Wake Up Before the Alarm Sounds? Here's the Scientific Explanation

Illustration of a person waking up (Photo: Freepik/jcomp)

JAKARTA - Have you ever set an alarm at 6.30 am, but somehow your eyes open a few minutes earlier? There is no sound, no sign from the outside, your body seems to know when it's time to wake up.

It may sound strange, but it's not a coincidence. It's the body's biological clock at work, a precision internal system that regulates when we sleep and wake up.

Inside the brain, there is a group of tiny nerve cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus that is often referred to as the body's master clock. These cells keep time by regulating internal rhythms, including circadian rhythms, which follow a 24-hour cycle. These rhythms affect sleep, body temperature, appetite, and digestion.

Quoted from the Science Alert website, circadian rhythms also determine when we feel sleepy or refreshed. Everyone has a different body clock setting, which is why there are 'morning people' who like to wake up early and go to bed early, and there are 'night owls' who wake up during the day and stay up late.

A consistent sleep, eating, and exercise routine teaches the body's master clock when to work and start releasing certain hormones. For example, when we wake up, the body experiences a cortisol awakening response, which is a surge in the hormone cortisol that makes the body ready to be active and feel energetic.

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For people who routinely wake up in the morning and are exposed to sunlight, the body clock will know when they wake up. A few minutes before the alarm goes off, the body is already getting ready, the body temperature rises, the hormone melatonin (sleepy hormone) decreases, and cortisol begins to rise. You could say, this is a natural alarm from the body's hormones.

If you often wake up a few minutes before the alarm and feel refreshed, it's a sign that your circadian rhythm is regular. The body has learned to adapt to daily routines and helps the transition from sleep to wake up naturally.

However, if you wake up early but feel tired or restless, it could indicate poor sleep quality, not a good biological clock. Having a consistent sleep and wake-up schedule helps train the body clock, especially if it remains in tune with natural cues such as light and temperature. This makes it easier for you to fall asleep and wake up refreshed.

Conversely, an irregular sleep schedule can disrupt the body's rhythm, causing drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and decreased mental performance.

Without a consistent sleep pattern, the body relies on an alarm, which can wake us up in a deeper sleep phase and leave us feeling sluggish (called sleep inertia).

Stress and anxiety can increase the hormone cortisol, which is the same as the morning hormone that helps wake up. This can make it difficult to fall asleep or wake up too early. Anticipation of important or pleasant events can also keep the brain alert, sleep lighter, and wake up earlier than usual. This is normal occasionally, but if it happens often, it can cause long-term sleep problems.

In the past, before the industrial era, humans followed the rhythms of nature, such as the sun and the moon, to determine the time to sleep. Nowadays, waking up without an alarm is indeed difficult, but when the body can do it, it is a sign that the body is well rested and the biological clock is healthy. You can train your body to wake up naturally in several ways:

- Keep a consistent sleep schedule of 7-8 hours, including weekends.

- Avoid sleep disturbances such as caffeine, alcohol, or heavy meals before going to bed.

- Create a dark sleeping environment and avoid gadget screens before going to bed.

- Make sure to be exposed to morning sunlight to regulate the body's rhythm.

With this habit, the body can wake up naturally, fresh, and ready to go through the day without having to rely on an alarm.

Illustration of a person waking up (Photo: Freepik/jcomp)