Many women might find themselves waking during the night due to one particular health-related change.
Rousing in the small hours isn’t uncommon, and it can happen for all kinds of reasons — some harmless, others worth paying attention to.
For some people, disrupted sleep can be linked to mental health, such as anxiety or ongoing stress about what’s happening in their lives.
In other cases, the cause is more straightforward: needing the toilet, a noisy environment, or struggling to sleep comfortably during a hot spell.
But for many women, one potential explanation sits above the rest: perimenopause.
One woman shared on social media that she kept waking up in the middle of the night, prompting lots of others to chime in with similar experiences.
What stood out wasn’t only the fact they were waking up — it was that many of them were waking at the exact same time.
“How did 3am become the universal perimenopause wake up time?
As responses rolled in, multiple women said that 3am also seemed to be their regular wake-up point.
“Omg, right?! I’ll never have an uninterrupted sleep ever again.”
“Wow, and I thought I was the only one awake at 3am.”
“Hormonal fluctuations coupled with cortisol spikes around 3am.”
“I think maybe that’s why 3-4am is called the witching hour as that’s when we allllll wake up p***** off, and want to destroy men.”
Perimenopause can begin earlier than many people expect, with some experiencing it in their 30s.
“Been there. Went through all that at 38. Didn’t get the memo that women that young could go through menopause until after I’d suffered for a few years.”
“Look into hormone replacement therapy. You have options and will feel more like yourself.”
Harvard Health Publishing has also addressed the pattern of waking in the early hours, particularly among older women.
“Waking up at 3am is a familiar phenomenon for women 55 and up because of biological and lifestyle factors.”
“Topping the list of reasons for older women’s 3am wake-ups are drastic drops in oestrogen and progesterone that accompany menopause.
“These hormonal shifts spur many changes throughout the body, but one of the most noticeable is disrupted sleep cycles. Vasomotor symptoms, which include hot flashes and night sweats, often strike in the early morning hours as well.”
Perimenopause symptoms can vary, but may include menstrual cycle changes, hot flushes, night sweats, dizziness, headaches, vaginal dryness, and sleep disruption. Some people also experience mental and emotional effects such as low mood or depression, brain fog, reduced sex drive, and mood swings.