Sleeping badly is never ideal, and a heatwave can make it even harder to stay comfortable through the night. Now, an expert has highlighted four common habits that could be behind those frustrating 3am wake-ups.
Waking in the early hours can feel like a small win when you realise there’s still time before your alarm. But if you end up staring at the ceiling and can’t drift off again, that “extra time” quickly becomes misery.
When broken sleep starts affecting your mood, focus, and energy the following day, it’s worth looking beyond the bedroom. According to sleep expert Oliver Goble of Supply Life, the choices you make in the evening can set you up for a disrupted night, and he’s warned that four routine behaviours may be making things worse.
First up is alcohol. Many people unwind with a drink after a long day, and that can easily turn into more at the weekend. But Goble says it often does more harm than good, as it “tends to fragment sleep.”
While alcohol may help some people nod off faster, it can reduce overall sleep quality, leading to “lighter, less restorative sleep.” On top of that, dehydration can make the night more uncomfortable and leave you feeling worse in the morning.
Caffeine is another major culprit, especially if it’s consumed later than you think. Goble warns that it can remain in the body for hours, disrupting sleep even if you don’t feel especially wired at bedtime.
“Even coffee consumed in the afternoon can still affect sleep later that night for some individuals,” he told the publication, adding that energy drinks and pre-workout products can cause similar issues.
Late-night eating can also interfere with rest. Even if it feels like a harmless treat, Goble explains that a heavy or late meal can keep the body busy when it should be winding down.
He notes it may reduce sleep quality because digestion continues overnight, and it can also increase the risk of ‘acid reflux, bloating or discomfort overnight,’ which can wake you up or stop you drifting back off.
Finally, Goble points to stress as a key factor in waking during the night—something many people would love to be able to switch off. He says that when someone is ‘chronically stressed’ their body can stay in a more alert mode after they’ve gone to bed.
“Stress hormones such as cortisol may interfere with deeper stages of sleep and make people more likely to wake during the night,” he adds.
While it’s not always possible to eliminate stress completely, the Sleep Foundation recommends trying calming wind-down techniques before bed, such as meditation and deep breathing, to help the body settle into a more restful state.