It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that once he spent the night at the house of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) woke up during the night, went outside, raised his gaze towards the sky, and then recited these verses from Surah Al-Imran: «﴿إِنَّفِيخَلْقِالسَّمَاوَاتِوَالْأَرْضِوَاخْتِلَافِاللَّيْلِوَالنَّهَارِ . . . . . سُبْحَانَكَفَقِنَاعَذَابَالنَّارِ﴾ [آل عمران : 190-191]» up to, then entered the house, used the miswak, performed ablution, and stood up to pray. Then he lay down for a little while, and after some time went outside again, looked towards the sky, and repeated the aforementioned actions two more times.
Hadith Referenceمسند احمد / ومن مسند بني هاشم / 2488