Why am I waking up at 2am?

Have you ever woken up at 2am with your heart pounding, feeling wide awake? And then the worst, lying there, fully awake and unable to fall back asleep.

Insomnia (including trouble falling asleep, waking up throughout the night, or early morning awakening) is a symptom of an underlying imbalance.

Instead of relying on sleep medications, I approach insomnia at the root cause. For each person the root cause may be different. Just as with any other health concern, identifying and treating those root causes requires a whole body, personalized approach.

Here are a few possible root causes of waking up at 2am:

• Anxiety

• Blood sugar imbalance

• Cortisol

• Environmental toxins

• Gut dysbiosis

• Hormone imbalance

• HPA axis dysfunction

• Inflammation

• Leaky gut

• Liver issue

• Melatonin imbalance

• Nutrient deficiency

• Sleep apnea

Anxiety 

Anxiety commonly occurs at night when our minds are not occupied and begin to wander. Remember that anxiety is often an underlying inflammatory issue and that your brain will trigger the release of cortisol even when it might not be warranted for the situation if HPA axis dysfunction is present.

Blood Sugar Imbalance

Not eating balanced meals can lead to cycles of blood sugar spikes, then insulin spikes, then blood sugar drops. When your blood sugar drops, your body’s protective mechanism is to secrete cortisol to bring your blood sugar back up. Insulin resistance can also lead to after dinner food cravings and later evening snacking. I advise my clients to finish eating at least three hours before they plan to go to bed so their body can begin the process of digestion.

Environmental Triggers 

The most common triggers include alcohol and caffeine. It may seem like a glass or two of wine helps you fall asleep but alcohol leads to early morning waking. Caffeine has a half-life of 6-8 hours which means if you drink coffee at 1pm, half of that caffeine may still present at 9pm, making it harder for you to relax before bed.

HPA Axis Dysfunction 

HPA axis stands for hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal axis. Your adrenal glands secrete cortisol in response to signals from your hypothalamus and pituitary. Ideally we want to see your cortisol levels higher in the morning to get you up and moving, and lower at night so that you can fall asleep. If your cortisol is high before bed, you’ll have trouble falling asleep. If cortisol does not stay low overnight, or if cortisol starts spiking in the early morning hours, it can trigger middle of the night waking.

Hormone Imbalance

Estrogen + serotonin + melatonin are related. In the brain, estrogen can regulate serotonin which is used by the body to make melatonin. To begin balancing hormones, we must first balance blood sugar, supplement any minerals and nutrients that are deficient, then manage stress and sleep.

Leaky Gut 

Leaky gut or gut dysbiosis is a common root cause of inflammation. The vast majority of the body’s immune system is found beneath the lining of the intestinal cells. When this gets inflamed, the inflammation does not just stay in the gut. Inflammation can circulate and wreak havoc causing cortisol imbalances and systemic symptoms. Newer studies have emerged confirming that anxiety, depression, and insomnia are tied to inflammation.

Melatonin Imbalance 

Cortisol and melatonin work in opposition of each other. Cortisol suppresses melatonin during the day and melatonin suppresses cortisol levels at night. But, if your cortisol is high before bed, your body won’t be able to optimize melatonin. Melatonin is also suppressed by light in your room at night, exposure to blue light 1-2 hours before bed, and not getting enough natural sunlight during the day.

Nutrient Deficiency

Lacking nutrients like the amino acid tryptophan, can make it difficult for your body to produce melatonin and serotonin. This is easily detected on a functional lab.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a prevalent sleep disorder due to a number of factors including: excess weight, a narrowed airway, smoking, nasal congestion, and medical conditions like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

If waking up in the early morning hours is getting in the way of quality sleep, it’s time to get to the root cause. Book a Discovery Call to learn how we can work together so you can get back to sleeping like a baby.