If falling asleep isn't the problem but you wake up in the early morning hours and can't get back to sleep, it may be worth reviewing your habits from the night before. As the number of patients with sleep disorders rises rapidly, surprisingly simple lifestyle habits are often eroding the quality of sleep.
According to data the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee received from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 1,308,383 patients received health insurance-covered treatment for sleep disorders in 2024, up 26.1% from 2020, when the figure was 1,037,396. By age and sex, women in their 60s were the largest group at 179,319, followed by women in their 50s at 139,987 and women in their 70s at 126,514.
Sleep disorders come in various forms. There is sleep-onset difficulty, in which falling asleep takes a long time; middle-of-the-night awakening, in which one wakes several times during sleep; and early-morning awakening, a state in which falling asleep itself is not a problem but one wakes in the early hours and cannot fall back asleep.
Among these, early-morning awakening leads to morning fatigue, daytime drowsiness, and reduced concentration. It can result from a combination of factors, including emotional factors such as stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as disruptions in cortisol secretion rhythms, sleep apnea, and chronic diseases.
Experts caution that it cannot be attributed to simple aging or a sensitive personality alone. If it recurs for more than two weeks or is accompanied by snoring or sleep apnea, they recommend receiving an accurate assessment of the cause, such as a polysomnography test.
Everyday evening habits are also major variables that disrupt sleep. Alcohol induces drowsiness at first, but in the later part of the night, when blood alcohol concentration drops, it makes sleep shallow and increases the number of awakenings.
For those with snoring or sleep apnea, symptoms can worsen after drinking as the muscles around the airway relax. Caffeine is the same. Green tea, dark chocolate, and energy drinks also contain caffeine, and the National Mental Health Information Portal recommends avoiding caffeinated foods starting four to six hours before bedtime.
The type and timing of late-night snacks should also be considered. Eating excessive amounts of greasy or spicy food just before falling asleep can trigger early-morning awakening through digestive burden and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. Water-rich fruits or excessive water intake can lead to nighttime urination, so it is better to spread out necessary water intake during the day and reduce large amounts of intake just before bedtime. Those with reflux symptoms are advised to leave a gap of two to three hours between dinner and lying down.
If frequent awakenings and morning fatigue persist despite improving lifestyle habits, or if severe snoring, choking during sleep, or daytime drowsiness are present, experts advise not to blame late-night snacks alone but to seek medical care.
