We admit that the terms ‘wolf hour’ and ‘organ clock’ sound a little strange and puzzling. The former in particular automatically brings to mind foggy, cold autumn nights, possibly werewolves and fairy tales from days long gone. Yet there is nothing frightening about the wolf hour. It is simply the name for a nocturnal waking phase that usually occurs at roughly the same time every night and interrupts the sleep of many. But what exactly are wolf hour and the organ clock? Where does the wolf’s hour get its seemingly mysterious name from and what causes it? We at billerbeck, your sleep experts, have addressed all these questions and compiled the most important information for you in this article.
What is wolf hour?
The term wolf hour is used in sleep research to describe the night-time waking phase that regularly occurs in many people between 2 or 3 am and 4 am. This phenomenon does not only affect those who already suffer from sleep disorders and problems sleeping through the night, but can occur for everyone – sometimes more, sometimes less pronounced. Researchers have given the somewhat eerie name to this nocturnal wakefulness as a reminiscence of the past, of the time when everyone slept indoors in the dead of night while the wolves were out hunting.
What is the cause of the wolf hour?
As mysterious as the phenomenon of wolf hour may seem, the reasons for it have been researched. As with almost all processes in our body, hormones are involved. The interaction between the hormones melatonin, serotonin and cortisol is just as responsible for the wolf hour as the fact that the brain naturally has less blood flow at this time.
These three hormones are often out of balance between 2 or 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., which leads to lighter sleep and frequent waking. Added to this is the reduced blood supply to the brain, which can lead to rather negative sensations. The person suddenly awakened in the middle of the night begins to brood, fears and worries can take over and keep the carousel of thoughts going round and round. As a result, it takes a long time to fall asleep again.
What can you do to prevent the wolf hour?
In general, good sleep hygiene is always recommended to make falling asleep and staying asleep as smoothly as possible. This includes, among other things, perfectly fitting duvets and pillows. However, if you keep waking up at wolf’s hour, we recommend our blog post ‘Effective sleep techniques for falling asleep quickly’, which contains some tips on how to get back to sleep quickly.
The theory of the Chinese organ clock on the nocturnal waking phases
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has its very own theory on the subject of waking up at night. This is based on the assumption that energy flows through our entire body and that each of our organs experiences certain active and passive periods of energy flow during the day, just as our body needs phases of wakefulness and rest. Each organ is therefore assigned certain times, which are represented in the so-called Chinese organ clock.
How does the organ clock work?
According to TCM, any complaints that may arise can be attributed to a specific organ using the organ clock. The theory is that the flow of energy through this organ may be disrupted, leading to the symptoms mentioned. Therapy should also be carried out according to the organ clock in order to match the time of peak activity of the affected organ, as this should lead to the best results.
For example, a nocturnal waking phase between around 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. could be due to discomfort in the liver, which can be triggered by hard-to-digest meals or alcohol, for example. Between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., on the other hand, the lungs are in the process of becoming active and cleansing themselves. According to TCM, anyone who wakes up during this time could be suffering from a disrupted energy flow in the lungs, which could be caused by allergic reactions or smoking, for example.
