We all wake up at some point in the middle of the night.
However, if you are waking up from a deep sleep followed by tossing and turning then you could potentially be showing signs of a deeper health problem.
The symptoms of an underlining health issue could include leg cramps, a bad back, sweating and coughing, Belfast Live reports .
Dr Neil Stanley, from the British Sleep Society, describes the severity of these symptoms.
He said: “We’ve evolved to realise that we're potentially easy prey when we’re asleep, so most of us wake to some degree regularly during the night.
“But waking up fully isn’t something that should be ignored or assumed just happens as we age.”
So what exactly is the cause of your disturbed sleep? Here is a list of tell-tale signs and what they could be telling you.
Jumbled-up brain
Potential reasons: Confusional arousal
Do you wake up from a deep sleep and can't remember where you are?
You may actually be awake but have trouble getting up or even speaking.
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep and energy consultant at Capio Nightingale Hospital in Central London, explains: “Some parts of our brain can remain in a sleeping state even when we think we’ve woken up,"
This is often caused by a chronic disorder called sleep apnoea, which means you repeatedly stop breathing causing you to wake-up from a deep sleep.
Having trouble breathing?
Potential reasons : Heart condition, nocturnal asthma
If you suffer from asthma then sleeping could make you feel worse. This is because when you lie down, mucus can gather in the airways which creates pressure on the lungs.
Using a feather duvet may help and your GP may be able to prescribe medication to prevent attacks and open the airways.
Having the night sweats?
Potential reasons : Alcohol and hormones
Alcohol can cause widening of the blood vessels which makes us feel hot, which is why some people get hot flushes.
After having an alcohol beverage you may find yourself falling asleep quickly, but this actually disturbs regenerative sleep patterns.
The night sweats may actually be an indication of an underlying issue, such as heart problems or cancer so people should book a visit to the GP if they are re-current.
Sore back?
Potential reasons : Disc inflammation, arthritis
This could also be down to your mattress.
Jessica Alexander, from the Sleep Council, said: "Your mattress could be too hard or soft.
“You need to change your mattress every eight to 10 years. To find the right one, lie on your back and see if you are able to put your hand in the gap between your spine and the mattress.
"If there is a big gap, the mattress is too hard. If you can’t get your fingers out easily, it’s too soft.”
To help support your lower back, the best position to sleep in is on your back with a pillow under your neck and also under your knees.
But if this back pain occurs regularly, it could be symptoms of spinal disc inflammation, and in some very rare cases it could be a spinal tumpur.
Waking up to use the toilet?
Potential reasons : prostate problem, unstable bladder
If you are male and find yourself needing to pee often during the night it may be down to an enlarged prostate.
Kakahama Attar, urologist at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, said: "There’s little men can do to stop their prostate enlarging as they age, putting pressure on the bladder at night.”
Medication can be used to relax the muscles in the prostate and shrink the gland, but it may be a good shout to go see your GP as this can be a sign of prostate cancer.
The kidneys may also be a cause as the older we get the more urine we produce, so the bladder becomes more unstable causing the sensation to empty even when it's only a bit full. Again, check this out with your GP as kidney stones and cancer could be the cause.
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Leg cramping?
Potential reasons : fatty diet, statins, over-exercising
Have you been over doing-it in the gym?
John Scurr, consultant vascular surgeon at the Middlesex Hospital, explains: “Hitting the treadmill with too much zeal can reduce the levels of calcium and magnesium needed to help muscles expand and contract properly.”
This could also happen during the later stages of pregnancy.
Another reason why you get leg cramps could be down to the peripheral arteries, which supply the legs with oxygenated blood, can be become damaged by fatty deposits in your diet, or high blood-sugars in dabetics.
