Frequent night awakenings

What is important to know

Night awakenings can be associated with insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression, pain, the need to frequently go to the toilet, sleep breathing disorders and other reasons.

Sometimes a person falls asleep easily in the evening, but after waking up he begins to think about problems, keep track of time, or worry that he will no longer be able to sleep. This may further support wakefulness.

Sleep quality is also affected by alcohol, caffeine, certain medications, environmental noise, room temperature, and irregular sleep patterns.

Possible reasons

Frequent awakenings may occur when:

severe or chronic stress;

anxiety and depression;

chronic pain;

Snoring, apnea and breathing disorders during sleep;

restless legs syndrome or periodic limb movements during sleep;

needing to urinate frequently at night;

heartburn, cough or other physical symptoms;

consumption of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine or other substances;

taking certain medications;

changes in sleep patterns or bedroom conditions.

Sometimes several factors are present at the same time.

What to pay attention to

How long ago did night awakenings begin and how many times a night do they occur?

How long do you usually stay awake after waking up?

Is it possible to fall asleep again without significant effort?

Do you feel like your sleep has become shallow or restless?

Do you feel restored in the morning?

Do you experience daytime fatigue, sleepiness, irritability, or problems with concentration?

Are awakenings accompanied by anxiety, palpitations, nightmares, or a feeling of shortness of breath?

Is there loud snoring or pauses in breathing noticed by others during sleep?

Whether there is pain, heartburn, the urge to urinate, or other physical reasons for waking up.

Is the change in sleep associated with starting to take the medication or changing its dosage?

Whether alcohol, caffeine or other substances are consumed in the evening.

What can help

It is helpful to maintain a stable sleep and wake-up schedule and avoid prolonged stays in bed while awake.

If you can’t fall asleep for a long time after waking up at night, it’s usually better to get up for a while and do a quiet activity in dim lighting, and return to bed when drowsiness appears.

You should avoid constantly checking the time: watching the clock often increases anxiety and makes it difficult to fall back asleep.

It is also useful to assess evening drinking. It may make it easier to fall asleep initially, but may make sleep more fragmented in the second half of the night.

For persistent insomnia, the most studied non-pharmacological treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

When to ask for help

Contact your doctor if waking up at night occurs regularly over several weeks, becomes more frequent, or results in severe tiredness, drowsiness, decreased concentration, or decreased performance.

It is important not to delay a visit to the doctor if waking up is accompanied by loud snoring, pauses in breathing, choking, severe pain, frequent urination at night, or other physical symptoms.

If sleep disturbances are combined with persistent depression, anxiety, loss of interest, or other noticeable changes in mental status, it is worth contacting a mental health professional.