Between 2 and 3 AM, your cortisol—the primary stress hormone—starts to gradually increase. That’s completely normal; it’s your body’s way of preparing to wake up smoothly a few hours later.
But if you’re already dealing with high levels of stress, your cortisol might not just rise—it might spike. Instead of easing you into the day around 6 or 7 AM, it jolts you awake much earlier, often with a racing heart and a restless mind.
Think of cortisol like a dimmer switch meant to simulate sunrise. When everything’s balanced, it gently brings you to wakefulness. But if you’re overwhelmed or anxious, that switch gets slammed to full brightness at 3 AM—and suddenly, you’re wide awake in the dark.
Why Sleep Cycles Matter (More Than You Think)
Each night, your brain cycles through some stages of sleep, and each full cycle lasts about 90 to 120 minutes. In the early part of the night, you get more deep sleep — the kind that helps your body recover and recharge. But as the night goes on, you enter longer phases of REM sleep — that’s the stage where dreams happen and your brain processes emotions and memories.
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