Sleeping soundly through the night without waking is rarer than most think, yet it\u2019s essential for feeling fully rested and productive the next day. Many go to bed on time but still wake between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., often struggling to fall back asleep.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t mere coincidence. Those early morning hours\u2014sometimes called the hour of the wolf<\/em>, a term popularized by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and rooted in Swedish folklore\u2014are believed to be when sleep is deepest, nightmares most vivid, and both births and deaths most common. Folklore also links this \u201cwitching hour\u201d to heightened supernatural activity.<\/p>\n Physiologically, around 4:00 a.m. the body\u2019s temperature, blood pressure, and metabolism reach their lowest point as part of the circadian rhythm. For most, this is the time of deepest rest\u2014but for those prone to anxiety, it\u2019s also when worries can feel most intense, often leading to sudden wakefulness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sleeping soundly through the night without waking is rarer than most think, yet it\u2019s essential for feeling fully rested and productive the next day. Many go to bed on time but still wake between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., often struggling to fall back asleep. This isn\u2019t mere coincidence. Those early morning hours\u2014sometimes called the…<\/p>\n