Angelo Stagnaro on Waking Up in the Middle of the Night

"Do you ever wake up at 3 a.m. for unknown reasons? Plenty of people do. Sometimes one wakes with a start and is filled with apprehension or an inexplicable heightened state of awareness.

"It's a common enough occurrence that becomes even more common the older one becomes. When I led a rock star's lifestyle in my youth or that of a graduate student in my more mature years, I recall partying or studying well into wee hours of the night. Upon becoming too exhausted to stand without assistance, I would collapse into my bed and sleep the sleep of the obliviously innocent - or  somewhat innocent.

"That's no longer the case.

"Scientists have suggested, as they do, countless reasons for this phenomenon. Some propose that the cause is a blood-pressure adjustment. One study pointed to a peak in melatonin levels at 3 a.m. that might cause one to wake up then.

"Others have pointed out that the idea of a straight eight hours of sleep is a myth foisted upon us by know-nothings pretending to be health experts. She suggested that people just naturally rouse from sleep throughout the night. She referenced the tradition of Catholic monks and nuns who pray twice in the middle of the night."

In a recent commentary, writer Angelo Stagnaro reflected on how we can treat "waking up in the middle of the night as a call to remember that there's nothing to fear."

To access Mr. Stagnaro's complete post, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Blogs: Angelo Stagnaro: Ever Wake Up in the Middle of the Night for No Good Reason? (25 MAY 18)