Ever Wake Up at 2 or 3 in the Morning and Find it Hard to Fall Back Asleep? Here's the Cause and How to Deal with It

Illustration of sleep disorders. (Pexels/cottonbro studio)

JAKARTA - Have you ever woken up around 2 or 3 in the morning, then it's hard to go back to sleep? This condition is common in some people.

Although common, this habit of waking up in the middle of the night and finding it difficult to fall asleep again cannot be left alone. This can affect the overall quality of rest, which can disrupt activities and body health.

Quoted from The Guardian, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, waking up in the middle of the night is actually a natural part of the sleep cycle. In one night, the body can go through several sleep phases, ranging from light sleep, deep sleep, to rapid eye movement or REM.

However, if you wake up in the middle of the night and find it difficult to fall asleep again, there are several factors that may affect it, as follows.

- Stress and anxiety, which keep the brain active even though the body is tired- Exposure to light, including from a cell phone or a room light- Irregular sleeping habits, such as going to bed too late- Caffeine or alcohol consumption, especially at night- Sleep disorders, such as sleep maintenance type insomnia

Getting up in the middle of the night and having trouble falling back asleep is often experienced by people whose minds are still 'on alert', so that the body is difficult to return to rest mode.

"It's not what wakes someone up, but what happens in their mind after they wake up," says clinical psychologist and insomnia specialist, Dr. Julia Kogan.

What is done after waking up has an important effect, which some can aggravate the condition. Such as checking the clock repeatedly or playing the phone immediately.

Seeing the clock can trigger anxiety because someone feels their sleep time is decreasing. Meanwhile, the blue light from the phone can inhibit the production of melatonin, a hormone that plays a role in regulating drowsiness, so that the body is more difficult to fall asleep.

Therefore, to overcome waking up in the middle of the night and having trouble falling asleep again, the first step is not to force yourself to sleep.

If in 15-20 minutes the eyes are still not closed, it is best to get up from the bed for a moment and do a quiet activity, such as reading a book with dim light.

Then avoid opening your phone, tablet, or television. Another way is to practice breathing or light meditation such as slowly inhaling and exhaling regularly, which can reduce tension so that the body relaxes and can go back to sleep.