1. Introduction — The 3 AM Heart-Pounding Wake-Up If you’re over 45 and waking suddenly between 2–4 AM — heart racing, wide awake, alert like someone switched your brain on — I want to tell you something right from the start: ✨ It’s extremely common. ✨ It’s not in your head. ✨ Your body is not malfunctioning. For many women, these jolting early-morning awakenings have a very real, very overlooked cause: High cortisol at night after 50. This hormonal stress response can make your nights restless, your mornings exhausted, and your whole day feel “off.” But here’s the comforting part: Your body isn’t broken — it’s actually trying to protect you. Let me start with what this looked like in my own life. 2. My Story — The “Jolt Awake at 3 AM” Phase There was a phase in my late 40s when I woke every single night at 2:53 AM. Every. Single. Night. The pattern was eerily consistent: I’d shoot awake — heart pounding, chest warm, mind instantly alert. It felt like my b...