Value Village ／ Health
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
"I wake in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep" is a complaint that grows with age, and one of the most frequent sleep questions on forums in every country. Here we draw on the sleep guide published by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and on the general view in sleep medicine.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Sleep cycle | Deep sleep and light sleep (REM) alternate in cycles of about 90 minutes. Waking is most likely at the join between cycles |
| Effect of age | Less deep sleep and more waking is a natural change. The sleep you need also shortens (around 6 hours is generally described as enough for older people) |
| Main causes of waking in the night | Alcohol before bed, caffeine, needing to urinate at night, snoring or breathing pauses, bedroom temperature, light and noise, stress, spending too long in bed |
| If you wake | Do not look at the clock; if you are not asleep within 15–20 minutes, get out of bed (sit quietly in a dark room and return when sleepy) |
| When to see a doctor | Three or more nights a week, for three months or more, with daytime sleepiness or other problems (the usual definition of insomnia) |
[Verify] Check the wording of the Sleep Guide 2023 and the definition of insomnia (Japanese Society of Sleep Research).
Brief waking is within the normal range. If you can fall asleep again, there is no problem. Worrying about the "break" itself makes it harder to sleep.
When time in bed exceeds the sleep you need, sleep gets shallower and waking increases. Go to bed once you are sleepy.
Looking at the clock brings the panic of "only X hours left", and the light wakes you further. Keep clocks out of sight. The rule is not to spend awake time in bed.
Age plays a part, but alcohol, caffeine, the bedroom and time in bed can all be changed. Snoring, breathing pauses and frequent night-time urination are matters for a doctor.
Over-the-counter sleep aids in Japan (睡眠改善薬, suimin kaizen-yaku, sold at drugstores and based on antihistamines) are for temporary insomnia and not recommended for continued use. Insomnia lasting three months or more is a matter for a doctor.
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https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10904750/001181265.pdf
https://www.e-healthnet.mhlw.go.jp/information/heart/k-02-001.html
https://jssr.jp/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
This article is not meant to diagnose or manage any specific medical condition. If you are worried about your health, see a doctor rather than relying on your own judgement.
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