Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Few of us may have heard of “Wolf Hour,” but we don’t know exactly what it is.
Many people suddenly wake up between 3 and 4 a.m. and are unable to go back to sleep. This phenomenon is known as the “wolf clock.”
Smart Sleep published an article about the term wolf clock, which dates back to earlier times.
The website added that there were hardly any people awake or wandering at this time of day. Mainly, only night wolves are up.
In fact, it is completely normal to wake up several times during the night.
However, many of us know from experience that going back to sleep becomes much more difficult. This is especially true if we wake up between 3 and 4 in the morning.
Frequent waking up between 3 and 4 a.m. is not a coincidence. It is closely linked to our hormonal balance and sleep structure.
Every night we go through several sleep cycles. These cycles consist of more deep sleep phases at the beginning of the night, and more dream sleep at the end of the night.
Between 2 and 4 a.m., the first half of sleep is usually over. Thus, sleep gradually becomes lighter, so we wake up more easily and frequently.
practical solutions
When we look at the clock, we automatically start calculating how much sleep we got or how long we stayed awake.
This often causes stress or panic that we are not getting enough sleep and need to fall asleep quickly.
Therefore, it is recommended not to put pressure on oneself if we cannot sleep directly.
Feeling like you need to go back to sleep quickly can fuel negative thoughts and stress. This makes you less relaxed and actually prevents more sleep.
If you wake up with your head full of worries, thoughts, or plans, talking about them or writing them down may help. It can clear your mind and calm you down.
So you can simply write everything down as notes. Alternatively, make a to-do list for the next day, or even keep a journal in the evening as a precaution.
Reading a book, listening to a podcast, or soothing music is also a simple and effective way to help. It can help restore sleepiness.
Audiobooks or music can also help you relax and accompany you until you fall asleep.
If you stay awake and cannot sleep, it is recommended that you simply get up. Do something as calm as possible until you fall asleep again.
Make sure to keep the lights dim. Pay special attention to the light of blue screens such as computers and phones.
For example, you could take a walk, go to the bathroom, or sit on the couch and read.
When you feel sleepy again, go back to bed and try to sleep.
Experts at the US National Sleep Foundation recommend doing deep breathing exercises. This is because they activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and sleep.
