Waking up every night, getting sick of it

[dryshampooqueen]

I’m 27, I’ve never really had an issue with sleep I’ve always just slept through the night.

The last month or so, I’ve woken up every single night without fail. Once at 4am and again at 5am. I manage to go back to sleep, but it’s very very annoying.

I recently had my cortisol tested and it was high, so I suspect it’s that, but they didn’t do anything about it apart from refer me to endocrinology.
I have tried various things - I have really good sleep hygiene, I am taking magnesium glycinate, I’ve even tried having some dark chocolate before bed as apparently that helps with the blood sugar levels.

NOTHING is working and I feel absolutely shattered every single day.

Any other tips please??

Protein can help. Being cautious of blood sugar too. White noise and reflexology helps me.

In the past, it was completely normal to wake in the night for 20 minutes or so. So the night would be divided into the first sleep and the second sleep. Maybe if you reframe it like that it won't make you stressed and be easier to manage.

Hi lifelong insomniac here. I found 2 things helpful.
Firstly don't go to bed earlier go later so you are mildly sleep deprived
Secondly exercise a lot when you can like on days off.
But the real issue for me is sleep anxiety, I don't need as much sleep as many people 6 hours is fine for me, but I feel knackered if I don't sleep post 4am. So I can be awake until 1 or 2 as long as I sleep from then until 6ish. But I worry I won't be able to sleep. So I did a cbt course from the Internet to give me a better understanding and to learn some tools for those times I keep waking like you do.
Also I do take phenergen occasionally which you can buy legally prescription free. Don't buy unlicensed sleeping drugs that you can't get prescription free they are highly addictive.

Are you doing enough in the day?
Moving around enough to tire out your body?

Agree with this

If you get to sleep easily, wake up briefly, fall asleep again easily, then you're getting as much sleep as you need. Worrying about it won't help you. Better to go wirh the flow and not let it become a big deal

I had this for a few years. It was stress for me. The situation causing me stress changed a few weeks ago and I’m sleeping through the night now almost every night.

Dark chocolate is high in caffeine, I would cut that out before bed.

ditto Magnesium Glycinate, camomile tea, eating earlier & no screens well before bedtime.

GP suggested I try Nytol to induce drowsiness. I take one as I settle down to read & find that within 15 minutes I am off. I have also found that if I omit that dose & take one if I wake early hours on high alert I get back to sleep quickly.

Soothing sound tracks do help. I find the Archers on BBC iPlayer sends me to sleep quickly.

Blackout blinds also useful to keep down external light & dampen street noise.

I second those emphasising the importance of physical activity during the day. Doesn’t have to be crazy but at least 6,000 steps minimum and ideally a few times a week getting your heart rate up like a hard swim, short run, exercise class etc. And making sure you get out in the daylight. My sleep is awful without this

I feel the same. Since having kids I got very used to waking up in the night and going back to sleep, it was just part of life, it changed my attitude to it. Now at 54 DH and I rarely go through the night without waking up once or twice to wee.

Waking in the night isn't unusual or odd - not everyone does, but many do.

My entire adult life, and well back into teenage years I have usually woken enough to know it 2-3 times a night. I typically fall asleep easily to begin with and it isn't normally difficult to go back to sleep once I wake. I'm fit and healthy, get loads of exercise etc., it's just me so I ignore it.

I agree with this. I wake up every night at least once, sometimes twice, and then usually go straight back to sleep. It doesn't bother me in the slightest, and doesn't affect me the next day.

Waking up just once in the night & easily getting back to sleep makes you exhausted all day?

I want to advise you never have babies, tbh. You won't cope at all.

I hear you, no problem sleeping apart from DC over the years.Had chemo over the summer and have had some terrible nights.! If anyone has any advice would be welcome. They say it settle down in time. Fresh air, no caffeine. A light snack dark room,

Do you know if you are snoring when you are asleep?

Walking up in the middle of the night is a symptom of sleep apnea, and when I started CPAP treatment I stopped walking up in the middle of the night.

Aww man the 4/5am wake up sucks. I have it most days and like a pp am perpetually knackered. Then when I hear someone moan about their once in a blue moon bad nights sleep I leave the room for fear of stabbing them

I'm 49 so find I'm in a cycle of needing to stay hydrated in the day to counter the dehydration night sweats gives me (often have a headache on waking from them) but balancing this with not waking too often to wee as I struggle to drop off once in bed.

HRT appears to be doing feck all

I’ve suffered from insomnia for about 15 years (yay menopause!). My tips:

valerian root tea before bed
do not go to bed before 11.30
walk 10,000 steps a day

Could you explain more about why it is bothering you if you get back to sleep easily. That might help people advise.

One thing that occurs to me is to stop checking the time. Often if you check the time and do a little mental arithmetic (“OK it’s 4:22 so that means if I get back to sleep in the next 10 minutes I have 2 hours and 8 minutes more sleep”) that wakes up a part of your brain that can be difficult to get fully back to sleep, and therefore you get less restful sleep.

I have to say, I was thinking the same!

It's possible to get decaf green tea nowadays btw, to those who said the normal stuff is caffeinated. Having said that, I go for the Twinings Sleep Superblends one, lovely stuff.

Green tea does contain caffeine, so camomile or a nighttime tea with valerian root might work better.

the other classics of course are not having screen tech on (tv, computer, phone etc) a couple of hours before bed.

other things that have worked for me

1. a small glass of milk before bed to make sure I don’t wake up from hunger (I eat quite early)

2. having only lamps/ fairy lights lighting the home from about 18:00 onwards (after the cooking is completed! I think softer lighting has made a huge difference for me!

finally while easier said than done, try to it see waking in the night as a problem. You have said you’re able to get back to sleep the majority of the time and focusing on the sleep you’re NOT getting rather than the sleep you ARE getting could morph into insomnia which is actually worrying about not sleeping (not the act of not sleeping as some misunderstand it to be and the worry exacerbates it).

sleeping consistently through the night is a fairly new phenomenon and it used to be the norm for people to wake up for one or two hours, carry out normal tasks/ jobs/ have a chat and then go back to sleep again. Only mentioning this as viewing it as normal may take away some of your frustration, or might find it useful to experiment by leaning into it and doing something for an hour or two before going back to sleep rather than lying awake trying to fall asleep again.

i hope you find something that helps you as sleep is glorious x

Try fresh lavender tea. I use to soft boil the seeds for 5 mins and it let it sit for 20mins, then drink it. It would put me to sleep straightaway. It’s also really good for anxiety.

These and a good eye mask have helped enormously. If you wake do not open your eyes and let any light in.