Waking up at 3am is a surprisingly common experience – and there are plenty of reasons why it might happen.

Dr Seeta Shah from PANDA London told HuffPost UK it could be down to a mixture of biological and lifestyle factors , like your body’s natural sleep cycle .

“During a typical night’s sleep, we go through multiple 90-minute cycles that include different stages of sleep, from light to deep and REM sleep,” the doctor said.

“Around 3am, most people are transitioning between cycles, and the sleep tends to be lighter at this point.”

This transition makes us “more susceptible to waking”, suggested the pro, especially if there are external disturbances such as noise, light, temperature changes or even the urge to use the toilet .

But if you find yourself waking up multiple times

See Full Page