Wolf hour
That’s why we wake up at 3 a.m.
© Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley / Shutterstock
Many people are familiar with the phenomenon: you wake up again and again between 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning. Indeed, there is a reason for this, and it is medical in nature. What is behind this “wolf hour” – and what can help you to fall asleep again.
A large proportion of people will suffer from insomnia at some point in their life. Some have great trouble falling asleep, while others wake up every night and then can’t find their way back to sleep. In between there are innumerable gradations. Sleep specialists observe certain phenomena: inside, however, more frequently than others – this also includes the so-called “wolf hour”.
The wolf hour: the hormones prevent us from sleeping
Maybe you know that too? You wake up again and again at night – between 3 and 4 a.m. This time window is not a coincidence, but there is a medical phenomenon behind it. Our hormones are to blame here, more precisely the interplay of melatonin, the “sleep hormone”, the “feel-good hormone” serotonin and the “anti-stress hormone” cortisol. Our bodies release melatonin when it gets dark – this is how we get tired. He then converts it to serotonin.
Around 3 o’clock in the morning, our body temperature has dropped sharply due to sleep, while the melatonin level is very high. Cortisol and serotonin levels are very low at this time. This constellation ensures that we lack the anti-stress effect of cortisol and the mood-enhancing effect of serotonin. In conjunction with the high melatonin concentration, the hormone balance that we need for a good night’s sleep is thrown out of whack. The result: we wake up easier.
At the same time, the blood flow in some parts of our brain is severely reduced – after all, we should actually be sleeping. This makes us emotionally sensitive and thin-skinned when we wake up – we are more prone to fears and pessimism, for example, than during the day.
Incidentally, the “wolf hour” probably owes its name to the ancient people. The “hour of the wolf” is intended to designate the phase in the deepest night when no one is awake except for the nocturnal animals.
Waking up at night: what helps to get back to sleep?
1. Breathe mindfully
A very effective technique to find calm again is the 4-4-4 method from mindfulness: You breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds and then breathe out calmly for four seconds. After a few laps you will hopefully become noticeably calmer and perhaps find your way back to sleep.
2. Read relaxed
You can’t find a way to get out of the maddening carousel of thoughts and you don’t feel sleepy at all? Then it’s best not to try any further for now. In this case, sleep experts recommend doing something else after about 20 minutes and distracting yourself. Reading helps many people to get tired again.
3. Get out of bed
If that doesn’t work either, it’s best to get out of bed. Don’t jump up frantically, but try to get up slowly and deliberately. Perhaps you just as mindfully drink a glass of water and sit down in the living room or kitchen for a while. However, do not turn on too bright a light – that will only make you more alert. Also, do not grab your smartphone straight away – unless yours has a night mode with a blue light filter, which is gentler on the eyes and the brain.
4. Do not go back to sleep until you are tired
And last but not least, don’t go back to bed until you are really tired and sleepy. Often we jump out of sheer frustration and because we think that we have to go back to sleep really slowly, too quickly. This is counterproductive, because when we are so upset, we will hardly be able to fall asleep again – and this creates a vicious circle.
Sources used: rnd.de, sueddeutsche.de