A DOCTOR'S sleep hack has gone viral – but it goes against everything you've likely been told before.
In a video posted to TikTok, Dr Scott Beyer had a tip for those who always wake up in the early hours of the morning.
He said if you're waking up between 2 to 4am for about 20 to 30 minutes (or even two hours), it could be due to an imbalance of two adrenal hormones – cortisol and adrenaline.
Cortisol's main job is to regulate blood sugar but it is also responsive in individuals that are under stress.
Dr Beyer said: "Classically when we're asleep that's the longest we're going to go without eating and all throughout the night, cortisol should start to become higher and higher and peaks first thing in the morning.
"The problem is that if individuals have been under stress sometimes that cortisol rhythm becomes blunted and flat."
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He says this forces people to rely on their secondary compensatory mechanism which is causing adrenaline to be released which can force resting bodies to wake up.
"Adrenaline is a huge, huge, huge central nervous system stimulant."
Dr Beyers claims that a pre-bed snack could help regulate these hormones.
By eating before sleep you can "take a load off of the demand for blood sugar regulation".
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Dr Beyers said: "One of the things you can do for a couple of weeks – and I know this is going to sound counterintuitive – is to actually eat very close to bed, particularly something that is heavy in protein and fat.
"And then also eating first thing in the morning."
He says over time, people will be able to sleep soundly through the night.
The advice goes against that of most sleep experts, who say to avoid eating for at least three to four hours before bed.
It’s difficult for the body to relax and try to sleep when it is busy digesting food, experts say.
Eating close to bedtime could also make your blood sugar levels spike, boosting energy when you should be sleepy.
The video has been watched more than 2.2 million time, garnering over 2,700 comments and a staggering 103,000 likes.
Many viewers said they were keen to try out his recommendation.
One person said: "I’m going to give this a try as I’m truly exhausted and over this insomnia business. I don’t remember a time I’ve slept right through."
Another wrote: "Love this simple kind of science ! Excellent advice."
Someone else said: "I’ve been trying to talk to my doctor about this for 2 years now. I’m going to try this. Thank you."
But not everyone is sold on the idea with neuroscientist and physician at Mount Sinai’s Integrative Sleep Center Dr Andrew Varga unsure about how reliable the technique would be.
He told TODAY he wouldn’t necessarily recommend Beyer's solution.
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But he added: "That being said, I can’t specifically refute this hypothesis.
"It’s an interesting idea, and I think it would have to be tested in a really rigorous way."
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