Around the world, eyes fly wide open every night at 3 am. It's something of a phenomenon - not 1 am or 4 am, but this inconveniently early (or late) hour.
If you're up at this time, you'll know the feeling of your brain suddenly racing with thoughts of what you need to do, things you've forgotten, or unpleasant reminders you thought you'd long forgotten, and no sign of wanting to get back to sleep. Courtneyrose Chung, clinical director at My Denver Therapy in the US, says this wake-up time is really common and she describes it as a “perfect storm of biology and stress response”. “Understanding what's actually happening in your body and brain during these moments can help you respond more effectively,” she explains.
