Wake Up At 3AM And Can't Get Back To Sleep? You Might Have This Condition

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68fb7c1618000030ecfe423a.jpeg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Insomniac woman" data-caption="Insomniac woman" data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="Ben Blennerhassett via Unsplash" />Insomniac woman</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/insomnia-cure-tips-review_uk_67d3f942e4b034e451a57935">I have insomnia</a>, but not the kind that means I struggle to fall asleep (in fact, the speed and ease with which I nod off at night put me off seeking help for years). </p><p>Instead, the problem happens in the wee hours of the morning. It reaches roughly 3am, and my body wakes me up – a <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-faqs/why-do-i-wake-up-at-3am" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">common enough process</a>, but one which I, for some reason, don’t recover from. </p><p>After the disruption, I stay up for hours, only feeling able to sleep when it’s time to get up and go to work. This persists no matter how much shut-eye I do (or don’t) get, how much <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/how-to-wake-up-refreshed_uk_68f202dae4b0f8088dd57dac">exercise I do</a>, or how <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/how-to-stop-wakking-up-middle-of-night_uk_68de499ce4b061482223ed61">early I go to bed</a>. </p><p>If that sounds familiar, you – like me – may have something called sleep maintenance insomnia. </p><h2><strong>What is sleep maintenance insomnia?</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/too-early-to-get-up-too-late-to-get-back-to-sleep" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to Harvard He