Scientific reason you wake up before your alarm
Isn't it so annoying when you wake up a few minutes before your alarm is supposed to go off?
Sleeping is one of the many joys of life.
Unfortunately, something that will always be negative when it comes to sleeping is the waking-up part.
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Especially when you hear your alarm going off.
The temptation to snooze the ringing phone or alarm clock is always there.
It's also a common occurrence that you might wake up minutes before your alarm goes off.
Then you find yourself contemplating whether or not to stay in bed for those few minutes or get out of bed.
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Research has shown that there is a scientific explanation for this.
Little research has been done into this field, but experts say it is most likely linked to our biological clock, which keeps track of time.
Dr Ravi Allada, a neurobiologist specialising in sleep and circadian rhythms, explains that there is a "master clock" above the optic nerve in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
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The suprachiasmatic nucleus synchronises and coordinates your body's circadian rhythms. This helps us prepare for the day's various stages, including falling asleep and waking up.
Dr Russell Foster, head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford, says that our body senses the levels of light and uses this to determine circadian rhythms.
Special cells detect the light levels changing right before and at dawn even though our eyes are closed. While they can't tell the exact time, they will indicate that it is close to when we usually wake up.
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This triggers changes. Your body will increase the levels of hormones such as cortisol and adrenocorticotropin and your blood pressure.
If you have also woken up before your alarm on big days such as your wedding or a flight, your body could be calculating how much time has passed since you went to bed.
You went to bed knowing you're supposed to be up in four hours, so something is helping to ensure you wake up after that time.
If you want to avoid waking up at random times, Dr Foster says the best practice is to set your alarm for the same time every day and to get up at that time.
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