Can I have more awakenings that I remember?

Yes, it’s  actually quite common to have awakenings at night that you don’t remember. When we sleep, we lose much of our ability to make new memories–it’s actually a kind of amnesia. These unremembered awakenings could also be quick, in which you briefly rouse, shift your position in bed, and go back to sleep.  You could also have even longer awakenings of a minute or so and still not remember them the next day–this is actually quite normal and occurs no matter your age.  The important distinction to make is how you feel during the day–if you’re feeling good during the day with 5-8 awakenings a night, this is probably not something to worry about.

That said, if you’re feeling tired during the day, then there could be something else at sake.  These periods of wake could be what sleep scientists call  “micro-arousals”–less than 2 seconds, but multiple times in five minutes and therefore showing as ‘wake’.  They’re often–but not always–symptoms of larger sleep issues like Restless Leg Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMS), that cause fractured sleep stages and many unremembered awakenings. Moreover,  the chance of having this common disorder increases with age. In fact, 34% of adults in their 60s have some symptoms of PLMS.

In addition, sleep apnea could also be at fault.  Most sleep apnea sufferers don’t remember their awakenings and, for some, it takes video or lab evidence to convince them.  If you suspect sleep apnea, take this quick questionnaire here to get more information about an in-home apnea screening test.

Related Questions

• How normal is it to awaken during the night?
• What is “Sleep Efficiency” and how is it calculated?
• What’s a normal number of awakenings for one who is “middle aged”?
  

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