Do you often find yourself waking up just moments before your alarm is set to ring? You are not alone, and there is a scientific explanation for this frustrating phenomenon.
It’s not the best way to begin your day, is it? You groggily wake up, thinking it’s the middle of the night, only to realize you have a mere five minutes until the alarm blares.
The dilemma arises: should you rise or squeeze in those extra five minutes of sleep?
Regardless of your choice, it’s not an ideal scenario. However, there is a straightforward explanation for why many people naturally wake up shortly before their alarm.
Essentially, your body’s internal clock is as reliable as the alarm that jars you awake each morning.
According to the Daily Star, a protein called PER plays a crucial role in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle.
This protein reaches its peak in the evening and decreases at night, functioning optimally when you adhere to a regular sleep schedule. This might be challenging for shift workers.
When PER levels hit their lowest, you tend to feel sleepy because your heart rate is lower than usual, making it easier to drift off to sleep.
It is believed that PER levels begin to climb about an hour before your usual waking time, along with increases in blood pressure and body temperature.
As a result, your sleep becomes lighter due to this and the blend of stress hormones your body releases to prepare for waking up and starting the day.
This process often results in waking up just before your alarm, as opposed to being jarringly awakened from a deep sleep by the alarm’s noise.
In such moments, you might be tempted to hit the snooze button, but many sleep experts have long advised against this practice.
Nurse Jordan explained in a TikTok video: “Waking to multiple alarms every morning really disrupts your REM cycle frequently.”
“This actually causes sleep inertia, increased drowsiness, fatigue, mood swings, and it also raises your cortisol levels.”
“Every time your alarm goes off, you’re in that fight or flight response, so waking up like that multiple times in the morning is very stressful.”
“So when your alarm goes off in the morning, get up! Don’t keep traumatizing yourself.”
Consider yourself warned…