Waking Up Repeatedly Throughout the Night? Causes of Disrupted Sleep and Acupressure Solutions

Modern medicine explains early morning awakening, or waking up while asleep, as an autonomic nervous system imbalance. It is known to occur when there are abnormalities during the REM sleep and non-REM sleep stages of the sleep cycle. In particular, when the duration of REM sleep shortens or deep sleep stages are insufficient, repeated arousal occurs, making sleep maintenance difficult. Endocrine system imbalances, especially excessive secretion of the stress hormone cortisol, can further aggravate this problem. Various lifestyle factors such as caffeine intake, irregular sleep schedules, and excessive stress can trigger these symptoms, and the resulting fatigue soon disrupts daily activities and can adversely affect mental health as well. A persistent sleep disorder increases physical fatigue alongside mental stress, which can act as a major contributor to chronic fatigue and depression.