Have you ever suddenly opened your eyes at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, even though your alarm wasn’t supposed to ring for hours?

The house is silent. Everyone else is sleeping. Yet your mind seems unusually awake.

Maybe you start remembering something from your past. Perhaps you think about someone you miss, a decision you’ve been avoiding, or a feeling you can’t quite explain.

For centuries, different spiritual traditions have attached special meaning to the hours before sunrise.

Some consider this a peaceful time for prayer, meditation, and personal reflection.

Others believe that waking during these hours may symbolize a period of emotional change or spiritual growth.

But sleep experts offer another explanation, and it has everything to do with what happens inside your body as morning approaches.

So why do some people repeatedly wake between 3 and 5 AM? And when should you pay attention to it?

Continue below in Part 2