To think my GP is fobbing me off?

[TartanDr3ams]

So I sleep awful. Was at the drs a few days back for a general check up following lots of blood tests. (I have an auto-immune condition so have a whole list of "just incase" blood tests once a year)

I mentioned during this appointment that Im concerned about my sleep. I fall to sleep very easily around 10.30. I first wake between 12 and 1.. then i see every single hour on the clock at least once. 90% of the wake ups i get up to pee, but not convinced its my bladder that woke me, more of a habbit. No uti etc. Blood sugars fine.

The dr basically told me its normal for adults to wake up during the night and to maybe have herbal tea a hour before bed. He couldnt seem to grasp that i fall asleep fine so its not the bedroom, sleep hygeine etc. Just told me its normal like he didnt believe me. My DP manages to sleep all night beside me no issues.

I left it at that cause i felt silly at the time. But ive thought about it a lot since. This really isnt "normal" is it....

Well he is right, it is normal for adults to wake up during the night and to have periods of wakefulness at night. What matters is how much and what type of sleep you get in total. What you are describing does sound extreme, but your dh is not the norm either.

What happens if you make a concious effort not to get up and pee, or look at the clock? Can you drift off more easily then? Do you sleep beeter at certain times of the month, or have a good deep sleep every few nights?

I mean, yeah, that's my normal. See the clock every hour or two after midnight, up for bathroom a couple of times in there too. Has been since childhood - no wonder my kids are shit sleepers.

But as PP said, is it your normal?

I don’t think it’s normal to wake up every hour; once or twice yes, but not that much.

This has been fairly normal for me for quite a few years.. i used to wake around 4 times a night and its progressively got more and more frequent. If i dont look at the clock or go to the toilet then i lay there for ages talking myself through trying to go back to sleep so its easier to just get up then back in bed. I probably have 2-3 good days sleep a month, usually one after another.. ill wake up maybe twice and thats it. 3 days later im back on hourly watch lol. I can see a different dr at the surgery yes, I think I will. I just wanted to make sure here that it wasnt me going mad! I suppose ive just lived with it so long cause I get by.. ive always been an early riser, never really got overly ratty or grumpy when tired etc..i just push through to bed time

Surprised at the comment that it's normal to wake. From childhood through to menopause I've slept through from bedtime to alarm clock in one go, just the occasional wake up once every few weeks. Started waking during menopause, not I've got it back to sleeping all through for 3 nights a week, waking once for 4 nights, and every few weeks having a single night where I can't get back to sleep and get up for 2-3 hours and do useful things till I feel really sleepy.

You might get more sense out of a GP if you make an appointment specifically for this rather than mentioning it during another appointment.

I have this or rather had this and my hospital consultant dealt with it instead of my Gp. She wrote and told them to give me amitriptyline to get a better sleep and it’s worked too.

Yes it’s normal to wake through the night but usually it’s so briefly you don’t know about it. I still wake on amitriptyline but go back to sleep very quickly. Might be worth having a word with whoever manages your diseases in secondary care?

I think I will go back to the dr then... a different one. I know people wake through the night, but I feel its a bit excessive to wake every hour. Ive attached a fairly average sleep pattern..i do get all the different types of sleep so my sleep quality is likely okay - just spend the night wondering when ill next wake up.

Yes it is normal to wake up during the night but it seems like it's causing a lot of disruption to you. If you are tired during the day, struggle to fall back asleep when you wake up, or just generally feel like you're not getting enough sleep then book a routine appointment to discuss the issue on its own.
Here is an interesting article about middle insomnia that might be useful to read and discuss with the GP. https://m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-middle-insomniann_3353541

In the mean time have you tried nytol or phenergan? Something like that may help you sleep through.

Hope you get it sorted!

Make a separate appointment to discuss specifically this - GPs don't have time to do a general check-up relating to your conditon AND discuss your sleep problem in one 10 minute appointment.

I have never, ever slept through. I wake at least hourly. On a good night I’ll go back to sleep. On a bad ill be awake all night
Right now I’m up hourly to pee because I’m pregnant but that’s different.

If you’re worried request a sleep clinic referral or pay for a private sleep clinic. Sleep apnoea, all sorts of stuff can cause waking. Some people just don’t seem to sleep well

There's mine for comparison. The question for me would be, do you feel rested?

How old are you? I'm 47 and would love to sleep as you do. All that deep sleep, lucky you and you awake times are very minimal.

Thanks for all your comments. Think ill book a non-urgent appointment.

Thats a really interesting read 123buckle thanks!

I NEVER feel rested - always tired.. but cope with it well.

swingofthings im 26. I fall asleep again quickly if i get up. If i just try to close my eyes again im awake for ages.