PLEASE HELP I regularly wake around 4:30-5:00 every morning and am totally exhausted. What can I do

[cruisemum1]

The op says it all but I am getting incredibly exhausted and unable to continue like this. I may get a good couple of nights in a row and that feels fantastic! I don't know why this is happening butI have to find a solution. I feel like s*, I look dreadful, I am not enjoying things because of this overwhelming feeling of tiredness. Anyone suffer form this/know any remedies/got any suggestions??? PLEASE

Hi cm I suffer this and am not sure why either. It comes and goes I might have a couple of good weeks of sleeping through and then go back to early waking. At the moment my DD2 is waking regularly in the night which is not helping me at all. I am all over the place, feel tired and look dreadful. I've always been an odd sleeper and dream loads, I regularly remember three or four dreams a night which shows I am not sleeping deeply. Sorry its not much help I hope someone will come along with a cure! My DH has suggested listening to the radio when I wake up to take my mind off what I am thinking about so I think I will try that, just need the kids to cooperate first! Is there anything you are worried about? What do you do when you wake? How long has it been going on?

hi maviscrewit - sorry to hear tha t you are suffering too! it is the pits isn't it. When i wake i usually feel stressed/anxious type symptoms (fast heartbeat, adrenalin rush etc). This could be due to my increasing anxiety at not sleeping though. I do have stressful periods in my life (domestic stuff) but not all the time. I hope someone comes along with a magic wand soon

hi maviscrewit - sorry to hear tha t you are suffering too! it is the pits isn't it. When i wake i usually feel stressed/anxious type symptoms (fast heartbeat, adrenalin rush etc). This could be due to my increasing anxiety at not sleeping though. I do have stressful periods in my life (domestic stuff) but not all the time. I hope someone comes along with a magic wand soon

hi maviscrewit - sorry to hear tha t you are suffering too! it is the pits isn't it. When i wake i usually feel stressed/anxious type symptoms (fast heartbeat, adrenalin rush etc). This could be due to my increasing anxiety at not sleeping though. I do have stressful periods in my life (domestic stuff) but not all the time. I hope someone comes along with a magic wand soon

Yes it is the pits, exhaustion is not funny, sometimes I wonder if I am safe to be in charge to two young children. I too have had personal worries and stress at times which doesn't help. Maybe a relaxation tape when you wake up might help you to breathe a bit deeper to stop the anxiety or maybe see your doctor.

I'll be watching for the magic wand!

Take care

oh God! three identical postings? What's wrong with me?!

maviscrewit - i have two dc's so find it difficult to be happy, fun mummy sometimes - not fair on them . Where is our fairy sleepmother!?

cm you're not pg are you?
i had this problem in my first trimester...much better now am in second

profoundest apologies if that's a very silly question...

Oh how I sympathise. I can't remember the last time I slept through the night. It either takes me ages to get to sleep or I wake up 2-3am and feel wide awake enough to rule the world, am awake for an hour or so and then dead when the alarm goes off. I've tried loads of things, but not really found the answer - I do put the radio on low (too low and I'm trying to hear it, too loud and it keeps me awake) which sometimes helps, I've got up and done the ironing before now - I do go back to sleep after but feel a bit ridiculous! The best thing is try not to build up to it at night thinking about whether or not you're going to get a decent nights sleep. Another thing is to try and avoid a sleep any other time of day, and also sometimes I found a really good bit of physical exercise broke the pattern for a while. It's a form of torture, and I hate everyone (my DH especially!) who sleeps like a log, can snooze anywhere and is never worn out!

CatIsSleepy - Good Lord no! i am far too exhausted to be getting up to anything that energetic . Congrats though . I lost my Dad in April after a long and horrendous battle with cancer. My sleep disturbances sort of coincided with his illness/passing and have continued since. Some times are better than others but I cannot cope with only having one good night in 30.

frostyfingers - poor you too

oh so sorry to hear about your dad cm

(and more apologies for v. silly suggestion)

hope you find some help...it's easy to slip into a rut of night-time waking and harder to snap out of it. I know how exhausting this can be. i used to read when i woke up (somehting really dull)...if nothing else it stops your thoughts going round and round.

has anyone tried a sleep therapy cd? Could anyone recommend one? Maybe that would help??

I sometimes wake at this time and am unable to get back to sleep.

I find that I tend to sleep better if I have excercised ...so maybe you could try regular swimming, gym or walking. Also if I wake feeling tired and go to the gym, I feel more energetic afterwards.

Do you wake needing the loo..if so might be better to cut out drinks in the few hours before bed.

Maybe try to make sure you don't have too much caffeine as this can make any anxious feelings worse.

Maybe you are already doing all these things so don't know if my post will help much.

backing up the exercise option. basically, you'll be so exhausted, you'll sleep through.

ideally, you need dh support when you first start out though (maybe at the weekend?) so that when you're beside yourself with exhaustion due to sleep deprivation and exercise, he can take over!

when do you exercise???! I have a ds age 2 and dd age 10. between looking after him and running around after her it doesn't leave much time. dh has two jobs both requiring him to work long hours. I should be exhausted enough doing the house and children but nothing works . Getting tired beyond belief and hating it

i am the same, wake usually at 4am, sometimes earlier, then can't get back to sleep

happens most nights, then get so exhausted that i sleep better, then next night back to early waking

dr also recommended exercise, but can't be arsed (too tired

lurker - what do u do when u wake? i just lay theretryimg to drift off aain

oh, this is me! I've been like this since ds (born 7 years) ago would wake at 4am for a feed (he's since slept through from 12 months) Me? I'm still up and about wide awake. Now take this morning I did get a lie in til 5.45am so not bad

for me it doesn't impact on my life, I'm simply not tired. I find the best thing is to get up, make a hot drink (I for some reason have a coffee) then sit and catch up here for a few hours. Sometimes I go back to bed for an hour (get up at 6.15 in week anyway) if I feel it but sometimes I don't. I then every oher day go for a 5km run, so it's not exercise (just incase you were thinking of starting ) I am usually wiped out by 10pm if watching telly. Dh is usually prodding me cos I'm snoring and he can't hear anything

lavender bath before bed
Hot milky drink before bed
Write down everything that is worrying you before turning out the light
If you wake, just get up and watch some crappy telly or do jobs. No point tossing and turning.
Hth

cruisemum1, i just lay there usually too

Furball - YOu don't get tired? . I am shattered.....every day!!!!
suey2 - some lovely suggestions - i will try them all! Lurker - i lie there inthe vain hope that I will eventually drift off. I wonder if there is any physical reason for the waking at that time? Does your body go through some change at dawn? Aargh! Just want some sleep!!!

What time do you go to bed? Have you tried going to bed earlier?

i go to bed around 10/10:30am

you can fit in the exercise after your 10 year old has gone to school/you have dropped him off. put 2 year old in buggy and walk for an hour, up as many hills as you can find! 2 yo will love the different things he/she sees and you get your exercise.