You open your eyes, check your phone and realize something unusual: there is one minute left until the alarm goes off. How is it possible?
Although it may seem like a coincidence, this phenomenon is usually a natural response of the body. According to experts, your body is able to learn to anticipate the moment of waking up when it maintains relatively stable sleep schedules.
No, you do not have a “sixth sense”, it is not a trauma nor are you a sleepwalker. The key scientific explanation lies in your body's biological clock and the mechanisms that prepare the body to start a new day, says the CinfaSalud medical portal.
Read also: What is the worst nightmare that a human being can experience, according to experts
The internal clock anticipates the time to wake up
The main person responsible for this phenomenon is the circadian rhythm, the system that regulates sleep and wake cycles for approximately 24 hours. When a person regularly goes to bed and wakes up at the same time, the brain learns that pattern and begins preparing to wake up before the alarm goes off.
But can it be that precise? Yes, it is possible because when your body is programmed, thanks to habit, your body gradually increases the production of hormones such as cortisol, related to alertness, when it feels that the moment is approaching.
This increase helps the body gradually abandon sleep, so it is possible to open your eyes just before the alarm clock interrupts your rest. But be careful, your body does not work with clock hours, but with cycles.
In that sense, waking up a few moments before the alarm usually indicates that the biological clock is working in sync with the daily routine.
Anxiety can also influence
Not all occasions have the same explanation. Stress or worry about being late for work, an appointment, or an exam can also cause early awakening.
When there is anxiety about not falling asleep, the body can release greater amounts of adrenaline and cortisol during the last hours of the night. This causes you to wake up not just before, but several hours earlier, which is no longer healthy.
When there is anxiety, you enter a state of vigilance that makes it easier to wake up earlier. The difference is that here your biological clock was forced by the accumulation of cortisol, a product of anxiety symptoms.
