Always sleeping badly when I have to set my alarm! What is wrong with my brain?

[LindorDoubleChoc]

First world problem and I acknowledge I live a cushy life. My dc are grown up and living away from home, so I no longer have the obligation to get up when they do. But having children definitely messed up my sleep forever.

Now I work 4 days a week, but 2 from home so as long as I'm awake to start at 9am, I'm fine. On these days I tend to sleep fine.

On the other 2 days, I need to be up by 7.30am to go into the office. And on these days I just don't sleep properly! It's not like I'm nervous about work (been in the job 8 or 9 years) ... and I'm pretty much the same whenever I have to do anything that involves getting up earlyish, for work or anything else.

Anyone else? Any tips? Please!

No tips but I do exactly the same, it does my head in!

Exactly the same here! Usually the only good bit of sleep I'll get is in the 1-2 hours before the alarm goes so when it does go I wake up extremely groggy. So bloody annoying.

Maybe in your situation set your alarm for 7.30 every single day whether that's an office or wfh day, so your brain gets used to it?

Same here and my dd is the same. It doesn't matter if the alarm is early or late, I will always wake before it and sleep less well.

I have the same problem, the two days a week I am up at 6am, I wake every half hour or so all night and then zonk out about 4.30.
It is a bit better with a second alarm and getting used to it.
Any tips would be appreciated.

I have the same problem, the two days a week I am up at 6am, I wake every half hour or so all night and then zonk out about 4.30.
It is a bit better with a second alarm and getting used to it.
Any tips would be appreciated.

Exactly the same here.

Yep same. Worse when it’s the start of a holiday the next day.

We sometimes book an airport hotel for an early flight.
Not sure why, I hardly sleep.

Watching with interest as I do the same - I wake up through the night to see if it’s time to wake up Does my head in - I’m constantly exhausted from broken sleep.

No idea, but I'm similar and it's bloody annoying.

I had a night away in a hotel recently, just me - lovely I thought - bed to myself and a leisurely wake up from some really good quality sleep. Had to be somewhere at 9.30.

I woke up with a huge jump at about 5am becaue I 'heard' my DP (who was 200 miles away!) yell my name in my ear. Could I get back to sleep? Could I hell.

Same here. I go into the office one day a week and usually end up wide awake until 2 or 3 am. Head wrecking!

Same here. I can guarantee I won’t sleep if I have to be woken by my alarm for a specific time. It’s a bloody nuisance.

Same for me, but I think it's because I worry about having to wake up - what if my alarm doesn't go off, what if it goes off and I accidentally switch it off and fall asleep again, etc. On other days I'm not worried about it so I sleep better.

Anticipation anxiety. I was like this for a few years until I started to listen to a podcast to go to sleep, ensure device charged with alarm on. Eventually I trusted the alarm would go off and I'd hear it. Weirdly I overthing a lot and used to have my alarm set at 5 minute intervals, 6.35-6.40 etc. Now I have 6.36-6.41, ridiculous but that was v hard as I am quite obsessive about doing things a certain way. I realised this was feeding into my anxiety and it lightened me up a lot!