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Sleep and stress

Waking Up at 3 AM? What Helps You Get Back to Sleep

By Midline. First published . Last reviewed .

The question

What should you do when you wake up at 3 AM and can't get back to sleep?

Short answer

Stay calm, leave the clock alone and try slow breathing. If you're still awake after about 20 minutes, Matthew Walker says to get up, go somewhere dim and do something quiet until you feel sleepy. If it happens most nights for months, or it's wrecking your days, see your doctor.

Why do people wake up at 3 AM?

There usually isn't one magic cause. These are the common ones our experts name:

  • stress or anxiety
  • alcohol or caffeine

Matthew Walker, on The Diary Of A CEO, lists stress and anxiety among the things that stop you sleeping well (Matthew Walker, The Diary Of A CEO). Michael Breus, on the same show, puts most poor sleep down to anxiety or fear (Michael Breus, The Diary Of A CEO).

And sometimes it's sleep apnea. If you still wake up tired after fixing your sleep habits, ask your doctor about a sleep apnea test. Many cases go undiagnosed. Andy Galpin, on The Diary Of A CEO, says most people with clinical sleep apnea go undiagnosed (Andy Galpin, The Diary Of A CEO). Dave Asprey, on his YouTube channel, says waking up foggy after a better routine is your signal to get tested (Dave Asprey, YouTube).

What should you do when you wake up?

The aim is simple: stay calm and let sleep come back.

Michael Breus gave a step-by-step routine for this on a February 2026 Diary of a CEO episode about sleep, and again in a follow-up interview in October 2026 on Thomas DeLauer's channel. It's one person's routine, not a tested protocol.

  1. Don't rush to the bathroom. Michael Breus's first tip is not to get up to pee unless you really need to. If you need to go, go.
  2. Leave the clock alone. Don't check the time or your phone, and keep the phone out of reach. Breus says, "if you can, don't look at the clock" (Michael Breus, The Diary Of A CEO).
  3. Breathe slowly. Try slow breathing with a long breath out, like in for 4 and out for 8. Pradeep Jamnadas describes that count on The Diary Of A CEO (Pradeep Jamnadas, The Diary Of A CEO). Michael Breus uses 4-7-8 breathing for waking in the night: in for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Use whichever one you'll remember at 3 AM.
  4. Don't fight it for long. If you're still awake after about 20 minutes, get up, go somewhere dim and do something quiet, like reading or listening to something, until you feel sleepy (Matthew Walker's 20-minute rule, on The Diary Of A CEO). Michael Breus's version: a chair, a lamp and a boring book.

What helps during the day?

Most of the fix happens before you get into bed. These are the basics our experts give:

On alcohol, Matthew Walker says it isn't the sleep helper people think it is (Matthew Walker, The Diary Of A CEO).

When should you see a doctor?

See your doctor if:

  • changing your sleep habits hasn't helped
  • you've had trouble sleeping for months
  • it's affecting your daily life and you're finding it hard to cope

See your doctor too if someone notices your breathing stop and start at night, or you make gasping or choking noises in your sleep.

Check first: talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking anything to help you sleep, supplements included.

Try this today

Tonight, charge your phone across the room and turn the clock so you can't see it from bed. If you wake and you're still awake after about 20 minutes, get up, sit somewhere dim and read something dull until you feel sleepy.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I keep waking up at the same time every night?

Often it's stress or anxiety, alcohol or caffeine. Matthew Walker lists stress and anxiety among the things that stop you sleeping well, and alcohol among the things people take that harm sleep. Michael Breus puts most poor sleep down to anxiety or fear.

Should I get out of bed if I can't fall back asleep?

Yes, after about 20 minutes. Matthew Walker's 20-minute rule: go to another room in dim light and read or listen to something, so your brain does not link bed with being awake. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy.

Is it bad to check my phone in the middle of the night?

Try not to. Michael Breus says that if you wake at night, don't look at the clock or your phone. Keep the phone across the room.

Can snoring be the reason I wake up?

It can be part of it. If you still wake up tired after fixing your sleep habits, ask your doctor about a sleep apnea test. Andy Galpin says most people with clinical sleep apnea go undiagnosed.

Do sleep supplements help with waking at 3 AM?

We don't recommend any. Matthew Walker says reaching for sleep supplements before fixing the basics is stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking anything for sleep.

Sources

  1. Michael Breus on The Diary Of A CEO. Michael Breus, The Diary Of A CEOIf you wake at night, try not to look at the clock. He puts most poor sleep down to anxiety or fear, uses 4-7-8 breathing for waking in the night, and says to stop food, drinks and alcohol about three hours before bed and coffee by about 2 pm.
  2. Michael Breus on Thomas DeLauer (YouTube). Michael Breus, Thomas DeLauer (YouTube)Do not look at your phone in the middle of the night. His number one sleep tip is to wake up at the same time seven days a week.
  3. Matthew Walker on The Diary Of A CEO. Matthew Walker, The Diary Of A CEOHis 20-minute rule: if sleep is not coming after about 20 minutes, go to another room in dim light and read or listen to something, so your brain does not link bed with being awake. Stress, anxiety and alcohol harm sleep. Goes further on screens: an hour before bed, avoid social media, email and texts.
  4. Pradeep Jamnadas on The Diary Of A CEO. Pradeep Jamnadas, The Diary Of A CEOBreathe in for a count of four and out for a count of eight. He says the long breath out calms the heart.
  5. Andrew Huberman on The Diary Of A CEO. Andrew Huberman, The Diary Of A CEONo screens in the last 30 minutes before sleep, and dim your phone. In the first 30 minutes after waking, get outside in the sunlight.
  6. Rhonda Patrick on The Diary Of A CEO. Rhonda Patrick, The Diary Of A CEOStop eating three hours before bed. Eating switches on your fight-or-flight system, which you do not want at bedtime.
  7. Andy Galpin on The Diary Of A CEO. Andy Galpin, The Diary Of A CEOMost people with clinical sleep apnea go undiagnosed, and even more so in women.
  8. Dave Asprey on YouTube. Dave Asprey, YouTubeIf a better routine does not fix waking up foggy, that is your signal to get tested for sleep apnea. Most cases are never diagnosed.

All sources across the site are listed on the sources page.

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Last reviewed . Educational only, not medical advice. Check with your pharmacist if you take medication.

We draft articles with AI help. A reviewer checks every health statement against the expert's own words in the video before it goes up.

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