Welcome to the 3 A.M. Club

I kept waking up at 3 a.m.

At first, I thought it was just me — stress, creativity, life.

But then I realized: I'm not alone.

While reading The Creative Habit on a plane, I learned that Twyla Tharp had moments like these too — waking in the middle of the night, facing what was unresolved before she could create. She wrote about the importance of naming what stands in the way before beginning the work.

Around the same time, I came across research showing that this experience is incredibly common. Studies suggest that roughly one-third of adults wake up during the night multiple times per week, and nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults report difficulty staying asleep most days. Sleep scientists explain that the early-morning hours — often between 2:30 and 4 a.m. — are when sleep becomes lighter, and worries, thoughts, and unspoken emotions surface most easily.

So I stopped asking, "What's wrong with me?"

And started asking, "What if this is a shared human moment?"

The 3 A.M. Club is a quiet, private ritual for that moment.

If you're awake right now, you don't have to fix anything.

Say one thing that's bothering you.

No one will hear it but you.

Nothing will be saved.

You don't have to carry it tonight — or into this morning.

Nothing needs to be solved right now.

You can rest.

I'll stay quiet with you.

You're not alone in this moment.

Pleasant dreamies.