Sleep expert reveals worrying reason why people wake up at 3 am — but there's one way to solve it

Waking up at odd hours of the night for no good reason is not fun at all. While many people may freak out thinking it’s the devil’s hour, a sleep expert has weighed in with a solid explanation for the issue. A good night’s sleep is paramount for a person to be able to function normally the next day. Sleep disruptions can impact one’s well-being drastically and leave them annoyed or irritated. Dave Asprey (@dave.asprey), an author and longevity influencer with more than 1.2 million followers on Instagram, shared why a person is more susceptible to improper and broken sleep and an easy hack to solve the problem.

For those left wide-eyed during the wee hours of the night, typically between 3 a.m. to 5 a.m., and cannot go back to sleep, Asprey fears it may be related to their blood sugar levels. “That is a crash in your blood sugar,” the expert noted. Explaining the process as a conversation between the brain and the body, Asprey revealed that when the blood sugar drops to abnormal levels, say 70, it prompts the body to produce glucose urgently for the brain to do its cleaning process. According to Nature, a good night’s sleep is important for the brain to clean itself and flush out waste products built up during the day. In the process, the blood vessels in the brain rhythmically constrict and dilate to drive the waves of cleansing fluid crucial for a rejuvenated perspective the next morning. 

In response to the dipping levels of blood sugar, the body releases cortisol, a stress hormone, and adrenaline, the hormone that gets you excited and thrilled. The result is predictable. Hence, the increased levels of these hormones produce sugar very “quickly” but end up snatching a person’s sleep. While the brain is happy with the dose of sugar, the body is left unrested due to a lack of sleep.

But Asprey did not leave his millions of viewers hanging and offered a solution to anyone suffering from discontinuous sleep. “Have a small snack before bed, either raw honey, or collagen, or MCT oil, or just mix all three together,” Asprey recommended. MCT oil (Medium chain triglycerides) is a supplement made from MCT fat, also present in coconut oil. While there’s no doubt that these items are ingredients to good health, they provide sustained energy, eliminating the need for forced production of glucose in the blood. However, Asprey’s well-meaning advice was met with a mix of reactions from people on the internet. 

“I needed to hear this. I’ve been doing hot yoga every night and not eating, and then I keep waking up. Makes sense. I need to eat before I go to sleep,” wrote an enlightened person (@divinemovements) while another (@raakmemama_) chimed in with a few other options. They stated, “Steamed whole milk (high protein like Fairlife) with collagen, sea salt, and a little honey is the best thing I’ve found to keep my blood sugar stable through the night.” Someone else (@nfeldhaus) joked, “Let’s be honest. Most people who wake up at that time have to pee.” A critic (@staggwann1991) said, “A bad dream. PTDS. Need the toilet. A noise outside woke you up. It’s not always that or something you think it is.” 

You can follow @dave.asprey on Instagram for more health tips.