Millions of women wake up at 3am every night – here are the key reasons why and how to stop

WOMEN crossed the UK are waking up astatine astir 3am each nighttime - and experts accidental it's to bash with hormones.

Certain hormonal changes tin origin trouble falling asleep, sleep apnoea, mediocre prime sleep, and predominant awakenings.

According to Dr Martin Thornton, Bluecrest's main aesculapian officer, for older women, menopause is simply a important origin successful disturbed slumber.

He said: "Menopause represents a immense alteration for the body, and hormonal shifts tin pb to a scope of uncomfortable experiences that tin interaction sleep."

These could include:

• Hot flushes and night sweats - abrupt feelings of vigor and sweating tin disrupt sleep.
• Decreased oestrogen levels - oestrogen affects the regularisation of assemblage somesthesia and tin power temper and stress, some of which interaction sleep.
• Progesterone simplification - this hormone promotes relaxation and sleep, truthful little levels tin people pb to slumber disturbances.
• Mood changes - anxiety, depression, and mental health challenges associated with menopause tin interfere with falling and staying asleep.

While the timing tin vary, galore of Dr Thornton's patients study waking up during the aboriginal hours of the morning, often betwixt 2am and 4am.

"This timing whitethorn coincide with the body's somesthesia regularisation being disrupted, starring to blistery flushes oregon nighttime sweats during the lighter stages of sleep." helium added.

Can men besides acquisition slumber disturbances?

Hormones tin wreak havoc connected men's sleeping patterns too.

Carolina Goncalves, superintendent pharmacist astatine Pharmica, said: "Testosterone levels, which fluctuate with age, play a relation successful slumber regulation.

"A diminution successful this hormone tin pb to lighter slumber and much predominant awakenings.

"Cortisol, the body’s accent hormone, besides affects some men and women and tin origin aboriginal waking erstwhile elevated."

What a caller survey recovered

A survey carried retired by Dunelm recovered 3.29am to beryllium the astir communal wake-up clip for menopausal women, with 3 quarters of pistillate participants stirring mode earlier the UK's mean aftermath up clip of 7am.

More than fractional of the women who took portion (53 per cent) reported tossing and turning until they negociate to autumn backmost asleep.

Up to 30 per cent said they work a book, portion the aforesaid fig scroll connected societal media.

Meanwhile, 20 per cent ticker TV, and 17 per cent conscionable look astatine a clock.

The survey besides revealed much than 2 thirds (69 per cent) of women felt menopausal insomnia had adversely affected their affectional wellbeing.

Around 60 per cent were unaware of the techniques disposable to negociate menopausal insomnia, and 50 per cent felt they lacked a enactment strategy during this challenging time.

Additionally, and alarmingly, lone a 4th (25 per cent) person asked their doc for help.

What tin you bash to combat waking up successful the night?

For menopausal women, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) – usually a operation of oestradiol, progesterone and testosterone - tin connection the close dose of hormones needed to amended sleep.

Dr Louise Newson, a aesculapian adept connected menopause and hormones, said: "By restoring levels of oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, HRT helps modulate assemblage temperature, which tin importantly trim the strength and frequence of nighttime sweats that often aftermath women up successful the mediate of the night.

"HRT tin besides easiness anxiousness and temper swings by balancing hormone levels, making it easier to autumn dormant and enactment asleep.

"Other symptoms volition besides amended successful women taking HRT which volition amended some symptoms and future health."

By distant from medication, determination are immoderate manner tweaks that tin help.

"Having a bully bedtime regular is besides important, arsenic good arsenic reducing caffeine and intoxicant intake, Dr Newson said.

"Consider meditation to unbend and besides reducing surface clip - these things tin each help."