How do I stop waking up in the early hours?

[LivingDeadGirlUK]

I keep waking up at 4am, its really annoying, sometimes I get another hour or so, sometimes I just toss and turn. Its been weeks if not months. I'm not particularly stressed I don't think.

What do I do? :(

This works for me

I tried everything, the only thing that has worked for me is melatonin, 3mg is enough to give me 7/8 hours of sleep, absolute bliss after years, if not decades of waking up in the early hours and not getting back to sleep.

Highly, highly recommended

I was ao tired yesterday afternoon at work. Tried putting my phone down an hour before bed but ended up just falling asleep a hour earlier!

5:30 wake up today which is an improvement.

I've tried someone's suggestion, sorry can't remember who, of taking a nytol when waking for early morning wee, then putting eyemask on and ear plugs in. That has helped a lot. I have also turned my phone off at 8pm. The quality of my sleep has improved for sure !

I felt really good when I woke up but am already flagging at not even half 7, I could easily go back to sleep if I didn't have responsibilities!

what could be rescheduled to do overnight that would leave you free to have a nap at a different time?

I work 9-5:30 so there isn't really a nappertunity! But I do feel smug I cleaned the kitchen and did packed lunch before 7am.

Well won’t recommend naps at work (you might be train driver 😂 )

it’d be interesting to see how doing boring but necessary household tasks at 5.30am instead of 5.30pm impacts how relaxed you feel in the evening leading up to bed though

That is actually an interesting thought , maybe it is helps resets body rhythms?

I have some new earplugs being delivered tomorrow so very excited to see if they will work. Woke at 3am to DH snoring like a fucking steam train shoved a cotton wool ball in my ear which muffled it slightly. Also the funny sound it makes as it moves in year was quite a pleasant distraction sound itself, almost like white noise!

I suggest trying some good quality earplugs. There may be an external noise waking you up just as you hit the lightest level of the sleep cycle. Your snoring husband might be the issue or it might be something else.

Years ago I started waking at 5am and it was driving me crazy as I need 8-9 hours sleep to function. One morning I woke up even earlier and as I lay there heard the radiator make a loud clunking noise and groan. Turned out the ancient plumbing was the problem. I had the heating coming on at that time so rooms were warm by the time I got up. Changed the time to later - would rather chilly flat than disturbed sleep - and used earplugs as well and eventually I stopped waking at 5am. It took quite a while to reset back though.

Snoring aside I also don't sleep properly sharing a bed. All the sweaty tossing & turning and spooning drives me mad (currently single - its great!). If you have a spare room can you try sleeping alone and see if that helps?

a relative had sleep apnoea and subsequent insomnia.

they went through sleep 'training'. which was tough but really helped them.
they started out with reducing sleep to 4 hours for a few nights and adding another half hour for a few days ending up with 6.5 hours of good quality sleep.

I think this is what my partner has done, he snores like a giant wallrus, wouldn't be surprised if it was sleep apnoea.

I've been taking 5-TP which has helped loads.

Well. I'm very happy to report that since I posted last, I've been taking the magnesium citrate and using my oestrogen at night, and have had three unbroken nights sleep. I feel amazing.

Thus us Also
Me. A lifetime poor sleeper, now I'm 44... well...
I've tried magnesium, melatonin, exercise, diet, no caffeine , no screens....
The only thing that occasionally works is nytol (the over the counter type) but even then maybe only a quarter of the times I try it and it makes me feel awful in the morning. (I still wale around 5 which is is better than 3).

It's so bad. Ow that I've just had to give up my full time very intense job. I've dropped to two days. I was beginning to make mistakes and I'm just exhausted.

I've just had some blood tests done before the gp will give me HRT. Awaiting results. Im hoping they actually shown something up that will at least give a cause of this so that it can be looked at properly 😭

@piscofrisco wouldnt you try HRT at this point?

I literally spent 5 yrs going for walks at 4am I was so wide awake.

Post HRT and magnesium, and last night I slept from 9.30 till my alarm went off at 5am. HRT is a miracle.

Yes! They won't give me it til my bloods come back

My sleep improved after going on HRT but recently I've been waking up in the small hours and struggling to get back to sleep. How my days go certainly impacts my sleep, a busy stressful period at work even when doing all the right things = poor sleep meanwhile being away on holidays eating the wrong food, not exercising, drinking coffee and wine = amazing sleep. The answer seems to be that I need a permanent holiday

magnesium glycinate - Nutrition Geeks Amazon

But blood tests don't prove meno? Unless they are trying to rule out other causes?

It's a miracle. I use New Leaf and buy it in massive tubs.

It was getting to sleep last night that was the issue, I was dog tired and put my head down straight away but then some thought (can't even remember what) woke me up like a truck and I guess the adrenaline did me over.

However I did sort of sleep 12-7 so hopefully today isn't too bad.

I went to the dr about HRT and she said I'm a bit too young and has me booked in for boods on Monday. She said to 'monitor' things for another 2 months. I have a professional job, how am I supposed to do that!? At least things are a little better with some of the tips here.

Magnesium glycinate. I mistakenly took other forms of magnesium which did nothing for me but the glycinate is absolutely brilliant for aiding sleep.

amzn.eu/d/7p9khaA

I had five and a half hours sleep last night after taking Magnesium Glycinate.