# How often do you wake up in the night? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382 "2011-12-16T04:53:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/21 "2011-12-16T15:15:02Z")
I woke zero times per night in my first two decades of life. Then once a night in my twenties, now twice a night in my thirties. There were a few nights when the baby was young and my husband was on baby duty for the night–from the guest room–that I slept through without waking up once. That was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/22 "2011-12-16T15:24:04Z")
I almost never wake up during the night. I have a hard time falling asleep and I have a hard time waking up, but once I’m asleep, I’m going to stay asleep unless someone wakes me up. I often wake up and find that there is a child and three stuffed animals in bed with me that weren’t there the night before. I sleep soundly with cats draped over me and pointy little kid elbows in my back. On the very rare occasions that I do wake up, I hate it because it means that I am going to spend two hours being an anxiety-ridden hypochondriac before falling back asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/23 "2011-12-16T15:25:59Z")
I think I wake up about every 1-2 hours. Joints get stiff and when I shift during sleep the pain wakes me up, I move around a bit and get more comfortable and go back to sleep. I never get up to pee. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/24 "2011-12-16T16:13:28Z")
Before getting pregnant I was one of those people who went to bed at about the same time every night, slept straight through, and then woke up 5 minutes before the alarm was set to go off. Now? Minimally, I’ll get up 2-3 times to pee on a good night, but I usually wake up a lot more than that to readjust and stay comfortable. I’m trying to think of it as training for a baby. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/25 "2011-12-16T16:25:33Z")
Usually once, typically right before dawn (which means I get 5-6 straight hours of uninterrupted slumber). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/26 "2011-12-16T16:35:36Z")
Usually once, to pee. I don’t usually look at the clock, so I don’t know how much uninterrupted sleep I get on either side of the bathroom trip, but I’m a darned good sleeper, so “enough,” anyway. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/27 "2011-12-16T16:48:46Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > Generally once, usually because I have to pee. The total amount of sleep lost improved once I stopped lying there bitching about how I didn’t want to get out of bed and maybe I could hold it and blah blah. Now I just get up and go to the bathroom and am back in bed a couple minutes later. Same here. Sometimes I do try to fight it, especially if it’s close to wake-up time. But if it’s at 4 AM or something I hop out of bed, do my business and get back to sleepin’. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/28 "2011-12-16T17:13:31Z")
A few times per night, usually, I am awake enough to look at the clock and calculate how many hours I have left to sleep. Occasionally (once or twice a month) I will sleep all night without any conscious awakening. I never get up to pee. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/29 "2011-12-16T17:45:33Z")
Nearly never. I rarely even have to pee in the middle of the night (which, for a 46 year old guy, is pretty good). My wife gets up several times during the night, but I manage to sleep through that. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/30 "2011-12-16T17:48:27Z")
I wake up rather a lot. I guess 4-8 times most nights? I remember waking because I always check the clock. Then I go right back to sleep, probably within 5 minutes. This happens mostly in the later AM hours - most days I first go to sleep around 11 or 12, I rarely remember waking before 3AM but wake regularly the rest of the morning. I always open my eyes and feel more alert than usual around 6AM and stay awake for 10-15 minutes debating getting out of bed - but it almost never happens. I should go to bed a bit earlier and attempt to make that a regular wake-up time. As it is, because my schedule is very different day-to-day and week-to-week, I get up anywhere between 5 and 9. I can’t remember ever having to get up to pee when I am sleeping. I also never wake up and then can’t fall back asleep. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/31 "2011-12-16T18:44:35Z")
I sleep until I wake up, and I do both easily (rarely have trouble sleeping and am wide awake when my eyes open). I don’t know if this is aided by the fact that left completely to my own devices I only sleep about 6.5 hours (I always wake up before my alarm and this regularity is kind of annoying on weekends when I still wake up at 5:30 in the morning and it will be approximately five hours before my wife wakes up because she only sleeps 6 hours a night during the week, but really wants 8 and catches up on the weekend). If I don’t pee before going to bed I might wake up in the middle of the night but then go right back to sleep. I also never remember dreams and the concept of knowing how many REM cycles have passed is unknown to me. One thing that amuses my wife is that once asleep I am out like a log. She can toggle lights, do whatever on the bedroom TV, run a blender next to my pillow and I’m still out. But if she whispered my name with a concerned tone, I’m awake. I also don’t seem to move much in my sleep though I can’t be sure of that. I get the right 2 feet of our queen size bed. I go to sleep on my side facing the outside and that is almost always where I am when I wake up (but there are pretty extreme exceptions, once I woke up with clothes on I hadn’t worn to bed with my head at the foot of the bed). ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/32 "2011-12-16T22:20:23Z")
[This book](http://www.amazon.com/At-Days-Close-Night-Times/dp/0393329011/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I21G6QRR3RFV28&colid=12PJBVDCVOKWI) says it’s normal to wake up at night, [this](http://www.amazon.com/Mood-Cure-4-Step-Program-Emotions--Today/dp/0142003646/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324073882&sr=8-1) says you should sleep through the entire night. I have no idea who is right but I tend toward the first one since I usually wake up a few times. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/33 "2011-12-17T00:10:26Z")
I wake several times a night. I generally get a solid two hours’ sleep to start with and then wake about every thirty minutes after that. Time was I could sleep fourteen hours straight. I pine for those days. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/34 "2011-12-17T00:55:44Z")
I wake up many times every night. I’m pretty sure I have sleep apnea because I’ve been told I snore like a freight train and sometimes dream I’m holding my breath to keep from drowning in a tidal wave. If I manage four hours without waking up it is heaven. And rare. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/35 "2011-12-17T01:13:03Z")
I almost never wake up and remember it. If I do, it’s usually a half hour or so before I get up, and I roll over and go back to sleep for a little while. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/36 "2011-12-17T01:31:10Z")
If left to my own devices (i.e., no kids coming in to wake me up), I’ll wake up once, close to when my alarm usually goes off (so generally I wake up at 5 or 5:30 when my alarm goes off at 6), wondering why the hell no kids have woken me up yet. I’ll consider going to check on them, then realize that if I do, they’ll wake up, so I go back to sleep or pee then go back to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/37 "2011-12-17T02:01:46Z")
Far too often. On bad nights, I call it “the spin cycle”. Wake up, roll over, go back to sleep, wake up 3-10 minutes later, roll over, go back to sleep, repeat all fucking night long. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/38 "2011-12-17T02:04:15Z")
Three times, on average. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/39 "2011-12-17T02:09:55Z")
I’m a horrible sleeper. Wake up several times every night. My animals often get me up. Also I tend to eat later in the evening and drink beer, both of which compound the problem. So there are things I could do to make things better but I can remember when I used to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and not wake up untill the alarm had gone off for a couple minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382/40 "2011-12-17T02:15:32Z")
> [@](#): > > #11 Today, 05:51 AM > [t-bonham@scc.net](mailto:t-bonham@scc.net) > Guest Join Date: Mar 2003 > > Every time the stupid kitten decides she needs to be petted, belly-scratched, or something! > > And when I need to pee. Which I could do, and be back asleep within minutes, except that the kitten thinks “he’s up – he must want to play for a while”. > > (Photo, as per requirements.) God on ya, t-bonham! At least SOMEBODY understands the rules here. And, being 82YO, a trip to the bathroom is guaranteed at least twice a night. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-wake-up-in-the-night/606382.md?page=3)