Is waking up in the middle of the night a sign of a bad night’s sleep?
Stylist – April 2025
Dr Kat Lederle, a sleep and circadian rhythm specialist at The London General Practice, contributes to an article about waking up in the middle of the night, possible causes and whether it is bad for our health.
There are numerous reasons why you might wake up in the middle of the night, from restless leg syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease to sleep disorders like sleepwalking, night terrors and insomnia.
“Insomnia isn’t simply ‘not sleeping’, it can also mean that you struggle to fall asleep or to stay asleep; it can mean you wake up too early, leaving you feeling unrefreshed and poorly rested. How long you experience sleep problems for can also vary. Acute or short-term insomnia lasts for a few nights or a couple of weeks. Chronic or long-term insomnia means struggling with sleep on three nights or more per week for at least three months, and it impacts your daytime functioning.”
Anxiety, depression and stress can also be common causes of a bad night’s sleep, while hormonal fluctuations cam also play a role, according to research, up to 60% of menopausal women suffer from poor sleep.
Lack of sleep could lead to or worsen certain health issues and is associated with an increase in many physical health conditions including diabetes, higher blood pressure, weight gain, development of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.
If you experience persistent sleep problems that interfere with your daily life and would like to book an appointment with one of our private London doctors please get in touch with us here.