Why do I get a second wind at night?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Your body clock fires an evening alertness surge, and pushing past your first sleepy wave makes it worse. The Sleep Foundation notes that very late sleepers often feel a second wind in the evening, the classic night owl pattern. Evening light, screens, and late work push the clock later, so the surge keeps arriving later. The fix is clock discipline: fixed wake time every day, dim evening light, and going to bed when the first drowsiness wave hits instead of surfing past it. Persistent insomnia despite a steady routine is a GP conversation, and NHS guidance puts habit change and CBT-based therapy ahead of sleeping pills.
What to do
- Fix your wake time and hold it seven days a week.
- Go to bed at the first drowsy wave rather than pushing through to the second wind.
- Dim lights and screens in the last hour; bright light delays tomorrow's clock.
- See a GP if you lie awake most nights despite a steady routine.
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