How is it that we are capable of waking up just before our alarm clock rings? It sometimes feels almost like a superpower and at other times it feels like a waste of a few minutes of precious extra sleep.
According to the Medical Director at TIRR Memorial Herman Neurological Sleep Medicine Center in Houston, Sudha Tallavajhula waking up like this is actually a good thing because it shows our body is actually in sync with our thoughts.
“The hope is we have trained our body to fall asleep and wake up at a certain time, even without needing the alarm. The circadian rhythm is very trainable.”
Alarm and internal clock
The circadian rhythm is the body’s natural internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. As it gets dark at night the brain tells the body to produce more melatonin so you start to get sleepy.
Having an alarm clock to set your waking up time and sleeping at a fixed time can actually make the rhythm more precise.
“Essentially you’ve trained your body to do this. It’s nothing to worry about, and in fact, there’s not much you can do about it.” Tallavajhula says if you’re getting seven to eight hours of sleep and you feel rested when you wake up there’s no need to worry. It’s also pretty normal to wake up in the wee hours of the morning for a while.
“The first two to three hours of sleep tend to be the deepest. After that arousals are common. But you should be able to fall back asleep quickly.”
The doctor says that if however you consistently wake up much earlier and you don’t feel rested or feel tired after getting seven to eight hours of sleep, it could be a sign of a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or having an overactive bladder or even anxiety or depression.
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