Waking during the night ....

[AutumnAlmanack]

Does anyone else have this problem? I go to sleep quickly and easily but am waking around 3 and find it almost impossible to go back to sleep. I do go to bed quite early so am getting about 6 hours of sleep a night, but it is so horrible being awake from 3 onwards, just tossing and turning. What do you do to help you go back to sleep? It would be my dream to actually sleep all night - something I haven't done since I was a child! I'm also a terrible worrier!

Nobody has anything to say? Can't believe you all sleep fantastically!

Hi, I have had terrible insomnia for some years now, it’s awful isn’t it. I can fall asleep ok, but then like you I wake up, usually around four, but often at around three. Sometimes I give in and turn a lamp on and look at my I pad or read.

Not sure what the answer is, I’ve tried melatonin which helps a bit, nytol which helps occasionally, giving up alcohol which made no difference, drinking milk before bed. No help to you I know, bit I share your pain!

I hear you. My bladder wakes me most nights or I am too hot

I wake up about 2 am as my husband is just getting to bed and disturbs me, so I go to the loo and then back to sleep til I wake up at 6.30ish. I go to bed about 10.

I used to sleep through the night but when I fell pregnant in 2015 I started to wake up between 2 am and 3 am. Not fun

As I've got older, I never sleep through the night. But I get so tired that I go to bed early and therefore need to get up to go to the loo. Generally I wake around midnight, 2am, 4 or 5 am, 6am, get up at 7am....
I don't ever go back to sleep straight away. If I'm wide awake I get up, potter about, have a cup of tea (guaranteed to mean I wake for the toilet later on), read a bit. I've accepted that I can no longer sleep through the night and just get on with it.

This happens to me ... I'm mid 50s and think its probably not unusual. It also becomes a habit I think. I wake up at 4:30 ish most days.

I try to go back to sleep ... But I'm learning a new language so tend to give up on further sleep at 5:00, get up, and do that before work.

Have you tried going to bed later? That sometimes helps me.

4am here. It's worse since I've been going to bed earlier but I am having to get up early so I really do need the rest. I have started reading on phone as the light disturbs DH and I find it helps me settle after an hour or so.

Both my partner and I are pretty bad sleepers. At some point every night one of us has to go to a spare bedroom. He listens to podcasts and he listen to an audiobook and set the timer to 30 minutes. I rarely last 30 minutes.

I do this all the time.
I never stay there and toss and turn. So not to wake dp, I get up, get a drink and sit on the sofa for a while either reading, on Mumsnet or watching something.
After about an hour or so I get tired again so go back to bed.
It doesn't bother me anymore, it's just what I do.
When my DCs come in at 3am after a night clubbing they know to often expect me to be up watching something.

You say you go away to bed quite early, you still get 6 hours sleep, do you must go to bed at 9 o’clock. Why don’t you go at 11? That would get you to about 5, so even if you stay awake from then on it’s not as bad as being awake in the middle of the night. Have you got any daytime commitments? If not you can always take a nap during the day.

I have a summer bedtime and a winter bedtime now. I must be in tune to nature

In summer I can easily stay up to 10.30/11 pm and get up bright eyed bushy tailed at 6 am.

In the winter I struggle to see 9.30pm and struggle to get up at 6.30 am.

You can tell when the weather is changing as I either gain or lose awake time at night.

Same issue, I share your frustration.
But do remember that much research shows humans have naturally woken during the night for nearly all of history; the idea of one single sleep at night is quite modern. Many historical references from literature to medical records show humans historically slept a few hours, then woke for a bit, before sleeping again. So while it doesn't fit in well with a modern lifestyle, it isn't necessarily a disorder, and is in fact rather normal.

Magnesium supplements helped me and doing sleep meditations on the Headspace app just before I go to sleep. It kind of empties my head so I don’t wake up worrying about stuff.

Also not scrolling on my phone in bed but reading books instead also helps x

I used to sleep from 10.30 to 7am. Just like that, head, pillow, sleep... wake.
But now, peri menopause has decided we are simply not going to do that any more.

I share your pattern. Often asleep by 9.30/10.00 and awake at 2.30ish. Normally drop off then at about 4.00/5.00 for an hour or so. About 6 hours sleep. I was reassured by reading that sleeping in one block is a modern idea. Also that 7 hours might be the optimum amount of sleep so I’m just going to aim for that.

I seem to do ok on it, I don’t fall asleep in the day, or lack concentration. I look quite tired though.

You’re going to bed too early.

Didn't this use to be how everyone slept? It's called biphasic sleep. That we (mostly) sleep through nonstop is relatively new and the result of lack of melatonin due to industrialisation (lights).

Making sure I get out for a walk in the fresh air every day - if I don’t my sleep is terrible. Also peppermint tea before bed and I have to read for 10/20 minutes before I shut off the light.

I did listen to relaxation apps for a while but find them too distracting. Structured breathing does help (big breath in, hold the breath then big breath out).

Also trying not to get stressed out about being awake helps too (easier said than done I know).

I listen to podcasts or audio books. BBC Sounds has lots of things. My absolute favourite is the shipping forecast, sends me straight to sleep

I've just started the menopause so I have periods of insomnia and then when I do manage to get to sleep I'm only sleeping for around 4 hours. I usually wake about 3 ish. I do manage to drop off again but I use a meditation app which helps control my over active mind!!

Have you tried antihistamine? Or Night Nurse?

I have found for the last month or 2 that I am waking multiple (5-6) times every night, but going back to sleep relatively easily. The broken nights are leaving me absolutely shattered! I had been wondering whether this is a side effect of menopause.

Magnesium is fantastic at helping me sleep.I do go to bed late,then usually sleep 8hours straight through.

@PurplePumpkinDream

You say you go away to bed quite early, you still get 6 hours sleep, do you must go to bed at 9 o’clock. Why don’t you go at 11? That would get you to about 5, so even if you stay awake from then on it’s not as bad as being awake in the middle of the night. Have you got any daytime commitments? If not you can always take a nap during the day.

I'd do this. And listen to an audiobook or podcast if awake.

Firstly, I'd try and go to bed a little later. Then I've found listening to a podcast instead of music helps me fall back asleep more quickly than even classical music. Try and find someone with a monotone voice. I listen to true crime, but that's not for everyone at 3am! If I'm in the right frame of mind, reading a few chapters of my book until my eyes are closing works too. I keep my kindle beside the bed for this reason.

Mostly though, don't pick up your phone. I know I can lose an easy 90 minutes if I start mindlessly scrolling at 3am.