My mom has always preached the benefits of an early night, so even as an adult it's been my go-to fix following a bad night's sleep. Turns out, going to bed earlier to catch up on sleep is the worst thing I could have done."People often assume that if they're tired or sleeping poorly, the solution is to go to bed earlier," explains Dr. Joshua Roland, medical director for Dreem Health. "But this can create a mismatch between your sleep opportunity (time in bed) and your actual sleep need."Here's why your 'early nights' might actually be causing your poor sleep and 3 a.m. wake-ups too, and how you can properly catch up on rest without sabotaging your quality of sleep...At a glance: Key takeawaysEarly nights are seen as a healthy way to catch up on sleep, however they can disrupt your circadian rhythm and lead to middle of the night wake-ups.When you go to bed early, you may not have built up enough 'sleep pressure,' so you might struggle to drift off. This can cause some people to mistakingly think they have temporary insomnia.But if you're yawning and feel drowsy, a slightly earlier bedtime (around 20 minutes earlier than normal) can help — but experts say to avoid significantly altering your sleep schedule.How early nights caused my overnight wake-upsEarly nights might sound sensible but our sleep schedules thrive on routine. When that routine gets disrupted, even if you think you're doing the right thing, your sleep can suffer."When people extend their time in bed significantly beyond what they're used to, they may find that sleep becomes more fragmented," explains Dr. Aric Prather, sleep scientist and licensed clinical psychologist at BetterSleep."One reason for this is that the body is still operating on its usual timing," he says. "Sleep is regulated by both circadian rhythms and sleep drive, and an earlier bedtime doesn't necessarily shift those systems immediately.Here are three ways it impacted my sleep...Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.I started waking up at 3 a.m.I assumed an early night would simply add hours to my usual sleep routine but my good intentions flew out the window when I found myself waking up at 3 a.m.As Dr. Rolands explains, this is because while my schedule has changed, my body clock is sticking to its usual routine."Someone who normally sleeps from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. may fall asleep at 9 p.m. if they're tired, but their body clock is still programmed for a later schedule," explains Dr. Roland. "As sleep pressure fades overnight and the circadian system begins preparing for wakefulness, they may wake at 2, 3, or 4 a.m. and struggle to fall back asleep."This is because around this time of night, your hormones shift. Levels of melatonin, the sleepy hormone, drop off while cortisol, the awake hormone, begins to rise.If you've already clocked up enough sleep, this hormone change can be enough to wake you. And because sleep pressure (the need for sleep) has faded, you can't drift off again."In some cases, an 'early night' can actually contribute to middle-of-the-night awakenings rather than improve sleep," says Dr. Roland.I couldn't fall asleepDespite yawning my way through the afternoon, I often find when I go to bed at an earlier hour, I lie awake until my regular sleep time arrives. What gives?Sheree-Ann Michelle, Pharmacist and Functional Medicine Health Coach at The Wellnaissance, explains that the longer you're awake, the more the chemical adenosine builds up and it's this that makes us feel sleepy (in other words, the more you're awake, the more you feel pressure to sleep.)