If you wake up early due to insomnia

[MinnieMountain]

What do you do with your time?

Yet again I’ve woken up before 5am due to peri-menopause. I’m sitting in bed with the cat on me listening to podcasts, and wondering if I should/could be doing something useful.

Mcdonalds start breakfast at 5am! and its a very pleasant walk!

I woke at 4.55 today and stayed in bed until 5 (that psychological thing where it's more acceptable to me to get up where there's a 5 at the start). I never have to set the alarm and typically wake from 4-6 every day (4 and 6 are both rarer).

I don't do much to start with- have coffee, do my budgeting, do a few jobs that I need to do on the internet - today I've ordered some advent calendars, tit around on the internet. I love this time - I just have coffee in bed! (Am single though) enjoy the quiet house. I will do my journaling, set my intentions for the day and do some exercise in the next hour before everyone gets up.

Get a water boiler. They are totally silent and you can have a cup of tea any time.

I wake up around 4:45am. Straight out to walk the dog then a coffee in the quiet. I also do jobs I can do quietly, laundry, popping a meal in the slow cooker, ironing etc

If the weather is bad I just sit downstairs with a coffee and book for 45 minutes before doing some jobs.

I actually find it’s the best time of the day for me to be productive :-)

I just read mumsnet and cuddle the cat

Been up 90 minutes now, just snuck downstairs past the baby's room who doesn't wake until about 8(!) will let the cat in for food and fuss and read/watch rubbish until someone else stirs. It's the only part of the day when I don't feel like I should be doing jobs.

Mess around in my phone, read the news. I'd like to read a book that's something a bit more educational, but don't seem to get the motivation. I find when it's dark it's difficult to get up and do anything work-wise, though I'm self employed so I could. I do go to the gym some mornings when it opens at 6.30.

Could you fill a flask before bed?

Just mess about on my phone mainly.
Different in the summer I’d have washing on the line by now!
Not too bad today 5.50. I woke up. Had a wee come back to bed.

I mostly read. But then I usually get fed up and end up taking the dog out by around 5am. He loves it. And it's actually a very peaceful time of day.

Worry and fixate on things normally! Try to take my mind of it with Netflix and Mumsnet

I mess about on the internet, read my book, have a hot drink, feel guilty about wasting my life 😅

Read MN and wish I was asleep

I get up and potter. We have a small house but luckily I can have the radio on quietly and use the coffee machine without waking everyone. I often get on with lunchboxes and do a bit of admin. Occasionally I do an hour of work.
I also quite enjoy being able to sit with the cat and enjoy a coffee by myself. It's a quiet time. I like it.

I wonder if there's any correlation between cat owners and early risers, there's a strong theme here😸

Me too! I've been up for hours. At the weekend I can sometimes get back to sleep, but during the work week if I'm awake from about 4am, that's it really. I usually get up and have some tea then do something quiet (work, reading, piano with the headphones in).

I'm used to it now, but it does leave you tired.

Another cat owner here. I feed her, bring a tea back to bed and read. She comes back up for a cuddle after her breakfast. I meditate then do admin jobs. I've just embraced this time of day as time for me.

I don’t take HRT as I had breast cancer.

There’s a strong them of cat cuddling 😁 Ours is shut downstairs until I make coffee.

Macdonalds isn’t a bad shout. Although yoga is something I really should do at that time of day.

Back from gym, washing on, and 1 in the drier while waiting for the coffee to brew

Omelette made for everyone's breakfasts, they are emerging from their rooms

The peaceful part of day is over

Decided these will be my attempts to not not be an early riser. Stop all caffeinated drinks from 1 pm. I drink alot of caffeine, Pepsi max and coffee. Think it reduces my deep sleep and also irritates my bladder so I wake up early as I need to use the loo. Trying to read books pre bed not my tablet or phone. Alternatively i listen to a short podcast to get me over to sleep. I live alone so I'm lucky no other distractions, otherwise I would get no sleep, I'm a very light sleeper. Dim lights in my bedroom no harsh light at all.

Any other tips gratefully received.

I have massively improved my sleep (despite being awake at 4.55 today - that's a huge improvement!). I put it down to avoiding caffeine - I only have one caffeine cup of coffee, and that's the one I have when I wake.

I also avoid all sweet stuff, high glycaemic index carbs and sugary things.

I also avoid alcohol - I know if I have it my sleep will be disturbed.

And finally I take a load of vitamins - no idea if they work or not. Including Fullnesium in the morning, but I haven't found magnesium at night makes any difference.

oh yes and try to minimise anything that will wake me - like you @Casperonthehill I'm a light sleeper. So I lock the cats in the kitchen, try to get the teens to keep all the lights off and tiptoe around. I just minimise any chance of something/anything waking me up.