What makes our body decide, ok now it’s time to get up? Why do things like nightmares often allow us to shortcut sleep and wake up early?
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Ooo I know things! First of all, brains are weird, and sleep is also weird, so it is likely I am only giving you part of the picture. All I am providing is the stuff that I am familiar with (I study stress, not sleep).
You have heard of the hormone, cortisol, that is produced by our bodies in response to stress. Cortisol is generally thought of as a stress hormone, however its functions are mainly metabolic. That is, cortisol breaks down energy stores to make that energy available to use (MOAR POWER). In response to a stressor, say a predator, or maybe just going outside, that extra energy is helpful to keep you alive.
However cortisol naturally follows a circadian rhythm (a cycle that repeats daily). This is completely unrelated to stress. The point in the this cycle when cortisol is at its peak is shortly before waking. This makes sense, as you want to increase the available energy you have so that it is ready to use as soon as you wake up. How well cortisol follows this circadian rhythm will depend on MANY factors that I won’t go in to because I don’t study them, but the short of it is, the more routine you have in you sleeping and waking, the better your body will be at sleeping and waking.
As for nightmares, this comes back to stress! Nightmares are scary and basically wake you up ready for that fight or flight. This will cause a release of cortisol, which will then increase the energy ready to use, and then you have all this energy waiting to be used and suddenly you feel like you don’t need to sleep anymore.
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