Why can't I sleep?

[catwalker]

I've had sleep problems for a good few years. DH's snoring can wake me up several times a night but I usually just elbow him and then drift back to sleep. I never have any difficulties getting to sleep (exhaustion helps!), however, lately I find I sleep soundly for 2 or 3 hours then wake up and just can't get back to sleep. When I wake up I'm wide awake and I'm then awake for the rest of the night - maybe managing to doze for half an hour or so just before the alarm goes off.

This has been going on for a couple of months. It was 2.30am again this morning. When I wake up I'm convinced it must be time to get up and I feel really 'wired'. I know it's not just dh's snoring because he keeps spending the odd night on the sofa to try and get me a good night's sleep. He's down there at the moment and here I am, sat up in bed and wide awake.

There's lots going on in my life at the moment, but nothing that's making me feel more stressed than I was six months ago so I just don't get it.

I'm not sure if it's worth going to the dr for sleeping tablets as I never have any trouble going to sleep - it's just staying asleep. Does anyone know if sleeping tablets would knock me out for the whole night? I'm getting desperate.

Hi Catwalker, I suffer from this as well - wake up wide awake and ready to face the day in the middle of the night, realise what time it is and can't get back to sleep for ages then get into really good sleep just before morning, it's crap!

I don't really have a solution (I saw this thread when I was awake in the night myself and was hoping by this morning there would be some helpful responses!) but you could try Nytol which you can buy over the counter in the chemist, (the blue packet, not the herbal stuff in the green packet you can buy on the supermarket shelf) if you don't want to go as far as getting sleeping tablets from the GP. You can either take one as late as possible before bed and hope it keeps you asleep, or one (or half one - I buy the one-a-night ones) when you wake up, depending on what time it is, what time you need to get up/if you need to drive in the morning etc. This seems to work ok for me some of the time but I try to avoid taking them too regularly as I think they would be less effective then.

The usual things people recommend - bath/hot chocolate/lavender etc don't work at all for me. Is there any pattern to your insomnia? For some annoying reason mine is worse at weekends/on holiday etc - typical!

I think if you have low blood sugar you're more likely to wake up in the middle of the night - have you tried having a small snack before bed? Just a small bowl of cereal or something?

Hi Catwalker. I can empathise as I have the same problem. I got very down with it and went to see my GP last week. He is sending me for blood tests to see if there is an underlying cause.