part of an evening ritual.

“Sleep and mental health share a profound, two-way relationship. When we’re stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, falling asleep and staying asleep can become more difficult. This is why supporting sleep quality is such an important part of a holistic approach to mental well-being,” says Jess Sepel, founder of JSHealth Vitamins. Organic Traditions’ ashwagandha root powder is another option. It is an adaptogenic root traditionally used in Ayurveda to support stress relief, mood balance and restful sleep.

Whether you prefer tech, a better mattress, unplugging before bed, a firm pillow, a sleep mask or supplements, there is value in the ritual and the consistency. Build a steady wind-down routine, and remember that sleep touches every part of our lives, including our mental health.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/poojashah/2026/10/31/why-sleep-shapes-your-mental-health-skin-and-mood/

This Is What's Actually Pulling You Out Of Sleep At Night, According To New Research

From mindbodygreen.com

By Zhané Slambee

You fall asleep easily enough, but somewhere in the middle of the night you're wide awake, replaying a difficult conversation, a stressful moment, or something you'd rather forget. It doesn't feel like insomnia in the classic sense.

It feels like your brain simply won't let go. New research published in Science suggests that's not just a figure of speech. Scientists have identified a specific biological mechanism that explains why emotionally charged memories don't just follow you into sleep; they actively determine whether you stay there.

About the study

To understand this research, it helps to know a little about engrams. An engram is the cluster of neurons that encodes a memory, firing when the memory first forms and firing again each time that memory is reactivated.

Scientists have long known that the hippocampus (the brain's memory hub) and the amygdala (the part of the brain that handles emotional processing) work together to store experiences that carry emotional weight.

What wasn't clear was whether those memory circuits replaying during sleep had any direct effect on sleep itself.

Working with mice, researchers tracked what happens when memory circuits are reactivated during sleep, whether the emotional tone of those memories (negative versus positive) made a difference, and what occurs under chronic stress conditions.

Image by Delmaine Donson / iStock

Negative memories push the brain toward waking; positive ones keep it asleep

Negative memory reactivation during sleep actively pushed the brain toward waking up. Positive memory reactivation did the opposite, helping the brain stay asleep by promoting continuity in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, the restorative stage your body cycles through repeatedly each night.

The driver was the replay of the same neural pathways that originally encoded a negative experience. When those circuits fired again during sleep, they disrupted it.

Under chronic stress, this effect intensified. Negative memory replay became a consistent source of sleep disruption. When researchers blocked memory reactivation in these models, normal sleep was restored, suggesting that the memories themselves, not just the stress, were what was breaking up sleep.

What this means for your sleep

If you've ever noticed that anxiety feels louder at 3 a.m. than it does at 3 p.m., this research offers a biological explanation. Your brain isn't just "stressed." It's replaying specific memories through specific circuits, and those replays are pulling you out of sleep.

The more negative the emotional content, the more disruptive the effect.

Why this matters

This study changes how we think about stress-related sleep problems. The go-to explanation has long been fairly broad: elevated cortisol, an overactive nervous system, general hyperarousal.

Those things are real, but they don't explain why some nights are so much worse than others, or why a specific worry can jolt you awake at 2 a.m. with such precision.

The memory circuit model offers something more specific. It suggests that disrupted sleep isn't just a side effect of stress; it's a memory problem.

The brain is actively processing emotionally charged experiences during sleep, and when those experiences are negative, the processing itself becomes the disruption.

How to work with your brain at night

This research is still preclinical, meaning direct clinical applications are still being developed. But the underlying mechanism gives us a useful new way to think about sleep habits, especially if stress or trauma is a recurring factor in your life.

* Wind down with intention: Because negative memory replay appears to drive sleep disruption, the hour before bed matters more than most people realize. Activities that shift your emotional state toward neutral or positive (a calming show, light reading, a conversation that ends on a good note) may help reduce the emotional charge of what your brain processes overnight. If you're taking too long to fall asleep, your wind-down routine is worth a closer look.

*Address stress earlier in the day: The chronic stress models in this study showed that ongoing stress amplifies negative memory replay. Stress-reduction practices like breathwork, meditation, or even a short walk may also reduce the pool of negatively charged memories available for night-time replay.

*Prioritize sleep quality over quantity: This research reinforces that how you sleep matters as much as how long. Fragmented sleep driven by memory replay may not look like traditional insomnia, but it still cuts into the restorative NREM stages your body needs.

*Watch for the chronic stress pattern: If your sleep has been off for weeks rather than days, and stress has been a constant backdrop, that's a signal to address the stress itself, not just the sleep.

Memory-based treatments are still emerging, but researchers are actively exploring approaches like using sound or scent cues during sleep to reinforce positive memories and therapies that reduce the emotional charge of negative memories before bed.

The takeaway

The stories your brain tells itself at night aren't just background noise; they run on specific circuits, and those circuits have real consequences for how rested you feel in the morning.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/this-is-whats-actually-pulling-you-out-of-sleep-at-night-about-the-study

Back pain, dry skin and insom­nia... ‘work­ing from bed’ is a flat-out dis­aster

From pressreader.com

By Alice Smellie

NOW that I no longer have school runs, I don’t have to live by my alarm clock.

Every morn­ing I let the dogs out at around 6.30am and then snuggle back down in bed for two or three hours with my laptop and my dead­lines.

This seems per­fectly sens­ible to me and I’m pleased to learn that, although I may be phys­ic­ally alone, I join mil­lions who’d rather work from bed than head down­stairs to a desk.

Mat­tress­nextday recently sur­veyed 1,000 UK adults and found that nearly half (48 per cent) of people who reg­u­larly work from home do so from bed.

And with chilly morn­ings mak­ing crawl­ing out from under the cov­ers even less appeal­ing, I sus­pect many more will be temp­ted to join us.

Unfor­tu­nately if, like me, you WFB (work from bed), you’ll be dis­ap­poin­ted to learn that there are poten­tial, and occa­sion­ally con­cern­ing, con­sequences for our health. From dry skin to heart­burn, here are some of the unin­ten­ded con­sequences of using our beds as an office exten­sion.

‘Bof­fice’ worker: Alice Smel­lie risk­ing her health as she types on her laptop in bed

INSOMNIA

SLEEP expert Dr Neil Stan­ley, author of A Sleep Divorce, is clear that doing even part of a day’s work from the com­fort of your bed is a ter­rible idea for qual­ity of sleep.

‘If you work in bed, your brain will start to asso­ciate bed with being awake and think­ing that it’s admiss­ible to be so,’ he says.

The only thing worse than WFB dur­ing the day is, Dr Stan­ley adds, WFB in the even­ings, something I’ve also been known to do.

He did a study show­ing that if you work in the hour before bed you’re going to have lower qual­ity sleep.

‘It’s not rocket sci­ence but it is sci­ence. The 35 to 45 minutes before bed should be spent relax­ing, not work­ing.’

That sounds famil­iar... whenever I’m stressed about work I front­load the night before, type frantic­ally till 10.30pm and then – sur­prise! – can’t drop off, and feel exhausted the next day.

DRY AND PUFFY FACE

SPENDING more time between the sheets can con­trib­ute to poor skin on the face and body.

Aes­thetic expert Dr Christine Hall points out that being in bed for long peri­ods of time is sub-optimal for your skin.

‘Being act­ive has a pos­it­ive effect on skin,’ she says. ‘Lack of move­ment and there­fore reduced cir­cu­la­tion will con­trib­ute to fluid reten­tion and puffi­ness.’ Bed­ding is key too: ‘The warmth of a duvet or stay­ing in bed increases trans epi­dermal water loss, lead­ing to dry­ness around the body,’ she says. ‘Should you have an exist­ing skin con­di­tion such as acne, get­ting hot and sweaty in bed may well exacer­bate this.’

There is, she points out, a big dif­fer­ence between stay­ing in bed and being in bed for sleep. ‘Sleep is import­ant for skin because it repairs itself at night. Lack of sleep means your skin doesn’t have so much time to optim­ise its own health.’

It’s hard to say if my drier skin is down to WFB or age­ing but, either way, I might con­sider spend­ing less time between the cov­ers and more time mois­tur­ising.

POOR MOTIVATION

TO my dis­ap­point­ment, I learn that what we wear may affect our motiv­a­tion.

Once I bother to get out of bed I always get dressed in clean and reas­on­ably smart clothes and do my hair and make-up. Till then, it’s comfy pyja­mas.

But cog­nit­ive beha­vi­oural research shows that the mind uncon­sciously shifts into a more pass­ive state when the body is hori­zontal. And by the same mech­an­ism, wear­ing pyja­mas is likely to make it even harder to focus. Stud­ies show we are more pro­duct­ive if we are dressed, and espe­cially if we’re smartly dressed.

One report observes that cloth­ing choices, even for home­work­ers, are ‘psy­cho­lo­gic­ally and organ­isa­tion­ally impact­ful’.

HEARTBURN AND WEIGHT GAIN

BREAKFAST is my favour­ite meal and best enjoyed from under a duvet; from eggs to por­ridge to yoghurt and ber­ries.

However, our digest­ive sys­tems work best when we’re upright, says Emma Bard­well, nutri­tion­ist and author of The 30g Plan

Cook­book. ‘Eat­ing in bed while work­ing might feel cosy but it’s not doing your diges­tion any favours,’ she says.

‘Lying down too soon after eat­ing, or half-lying in bed, can increase the like­li­hood of reflux and heart­burn because stom­ach con­tents are more likely to move back up towards the oeso­phagus.’

Oh dear. I am more than cap­able of lying down almost fully, laptop bal­anced on knees, and stom­ach acid going good­ness knows where.

What’s more, move­ment plays an import­ant role in diges­tion and blood sugar reg­u­la­tion.

‘Even light activ­ity after meals, such as walk­ing around the house or head­ing out­side for a short stroll, can help stim­u­late gut motil­ity, encour­aging food to move through the digest­ive tract more effi­ciently,’ says Bard­well.

‘Your muscles also act a bit like gluc­ose sponges after eat­ing, help­ing clear gluc­ose from the blood­stream and improv­ing blood sugar con­trol.’

As if all the above wasn’t bad enough, being sedent­ary may also con­trib­ute to weight gain.

‘You may think that the short walk from desk to the kettle makes no dif­fer­ence, but small exer­cise “snacks” really count and minutes add up,’ says author of the Feel Good Fix, Lav­ina Mehta MBE.

BACK PAIN AND POOR POSTURE

POSTURALLY, WFB is a bit of a dis­aster.

Physio­ther­ap­ist Nat­alie Gum­mer­son, at Pure Sports Medi­cine, says that the bed simply isn’t designed for being sat in upright for long peri­ods, even if you plump a mass of pil­lows behind you, as I love to do.

‘When we work from bed, we nat­ur­ally tend to slouch or round for­wards, pla­cing strain on the lower back and neck and encour­aging what’s known as a sus­tained flexed pos­ture. Over time, these pos­i­tions can con­trib­ute to disc irrit­a­tion, muscle strain and increased back pain risk.’

I cur­rently have a pil­low short­age, thanks to my three chil­dren pil­fer­ing loads to go to uni­versity, and I have noticed my middle back fre­quently feels stiff and sore.

Sad to say, I think it might be time to get out of my ‘bof­fice’. 

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20261026/281960319746799

I hit 40 and suddenly started waking up at 3 a.m. every night — sleep doctors explains why, plus how to fix it

From tomsguide.com

By Nicola Appleton

Midlife insomnia has hit me hard, but two sleep experts have identified the likely cause

I used to be a great sleeper, nodding off at the drop of a hat and clocking my full eight hours every night. But then I hit 40 and suddenly I’m finding it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep and am often wide awake at 3 a.m.

Throughout my teens and twenties, sleeping was easy. It didn’t matter if I was on my friend’s couch, a plane or with my face pressed up against a bus window. My thirties were punctuated with raising young children, and sleepless nights were part of the gig.

But now that I’m 40+ and my kids no longer disrupt my rest, sleep is something I’m still struggling with. To find out why and what I can do to get the rest I need, I spoke to Dr. Chris Winter, a double boarded sleep specialist and Dr. Shelby Harris, board-certified clinical psychologist at Better Sleep.

How turning 40 impacted my sleep

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As a sleep writer and product tester, I have everything I need for a great night’s rest. I’m sleeping on the best mattress for my body type, I have a silk eye mask to block out ambient light and I pop in my sleepbuds every time noise threatens to disrupt my peaceful sleep sanctuary.

And yet, sleep is elusive. Instead of feeling relaxed and ready for rest, anxiety often washes over me and I’m alert, with my heart pounding. On the nights that I do drop off quickly, it’s common for me to then be wide awake at 3 a.m., feeling haunted by some vague worry. It's a problem that's only developed in recent years.

I’m exhausted, frustrated and ready for answers.

4 common causes of sleep disturbances for those aged 40+

"There is no switch that suddenly flips at age 40, but several biological and lifestyle factors can begin converging during this stage of life," explains Dr. Winter, a board certified neurologist with over 30 years of clinical experience.

1. Sleep becomes lighter

"Sleep naturally becomes somewhat lighter and more fragmented as we age, making us more susceptible to being awakened by noise, temperature changes or physical discomfort," explains Dr. Winter, who is a member of Natrol Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Harris also highlights the biological shift that occurs as we get older, leaving us more susceptible to night-time awakenings.

"As we age, we spend less time in deep sleep and more time in lighter stages, making us more likely to notice brief awakenings," explains Dr. Harris, who specializes in behavioural sleep medicine.

Dr. Winter points out that most people wake briefly several times during the night, perhaps without even remembering. "More meaningful considerations are how long someone remains awake, how distressed they feel about the awakening and whether it affects how they function the following day," he explains.

"The key is to look at what is happening around that 3 a.m. wake-up, like temperature, stress, alcohol, medications, snoring, or other symptoms, rather than assuming the clock time itself points to a particular cause," advises Dr. Harris.

2. Hormonal fluctuations

As a 42 year old woman, I can't ignore the hormonal shifts that could be contributing to my sleep disturbances. "As we move into our 40s, several factors can begin to disrupt sleep that may not have been an issue earlier in life," explains Dr. Harris.

"One of the biggest is hormonal change, particularly the fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone that occur during perimenopause and menopause, which can contribute to night sweats, temperature changes, anxiety, and more fragmented sleep," the psychologist adds.

For me, nighttime anxiety has become a significant cause of my sleep disruptions. Knowing that hormonal fluctuations could be behind that shift in my mental health gives me hope that this feeling is temporary.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

3. Daily stressors

Those in the 40+ age category are often part of the sandwich generation; we're raising children and caring for ageing parents. Throw in money worries and work pressures and we've created a perfect storm of stress — and that has a knock-on effect on our sleep.

"We tend to become more sensitive to stress as responsibilities around work, family, and caregiving accumulate," agrees Dr. Harris.

Stress can trigger the production of the 'stress' hormone cortisol. Levels of cortisol naturally begin to rise around 3 a.m. as part of our Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), before peaking when we wake up. However, a higher baseline level of cortisol can lead to a stronger CAR, waking you up prematurely.

4. More susceptible to sleep disorders

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Studies suggest that as we age, our risk of developing common sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome, sleep apnoea and nocturia increase.

Dr. Winter concurs with this. He notes that "restless legs syndrome and sleep apnoea, the risk of which can increase as we age" are among contributors to disturbed sleep for people in the 40+ age group.

Regardless of your age or stage in life, if you have developed new symptoms that prevent you from getting the sleep you need it's important to discuss this with your doctor.

How to sleep better throughout midlife and beyond

Great sleep can be harder to come by as we advance in years. However, Dr. Winter and Dr. Harris share their top tips for managing age-related sleep disturbances, so you can get the rest you deserve.

• Don't panic: "Don't panic about an occasional bad night; worrying about sleep can actually make the problem worse," says Dr. Harris.
• Stick to a consistent sleep schedule: "Maintaining a consistent wake time each day, even after a difficult night, can help anchor the body’s internal clock," says Dr. Winter.
• Get plenty of morning sunlight: Like a consistent sleep schedule, natural sunlight can anchor your circadian rhythm, helping you to feel tired and alert at the right times.
• Keep a sleep diary: "Keeping a sleep diary for a week or two can help identify patterns involving stress, food, alcohol, exercise, medications or physical symptoms," advises Dr. Winter.
• Optimize your bedroom for sleep: Sleep becomes lighter as we age, which means we're more susceptible to light, sound and temperature-related disturbances, so keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.

https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/sleep/i-hit-40-and-suddenly-started-waking-up-at-3-a-m-every-night-sleep-doctors-explains-why-plus-how-to-fix-it