Have you ever woken up between 3 and 5 AM and struggled to fall back asleep? If you’ve found yourself wide awake in the early hours of the morning, you’re not alone. Many people wake up during the early morning hours and find it hard to fall back asleep. Dave Asprey, a biohacker, thinks he knows why this happens.
He is known as the "father of biohacking" because he has worked hard to improve health and help people live longer. However, he does not have any formal training in medicine or nutrition. Asprey has spent a lot of money, about $2 million, trying to figure out how to make his body younger.
Is your blood sugar to blame for those sleepless nights?
He believes that if you wake up between 3 am and 5 am and can't go back to sleep, it might be because your blood sugar levels have dropped. He says, "For most people who wake up during this time, that is a crash in your blood sugar." When your blood sugar drops, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to increase your glucose levels. This glucose is stored in your muscles and liver. While this process helps your brain do important work at night, it also makes it hard for you to sleep. Asprey points out that "cortisol and adrenaline wake you up," which means you end up awake when you want to be sleeping.
Solutions for your sleepless night
Asprey offers and suggests just a simple solution for those who experience these nighttime awakenings: firstly, you can eat a snack before bedtime. He recommends trying raw honey, collagen, or MCT oil, or mixing all three together. MCT oil, a supplement made up of triglycerides, is derived from coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and some dairy products. It is known for being easier to digest than other fats.
His advice may help people keep their energy up and avoid drops in blood sugar, but there isn't solid proof that these methods really work. It's important for anyone thinking about changing their diet to talk to a doctor to make sure the changes are good for their health.