How do I cure Early Waking Insomnia?!

[Curtainsdrawn]

I’m desperate!
Every morning like clockwork, I wake at 4:30am. I go to sleep at 10pm, so it’s a decent amount of sleep but not nearly enough for me, and I’m permanently exhausted. I look after two preschool DC all day, and I feel almost panicked; I NEED this extra energy that I’m somehow depriving myself of!
As soon as I start waking up I feel dread, because I just know it’s crazy early yet again.

I don’t drink alcohol or caffeine, or smoke. I don’t take any medication and I do a 30 min HIIT on YouTube every morning before the kids are up. I eat healthily and my weight is fine, so I can’t see a physical reason why this happens.

When I wake early I usually try lying for about an hour to get back to sleep (sometimes listening to calming music) but after that I give in and just read (or browse MN!) until the alarm goes off.

Has anyone cured themselves of this, or found a way to improve it?! I feel like it’s slowly killing me, I’m so so tired and it’s just torturous to wake so early and know it’ll be a tougher day yet again thanks to the fatigue.

@Els1e

I’m with you this morning. Been trying to get back off since about 3 and have finally given in and are up with a cup of tea and mumsnet.

Think il do the same .

Well hello
Made a cup of tea, going to try and go back to bed.

From December 1st I'm swapping my tea for sherry . That'll help me sleep 🤣

@Bedsheets4knickers

From December 1st I'm swapping my tea for sherry . That'll help me sleep 🤣

Maybe that's why my aunt lived to a great old age - always had a glass of Bristol cream before bed!!

I've been worse with lockdown/Covid, I'm retired so I suspect it is sort of brain boredom - and I've too much time to listen to podcasts and audible books, so my brain is a bit wired.
I keep meaning to do a really long afternoon walk of, say 7 miles, then I do sleep well.

I wake up around 430/5 most days but I don't see it as a problem to be solved. I just get up and start the day. I like getting lots done first thing. I don't feel that tired though so that helps.

I think you sleep a normal amount of hours. Maybe the low side of normal, but maybe the daily fatigue is to do with something else. Are yiu anaemic? Perimenopausal? Thyroid ok? Do you take vitamins?

I’ve also joined the early morning club unfortunately.
I think it’s a getting older thing.
I’ve tried going to bed later but I still wake at the same time. So I’ve decided to embrace it and I go to bed at 10pm now, to ensure I’m getting at least 7 hours.

@9garlictwist, if you are getti g avoid quantity of deep and REM sleep, than you will wake up rested even if you've only slept 5 hours

For those whose sleep is mainly made up of light sleep, ie. not much restorative, we need more hours in quantity to make up for it, except you never totally do as these two stages are essential for feeling refreshed in the morning.

What's important is to find what gets you back to sleep, as it can be different for all. Expert do recommend to get up and do a gentle activity. This never work for me as however gentle, my brain takes it that it means the days is starting (I was also never ever able to nap during the day).

For be breathing exercises lowers my cortisol levels and allow me to drift again. It's also become a learnt association.

I struggle to get to sleep and stay asleep

Never used to. Always slept well up to Menopause and then everything went out of the window and if I got more than 2 hours sleep I was doing well

Went to Drs for sleeping pills they don’t prescribe them at my surgery.

Found Melatonin and I sleep between 4-5 hours normally still completely knackered but can function up to a point.
Over the moon if I can get over 6 hours.

Thing is on the the rare occasion I sleep over 8 hours (about 1 night per year) I can lose 4lb in weight.

It is awful not being able to sleep as you just can’t function the following day

I have no advice on how to cure it as I've always been an early riser (getting earlier the older I get). My solution is not to fight it but embrace it! I tend to leap out of bed when I wake up (normally between 04:30 and 04:45), pull on some lycra and go cycling for an hour ... it's by far the best time of day when there's nobody else sane about, it's pitch dark at that time for about 7 months of the year so I get to see shooting stars etc, and I'm home and showered and feel invigorated long before anyone else in the house has woken up!

Of course, the downside is that I tend to start nodding off at around 9pm...

I haven't cured it, but have survived by having a nap when I can. Don't feel guilty to do so if you can, like while your dcs are in preschool/school or they are having a nap. Even a 30 minutes sleep when you are really tired can revitalize you.

@Oliversmumsarmy would you recommend a particular brand of melatonin? I’ve seen loads and loads on Amazon at various prices points but not sure what the difference is.

Well my new magnesium spray doesn’t seem to be making a difference to early waking. I woke dreaming I was in labor at 4.30 and couldn’t get back to sleep. Soooo tired today and work is so busy.

Dp used to work in the US regularly or we would holiday there so my current and last bottle comes from CVS.

You can go to your dr and get 2mg slow acting Melatonin but I did make a mistake one year and bought these type when in the US and they were pretty useless.
I have got the 10mg ones that are a powder in a pill form. I pull the 2 sides apart and probably measure out a 1/3 of the powder and take that to get me to sleep

Sometimes of I wake early I take another 1/3rd to get me off to sleep again but it is hit and miss if it works

I've just ordered 2mg of diazepam. My friend gave me one of hers last Week and I got a full 8 hours . I intend to take one a week to try and catch up on abit of missed sleep 💤

We get Melatonin for ds from Alder Hey as he sometimes struggles to settle, he has Aspergers and anxiety. The brand name is Circadin.

On holiday in Spain we bought it freely over the counter, it’s called Melatonina.

I take diazepam twice a day but I don’t think it works for me sleep wise. I even had Zopiclone and Zolpidem from my GP ( sleeping tablets ) and they did nothing. I’ve tried everything!

My solution is not to fight it but embrace it! I tend to leap out of bed when I wake up (normally between 04:30 and 04:45), pull on some lycra and go cycling for an hour grin
That's all very well if you wake up refreshed. I wake up feeling like I'm recovering from a hangover and having been under a bus.

I've found melatonin good for falling asleep. I take 10mg at night and I now never have a problem falling asleep. It doesn't help with quality of sleep and eat wake ups though. I buy online Eurovital. They are very good.

I've just ordered 2mg of diazepam
MASSIVE ALERT! Diazepam is Valium. It's completely illegal to sale. There is a massive danger that what you buy is not what you think.

I take diazepam twice a day but I don’t think it works for me sleep wise
Is that prescribed by your GP? They can't prescribe for sleep problems nor long term, so how did you get it prescribed? Unless you stated you were suffering from acute anxiety.

I've done much research and one treatment that does seem to work is the antidepressant Trozadone. Definitely bake you sleep, the problem is that the side effects are not great and can make you feel very drowsy during the day. I haven't tried it, but might do so next.

@dontdisturbmenow

My solution is not to fight it but embrace it! I tend to leap out of bed when I wake up (normally between 04:30 and 04:45), pull on some lycra and go cycling for an hour grin That's all very well if you wake up refreshed. I wake up feeling like I'm recovering from a hangover and having been under a bus.

I've found melatonin good for falling asleep. I take 10mg at night and I now never have a problem falling asleep. It doesn't help with quality of sleep and eat wake ups though. I buy online Eurovital. They are very good.

I've just ordered 2mg of diazepam
MASSIVE ALERT! Diazepam is Valium. It's completely illegal to sale. There is a massive danger that what you buy is not what you think.

I take diazepam twice a day but I don’t think it works for me sleep wise
Is that prescribed by your GP? They can't prescribe for sleep problems nor long term, so how did you get it prescribed? Unless you stated you were suffering from acute anxiety.

No I bought them from an online pharmacy. You can get quite a lot of meds online now .

Phenergan 25mg is also very good if you can get them .

The Calm app has some really relaxing breathing and meditation type exercises, including one specifically aimed at getting back to sleep.

I was hugely sceptical- but am now a convert :)

@dontdisturbmenow Mirtazapine is the AD I took. Massively improved my sleep. Didn’t suffer with daytime drowsiness at all.
Unfortunately also causes weight gain, so not so great.

I tried Headspace get back to sleep meditation which works sometimes. But it means turning my phone on and there’s too much temptation to have a quick browse of FB and Twitter.

I would strongly recommend ordering some CBD oil and taking a drop before bed, it's all legal and above board (bought mine in a UK Pharmacy) and I have never slept so well. I used to have same issues as you. Give it go!

I’m 50 and have struggled with this for several years. Hormones/stress. It sucks. I actually have to nap in the disabled loo at work some days.

Diazapam is a restricted drug and you shouldn’t be able to order it online ( I mean legally not morally!). Be very, very cautious.

No idea if it works but I've been reading about the Sleepio programme. I'm going to give it a go and will report back.