I keep waking up at 5am every morning!

[LadySparksWitch]

It’s doing my head in. I’m so tired. I wake up at 5 and can’t get back to sleep.
Went to bed about 10:30pm. What’s going on?! Is there any way I can change this? It’s really making me miserable. My DH’s alarm goes off at 6 so I’m just lying awake waiting for it to go off.

I wake up early whatever I do so I think the extra sleep is beneficial. I can’t nap every day even if I wanted to.

I get up at 5 every day, by choice. I used to have an alarm but now my body clock just wakes me up at that time. However I do go to sleep about 9:30. Find something rewarding to do at that time, it’s the perfect time to read, catch up on shows, exercise etc with no children or family members to distract you.

Have you tried melatonin and magnesium?

@TelephoneWires I have better quality sleep the days I don’t nap even if I still wake early. I know of people who nap late in the day and still manage to sleep at night, but a nap before even before lunch impacts my sleep.

I have ASD and ADHD and if I don't go for a run or have a workout in the gym my sleep really suffers. I get really twitchy during the day too! I have to really tire myself out during the day otherwise I struggle to fall asleep and end up waking really early too. I go to bed at 2100 every night and wake at 0600.

It would be 6am if we ended the nonsense of putting the clocks back in winter. Hope OP you share my views about the arcane practice.

I hear you. I woke at 4.59am this morning. Psychologically, because the time started with a 4 rather than a 5 it still felt like nighttime rather than early morning. I tossed and turned for an hour and then gave up and got up properly at 6.

@Sunshineo I do take magnesium glycinate most nights. Not melatonin though.

Me too but I’m just falling asleep earlier so still getting the right hours, it does feel so early though. I haven’t been able to sleep in since my teens, or occasionally if I eat carbs before bed

Same here and have been for 2-3yrs. In fact 5am is good, usually up before then. I think maybe perimenopause but i’ve got used to being an early riser now

You've had 7 hours sleep though, that's a good chunk of sleep.

I can relate! I usually just give up and get up when this happens, but I also try and go to bed at 9pm at night 🤣

I try and enjoy the early morning of pottering by doing a few boring jobs like emptying dishwasher/loading washing machine, to try and make my evenings easier. Then i listen to the radio and have a nice coffee before getting ready for work.

I’m also a frequent 3AM waker, didn’t realise this was such a common wake up time until seeing all these replies. My brain seems to think 3AM is the ideal time to wake up for a bit of a worry. This is particularly annoying when I drop off then wake again at 5, as I don’t feel I’ve had a proper nights sleep at all.

I think it’s peri. Some things that have helped me sleep better are a lavender bath before bed, ensuring good temperature in bedroom (Goldilocks zone, not too hot/not too cold), magnesium supplements before bed, a good sleep mask so no light sneaks in, ‘this works’ pillow sleep spray (it’s expensive but I’ve tried cheaper ones and they are no where near as good).

it’s a bit less depressing in the summer, as at least the sky looks nice at that time x

Another outlook on this:

5

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), waking at 5 a.m. points to the Large Intestine time (5-7 a.m.), indicating potential physical "stuckness" (constipation, bloating) or emotional inability to "let go" (grief, feeling overwhelmed, holding onto the past). This is a prime time for detoxification and bowel movement, so waking often suggests your body needs help releasing waste and emotions, possibly through hydration, fiber, deep breathing, or addressing unresolved sadness or fear.

What it means (Organ Clock)
5 a.m. - 7 a.m.: Large Intestine .
Physical: Waste elimination, detox, potential for constipation, bloating, sluggish digestion.
Emotional: Difficulty letting go, feeling stuck, overwhelmed by circumstances.

Mine was perimenopause related and estrogen helped.

The last 3 days it’s been 1am, 3am then 2am. I even tried cbd gummies as I’m so sick of this shit (perimenopause). That was the 1am so clearly didn’t work 😩

I've had a few periods of this. The 321 rule is helpful. Meditation whilst lying in bed might also
help.

I'd be happy with that, 6.5hrs sleep.

It's about what I usually get. I slept 9-3.30 last night and then got up shortly after 4.30 to walk the dog.

I'm 47. I don't really remember the times before children when I could sleep for 7+hrs.

I get up and exercise every morning, either a walk, or yoga or weights.

I’ve had this issue for a few years since menopause started & had to accept my time clock shifted so now im fast asleep by 9-9.30 so if I do wake up at 5 I’ve had a decent night’s sleep. I use sleep gummies too which really help and usually now get to nearer 6am

Enjoy the morning. Get up, make yourself a cup of tea, read a book, go for a walk or run….See the time that you’re getting for yourself as a blessing. If you’re going to sleep at 10.30 you’re still getting 6.5 hours of sleep, which is fine.

Magnesium Glycinate has been a complete game changer for my insomnia.

Best time of the day

Someone’s excited about Father Christmas?

I'm the same and I think you just have to accept it. Do what others have suggested, go to bed earlier and plan how you can spend that precious hour.

I used to worry about not getting enough sleep, but I seem to have enough energy during the day so I think it's ok health wise. It's just annoying.

I've struggled with this despite being on HRT - hrt seemed to work initially but then stopped. For the past month I take magnesium threonate with choline / inositol and I sleep much more - i did until 8am last weekend for the first time in what feels like forever - it was 4am for me before

I had a weird few months of doing that at 36, no clue why it eventually passed. Then it restarted with a vengence at 39, it was one of my first peri symptoms. Magnesium supplements helped me, just basic supermarket magnesium vitamins.

Exactly, as long as you’ve had enough sleep