On average, about one in three American adults report getting less than seven hours of sleep a night. Even worse, at least half of Americans report feeling sleepy during the day 3-7 times a week.
If you keep asking yourself: Why do I wake up at 4 am? If you struggle to get a good night’s rest, then it’s crucial to identify what’s causing your body to wake up at night.
Across the centuries, many civilizations have put a lot of weight into the time that you wake up and the spiritual meaning behind it.
If you’ve been waking up at 4 AM lately, then you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ll go over a few different spiritual interpretations on what your wake time could mean and how you can start to get a better night’s rest.
Why Do I Wake Up at 4 AM? Spiritual Meanings
What does it mean when you wake up at 4 AM? Many people believe it is a 4 am wake-up call from God. It can also be a time for guardian angels to guide us, an indication of suppressed emotions in Feng Shui, a sign of upcoming life changes, or an opportunity for meditation and reflection.
1. God Is Waking You
4 am represents the transition between dark to light. Sometimes, God will wake you around this time so you can spend time in His presence. Four am is a time to pray and spend time in thankfulness. God will often get someone’s attention by waking them at this early hour because it is quiet and the perfect time to listen to His voice.
2. Guardian Angels Are Guiding You to Connect With Higher Realms
Many countries believe everyone has a guardian angel. During the 3 am to 4 am time period, some people believe the spirit realm and physical realm are closer than any other time of the day. Perhaps, this is the time angels visit us to guide us on our missions toward our greater purpose.
3. Feng Shui Is Telling You To Address the Sadness and Emotional Grief
China associates four am wakeups with Feng Shui. The Chinese believe if you wake up at this time of the morning often, you may be suppressing sadness and grief since these are the feelings associated with four am in Feng Shui.
If you keep waking up at this time and believe in Feng Shui, you may want to address the sadness and emotional grief that is, perhaps, troubling you in sleep.
4. Life Changes Are Coming
You may wake up at four am when a significant lifestyle change is about to occur. Four am is the perfect time to reflect on the coming transitions. These wake-up calls help you put things in perspective so you can make the right decisions.
5. A Time to Meditate and Reflect
While it’s sometimes disconcerting awakening at the same time every night, there is rarely a nefarious reason. Perhaps, it is your call to prayer in the middle of the night. It could simply become a time to reflect on the day ahead.
Biblical Meaning of Waking up at 4 AM
The Bible does not specifically say anything about the spiritual meaning behind waking up at 4 AM. Waking up early, however, could be a sign from God to a Christian to devote some early-morning time to prayer, worship, or simply spending time in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Psalm 119:147-148, the psalmist declares: “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.”
4 AM is a significant time because it is an hour of darkness before dawn breaks and the morning sun breaks through. Spending these final quiet moments with God is the best way to start out one’s day, so waking up at 4 AM could mean that God wants to spend more time with you.
You can use this time to pray, read Scripture, listen to worship songs, or just talk to Jesus.
If you believe that you could be waking up at 4 AM due to physical issues as well, then this could be a sign to pray about your physical issues and ask God for some relief from your symptoms.
Waking up at 4 AM Meaning: Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine suggests that each 2-hour block of the day is governed by a different meridian, or energy current that goes through your body. Under this system, the hours between 3 AM and 5 AM are governed by the lungs.
Physically, this suggests that you could be dealing with lung problems. You could be catching a cold or flu, dealing with a sore throat, or having underlying sinus issues. Since the lungs govern your immune system, sweat glands, and skin moisture, it could suggest underlying problems in those areas, too.
Emotionally, Chinese spirituality suggests that waking up in the hours between 3 AM and 5 AM means the person is dealing with grief and sadness. You may need to revisit your past, talk to a friend, or consider counseling to help you overcome the sadness within.
Why Do I Keep Waking up at 4 AM?
Biblical and Chinese interpretations of why you keep waking up at 4 AM can both be very helpful in identifying the cause of your waking problems, but they might not give a complete picture of what’s going on with you.
Every person’s situation is unique, so you’ll need to consider your overall wellbeing. How’s your mental health been lately? Has your emotional state been erratic? Have you been struggling with your physical health, or have you been experiencing a lot of stress?
Any of these issues can cause you to experience sleep issues. On top of that, you could be dealing with a more serious physical condition, like insomnia or sleep apnea. Consider monitoring any other physical symptoms you’re experiencing to see if you can line up your symptoms with a medical condition.
Waking up at 4 AM: Good or Bad?
Waking up at 4 AM could be an underlying sign of something wrong, but it could also be completely natural for you depending on your life circumstances.
For instance, your work schedule might lead you to have an irregular sleep schedule. So long as you’re getting enough hours of sleep at night, there’s nothing wrong with waking up at 4 AM. Waking up at 4 AM might also be extremely beneficial if you’re someone who loves to utilize those early morning hours.
Waking Up at 4 AM Every Night? How to Cope
If you’ve been waking up at 4 AM unwillingly, then identifying the cause of your issue is only one step towards solving your issue. You might also need to find other ways of coping with the situation. Here are just a few general tips to help you get better rest at night:
- Set the right atmosphere (dark room, relaxing, comfortable temperature)
- Get into a bedtime routine (bath, brushing teeth, etc)
- Try not to use electronic devices for a while before bed (blue light interrupts sleep)
- Don’t eat huge meals before bedtime
- Exercise during the day to help promote better rest at night
- Cut late-night caffeine habits
- Get more comfortable bedding, sheets, comforters, and pillows
- Increase the time you spend in the sun in the daytime
If you’ve tried everything and you’re still waking up at 4 AM, then consider swapping around your schedule. Go to sleep earlier and see if that allows you to get on a better sleep routine. The more consistent you are with your routine, the better quality of sleep you’re likely to have each night.
Get Better Rest to Become a Better You
If you’ve been consistently waking up at 4 AM every night, then there’s a great chance that your body has developed a habit of getting up at that time. The best way to cope with your situation is to try to identify what’s keeping you up, try different coping mechanisms, and start changing your ways to ensure a better night’s rest.
When you start getting more sleep, you’ll empower yourself to become the best version of yourself.
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