The wolf hour - sleepless between 2 and 4 a.m.

Many people wake up during the famous wolf hour between 2 and 4 a.m. and cannot get back to sleep. We explain here what exactly is behind the hour of the wolf and why sleep is often interrupted at this time.

Table of contents

1. What is the Wolf Hour?
2. Why at 3 a.m.?
3. Tips for Falling Back to Sleep
4. Conclusion

1. What is the Wolf Hour?

The wolf hour is a widespread phenomenon and describes the period between two, three and four in the morning when many people wake up from time to time or regularly and have difficulty getting back to sleep. The term wolf hour or hour of the wolf probably comes from earlier times when hardly any people were awake and out and about at this time of day, but primarily the nocturnal wolves.

It's actually quite normal that we wake up from sleep more often at night. However, many of us know from experience that it's much harder to get back to sleep, especially if we wake up between 2 and 4 a.m. You quickly start to think, think a lot and don't really get tired anymore. But where does that come from?

2. Why at 3 am?

The fact that we often wake up between 3 and 4 a.m. is actually no coincidence and is strongly linked to our hormone balance and sleep structure.

Every night we go through several sleep cycles, which consist more of deep sleep phases at the beginning of the night and contain more dream sleep (REM sleep) at the end of the night. Here you will learn more about the structure of sleep. Between 2 and 4 a.m. the first half of sleep is usually over and sleep becomes increasingly lighter - we wake up more easily and more often.

The interaction of the hormones melatonin, serotonin and cortisol is also crucial. The “sleep hormone melatonin ensures that we get tired and can sleep in the evening and at night. serotonin is called the happiness hormone, which has a positive effect on the mood and stress hormone cortisol has an important anti-stress effect.

In the middle of the night, in the time of the wolf hour, our body temperature is lowest and the melatonin level is very high, we feel tired and sleepy. At the same time, serotonin and cortisol are at a low level. Their mood-enhancing and stress-regulating effect is lost and the hormonal balance is disrupted, which means we wake up more easily and often in a depressed mood or in a bad mood. We are more susceptible to negative feelings, quickly start to brood and start the carousel of thoughts, which makes it even more difficult to fall asleep again.

3. Tips for falling asleep

It's best not to try to solve problems at night - because when we wake up in the night, we are more sensitive to negative, pessimistic or worrying feelings. This can keep us awake and prevent us from falling asleep. Here are a few tips on what you can do if you wake up and can't fall back asleep straight away.

#1 Don't look at the clock

When we look at the clock, we often automatically start calculating how much time we have slept so far or how much time we have left, or checking how long we have been awake. This often creates pressure or panic that we are not getting enough sleep and need to get back to sleep quickly.

#2 Don't put pressure on yourself

Don't put pressure on yourself if you can't fall asleep right away.The feeling of having to go back to sleep quickly can fuel negative thoughts and stress, making you less relaxed and, in fact, preventing you from sleeping even further.

#3 Write down your thoughts

If you wake up and your head is full of worries, thoughts or ideas, it can help to talk about them and write them down to clear your head and calm down. Depending on how you feel, you can simply write everything down in a notebook, make a to-do list for the next day or keep a diary in the evening as a precaution.

#4 Staying in bed & distracting

Reading a book, podcasts or relaxing music Listening is a simple but effective way to distract yourself from negative thoughts and to get tired again. Radio plays or music can also calm you down and accompany you as you fall asleep.

#5 Get up and distract yourself

If you have been lying awake for a while and are struggling to fall asleep, it is recommended that you simply get up and do something as quiet as possible until the tiredness returns and you can sleep again. Make sure to keep the lights dimmed and pay particular attention to blue screen light, for example that of your Smartphones. For example, you can stretch your legs for a bit, go to the toilet or sit on the sofa and read. When you get tired again, go back to bed and go back to sleep.

4. Conclusion:

• The wolf hour is the period between 2 and 3 or 3 and 4 a.m. when one often wakes up and cannot fall asleep again.

• A low body temperature, the sleep structure and the natural hormone balance between melatonin, serotonin and cortisol leads to light sleep and increases the likelihood of waking up.

• Relaxing activities, writing down thoughts or getting up can help to bridge the waking phase and fall asleep more easily.

Best regards and see you soon!