In 30 seconds
- From the age of 30, the time you spend awake during the night increases by about 10 minutes per decade.
- Alcohol helps you fall asleep sooner, but it disrupts the second half of the night at any amount.
- If you have not fallen back to sleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something calm, in low light and with no screens.
- Snoring with pauses in breathing, waking up choking or getting up to the loo many times are reasons to see your doctor.
Waking up now and then during the night is normal, especially after 40. What usually multiplies the awakenings is alcohol, heat, going to the loo, stress or, in women, hot flushes. And to get back to sleep, what works best is not fighting with your pillow: if you are still awake after 20 minutes, get up for a while.
Your night in figures
Waking up is part of sleep too
Waking up is part of sleep
Your night is not one solid block. You go through the same stages several times: light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep, when you dream. The first REM period arrives about 90 minutes after you fall asleep 1. And the stage you spend most time in is light sleep 1.
Deep sleep is concentrated in the first half of the night, and REM periods get longer towards the end 1. That is why the second half has less deep sleep.
Over the years, awakenings also increase. A meta-analysis of 65 studies with 3,577 healthy people found that time awake during the night rises by about 10 minutes per decade from the age of 30. Sleep efficiency, the share of your time in bed that you spend asleep, falls mainly from 40 onwards 2.
From 60 onwards most of these changes level off; only efficiency keeps falling 2. In short: waking up a little more than you did at 25 is to be expected. What you want is for those awakenings to be brief and for you to get back to sleep.
Alcohol
The glass with dinner: how it seems and what happens
The most common causes
Alcohol
This is the most deceptive one. Alcohol helps you fall asleep sooner and, at first, gives you more deep sleep. But it disrupts the second half of the night and delays the first REM sleep, at any amount. That is the conclusion of a review of 20 studies 3.
That glass with dinner may be the reason you wake up in the early hours and find it hard to get back to sleep.
Heat
With bedding, heat disrupts sleep more than cold, in both younger and older people. Humid heat increases time awake and reduces deep sleep and REM 4.
Older people are more sensitive: even mild heat made them wake up more 4. If you limit the air conditioning, the authors advise running it at the start of the night; and if it comes on in the early hours, dry off any sweat and change so you do not get cold 4.
Going to the loo
The recommendation is to cut down on what you drink before bed 5. If you still get up several times every night, mention it to your doctor: getting up often to urinate is also one of the signs of sleep apnoea 6.
Stress
If you wake up turning something over in your mind, the problem starts before you go to bed. We explain how to switch off in stress and sleep.
Hot flushes
During the transition to the menopause, hot flushes are one of the main complaints. Many are linked to awakenings measured in the sleep laboratory, and the time awake they cause adds to the rest of the night 7. At this stage, 26% of women have severe sleep symptoms that affect their daily life 7.
You will find practical tips in our guide to sleeping better after 40.
Snoring and pauses in breathing
Snoring is the most common symptom of sleep apnoea, especially if it is followed by silent pauses. Other signs are waking up choking or gasping, waking up tired and feeling sleepy during the day 6.
The main risk factor is excess weight. It is more common in men, and in women the risk rises with the menopause. Alcohol and some sedative medicines also play a part 6.
What to do before bed
Each cause has its own adjustment:
| Cause | What to do |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | No alcohol before bed |
| Heat | A cool bedroom; if you limit the air conditioning, run it at the start of the night |
| Going to the loo | Drink less in the last few hours of the day |
| Stress | A relaxing routine before bed |
| Hot flushes | A cool bedroom; if they are frequent, mention them to your doctor |
| Snoring with pauses | See your doctor |
Sources: American Academy of Sleep Medicine; Ebrahim et al., 2013; Okamoto-Mizuno and Mizuno, 2012.
If you wake up
How to get back to sleep
How to get back to sleep
- Give it 20 minutes. If you are still awake after that, get up 5.
- Do something calm in low light. Read a paper book on the sofa, with a low lamp 5.
- No screens. It is especially important not to pick up your phone 5.
- Go back to bed when you feel sleepy. Not before 5.
Tryptophan: less time awake
There is one ingredient with data on exactly this point. A meta-analysis found that tryptophan shortened the time spent awake after falling asleep, without changing the rest of sleep 8. You have the details in L-theanine and tryptophan: what the studies say about sleep.
When to see your doctor
- You snore with pauses in your breathing or wake up choking 6.
- You get up to urinate many times every night 6.
- You wake up almost every night for weeks and notice it during the day.
In any of these cases, see your doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to wake up during the night?
Yes. During the night you go through the same sleep stages several times, and with age the time you spend awake increases: about 10 minutes more per decade from the age of 30.
Why do I wake up in the early hours after drinking?
Alcohol helps you fall asleep sooner, but it disrupts the second half of the night and delays the first REM sleep. A review of 20 studies found this at any amount.
What should I do if I wake up and cannot get back to sleep?
If you are still awake after 20 minutes, get up and do something calm, in low light and with no screens. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
When should I see a doctor about waking up at night?
If you snore with pauses in your breathing, wake up choking, get up to the loo many times or feel tired during the day. Also if you wake up almost every night for weeks.
Sources
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH). Brain basics: understanding sleep. View publication
- Ohayon MM, Carskadon MA, Guilleminault C, Vitiello MV. Meta-analysis of quantitative sleep parameters from childhood to old age in healthy individuals: developing normative sleep values across the human lifespan. Sleep. 2004;27(7):1255-1273. View publication
- Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013;37(4). View publication
- Okamoto-Mizuno K, Mizuno K. Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm. J Physiol Anthropol. 2012;31:14. View publication
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Healthy sleep habits. Sleep Education. View publication
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Education. View publication
- Baker FC, de Zambotti M, Colrain IM, Bei B. Sleep problems during the menopausal transition: prevalence, impact, and management challenges. Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:73-95. View publication
- Sutanto CN, Loh WW, Kim JE. The impact of tryptophan supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Nutr Rev. 2022;80(2):306-316. View publication
Information based on published studies. It does not replace the advice of a doctor or registered dietitian. The results describe what was measured in each study, not the properties of any specific product. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
