Gynaecologist Tatiana Ilyukhina has explained why many people wake up in the middle of the night during the so-called "hour of the wolf." She shared the possible causes on her Telegram channel.
Ilyukhina said the hour of the wolf was an old term for the time before dawn, between three and five in the morning, when ancient Slavs believed the darkness made it impossible to tell a wolf from a dog. She said sleep is at its deepest during this period.
Possible medical causes
Ilyukhina named iron deficiency, which can occur even without anaemia, as one cause of nighttime waking. She also pointed to restless legs syndrome, sleep apnoea, chronic pain and frequent nighttime trips to the bathroom.
People taking antidepressants, diuretics, glucocorticoids or asthma medication may also experience the problem, she said.
Link to menopause
Ilyukhina said waking during the hour of the wolf can also be triggered by menopause. She said that if insomnia appears alongside hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations and mood swings, the likelihood of a connection to low estrogen levels is genuinely high.
Physician Hana Patel has previously warned about the dangers of sleeping with a fan on, saying the habit can worsen allergy symptoms.
