Early morning waking - strategies

[GhostlyAbode]

I have been awake since 4. Lying in bed, trapped by anxious thoughts and physical responses (burning skin, inside tremors, nausea). I am on setraline 100mg. The weird thing is that before I started on the medication for depression this was not one of my symptoms.

What do other people do. Lying here is torture. Getting up seems impossible. I haven't to be up at 6 for work.

Re the science of sleep thing; one thing could be that before electric light we had two sleeps with a period of activity in the middle of the night .

Sorry to hear of your awful week Violet. But thank you for your info and time taken to post. I will have a look later on.

What I have found is that sleep goes in 90 minute cycles and wake periods tend to follow the same pattern.

This is very frustrating when you are awake at 4am and know that you are not likely to get back to sleep before 5.30am and then up at 6am...but using this, I tend to stop stressing that I can't sleep and read (kindle paperwhite) for an hour or so and then as it comes up to the 90 minute period I do manage to get back to sleep.

If there is not enough time to get back to sleep, I try and accept that and just read. It's stressful and I hope you find something that works for you.

It's not going to fix everything and may not help much at all but it might be an extra small tool towards helping you feel better. I was impressed.

I've done a lot of googling research on sleep. It's been a nightmare for me for various reasons over the last few years. Prior to that I was an amazing sleeper; no matter how stressed or depressed I was.

The anxiety thing is linked flight or flight and adrenaline etc. Thoughts affect bodily responses and adrenaline kicks in. We get primed to this.

Cortisol is at its lowest in the early morning. So things like asthma or arthritis may be worse then, which can wake us up. It then rises as we wake. (Night pain and asthma have been an issue for me).

Our circadian rhythms aren't exactly 24 hours. But tune into the day light (blue light) via our eyes which helps regulate all the hormones e.g. Cortisol (I think) and melatonin. Bright light at night can disrupt this; but bright light in the day can help reset it.

Somewhere I read it's better if from above (something to do with more receptors linked to circadian rhythm in lower part of eye). So sunlight out doors - not always easy. I caved in last spring and finally bought a light lamp which I use when I have to work at home. I do think it helped on the dark days. I've used a daylight / dawn simulator for 14 years. Pre child it definitely helped during the winter. (I now have a mini walking taking dawn simulator. Or a rather a rave simulator really).

Exercise is apparently best in the morning as it taps into all those morning hormones and if outside sometimes gets that daylight kick. A cold jolt also stimulates things too.

In isolation none of this is an over night fix (scuse the pun) but added together can help over time.

Im no good at it all but have found it helps. I had to get on top of night time pain first too.

I get this and it's awful.

Last week I downloaded a hypnosis app that I listen to to get me back to sleep and it really helps.

There are a few available.

Ps meant to add that the blind can go through phases where their sleep cycle is not in tune with days due to the natural base line circadian rhythm. They miss out on the retinal light stimulation to help the melatonin cycle.

Hi everyone, have you all been sleeping longer this week? I'm still waking at 5 every day and it's made worse by it being so cold

Hi there. Still waking early but have tried to keep the awful panic and gloom at bay by either getting up or occupying my brain.

The docs have also upped my sertraline to 150 so we will see if that helps.

Is there anything you can do about being cold, a hot water bottle or do you mean the weather in general makes it worse?

Sounds like progress if you've had your meds upped, fingers crossed it helps!

I don't mind the cold weather but don't like feeling cold in bed, I've been having a hot bath at 6.30am every morning which has been brilliant (would have it an hour earlier if not worried about waking everyone!).

Sounds like a plan and something to focus on.

I have this as well. I listen to a mindfulness app or talk which calms me down. Sometimes I just get up and catch up on work, which I like now and then. For me, it goes in cycles as I know what triggers my anxiety and I know that I will now and then get a night where things are better. I am adrenaline fuelled today and I will be surprised if I sleep more than about 4.30. It is horrible.
I am on 100mg Setraline. I am curious to know if the higher dose helps. Good luck with it

Cocoa. So its day four and so far I have gained an hour and am waking up around 5:30 and with not so much anxiety. But that may be because at 5:30 I just get straight up, rather than fretting.

The real test will be Sat and Sun, when I don't have to get up for work.

Also (touch wood) the 150 does seem to have had a positive effect on my mood but it's early days so I'm not counting on anything to soon!

How are you doing?

Try The Honest Guys on YouTube. Listen to their guided sleep meditation through headphones - works for me.