4am wake up EVERY DAY! Please tell me what worked?

[octonuddle]

Please give me your amazing solution to the 4am wake up?! I’ve been waking up between 330 and 5am for the last 18 months. I’m so tired in the evenings - I am going to bed about 9am and zonking out immediately (no trouble getting to sleep…just trouble getting back to sleep past 4am. I’ve tried melatonin (although it’s not the getting to sleep bit I have trouble with). Also tried magnesium cream before bed (did nothing despite persisting for a month).

It’s the only peri symptom I seem to have (with the exception of brain fog but I am convinced THAT is because I’m always bloody knackered! See also irritable!). Am 46 so I know it is likely to be peri. I’m pretty healthy, run about 20k a week, don’t drink caffeine after 10am etc) a little overweight oh and have Graves’ disease (so tend to hyperthyroid which may be messing around my sleep too). contemplating getting mirena fitted and starting eastrogen. Did this work well for anyone? I’d kill for 8 solid hours of sleep. Tell me what saved you!

If you’re sleeping from 9-4 then that’s 7 hours’ sleep. Are you sleeping through or waking in the middle?

My Mum has woken early since her forties, and she started sleeping later during the lockdown which she linked to taking vitamin D supplements.
It’s only anecdotal obviously but apparently most people in the UK are seriously deficient in vit D so maybe worth a try?

Ah yes sorry should have said…it makes no difference what time I go to bed..I can stay up till midnight or 1am…still wake up at 4am regardless. The only reason I go to bed so early is because I literally can’t keep my eyes open. I have tried to recalibrate bedtimes but not been able to do it. And yes…tend to wake up multiple times a night so missing the “solid” bit too. It’s harder I think because I used to sleep like a baby.

High level magnesium tablets taken before bed. I might wake for a wee at 4@am but I have much less trouble getting back to sleep. Previously I used to lie there catastrophising until 10 mins before the alarm went off when I would fall into a deep sleep.

I sleep well if I take lots of magnesium before bed and have a turmeric tea

I'm interested in this too.

I'm post menopause (I think) but I wake at 1.00am. (After about 2 hours sleep) Then doze on and off til about 5.00am. Then feel dreadful when the alarm goes off at 6.15am.

I'd give anything for a solid night's sleep. Those suggesting magnesium is interesting, but I tried taking daily tablets, but they gave me diarrhoea.

I put a podcast on and it gives my brain something to listen to so I can go back to sleep! It works for me as long as it's not a comedy show!

I listen to Happy Place, How to Fail, The Midpoint or Changes. All great podcasts but no shrieking and laughing! I often have to listen to them about 10 times each to actually hear the whole show 🤣

Oh interesting….How much is a lot of magnesium? I have 27% of RDA in my multivitamin (which I take at lunchtime). How much should I be aiming for before bed?

Another vote for magnesium. I still wake up, but go back to sleep quickly

HRT and amitriptyline. I went into early menopause aged 37 and the combination of these two have saved my sleep. I was waking ip several times a night and wide awake from 4/5am. Now I sleep like a log.

Xrays, how much amitriptyline do you take? I also sleep dreadfully since the menopause and I'm on HRT (which has helped a little).

Magnesium has helped me, but I take in the morning alongside other vitamins, interested to read that others take it before bed, does that make a noticeable difference?

This magnesium helps me. I was waking up every night any time between 3am and 5am since i turned 35,no matter what time i went to sleep. I still have the odd early wake ups but not every day at 3am.

@WateryDoom Magnesium comes in different forms, some of which are more laxative than others. Magnesium citrate or oxide are laxative, magnesium glycinate isn't.

I appreciate the laxative effect. Keeps me regular. Sorry for TMI

Magnesium and CBD oil have helped me

I suffer from early wake ups.

my system is to take a melatonin immediately on waking. I listen to a dull podcast while it takes effect and am normally back to sleep again within and hour. This only works if I’m at least 2/3 hours from my alarm so I’m guaranteed an extra hour or twos sleep.

if you try this and it works then you could consider setting an alarm at least four hours before your alarm which would guarantee you a three-hour sleep cycle before waking. Seems insane to set at alarm to wake you up, but it’s worth a try.

i find the melatonin doesn’t make me drowsy on waking of I get enough sleep after taking it.

I was doing that until I started HRT, now I'm fine. sleep no issues.

It’s the only peri symptom I seem to have (with the exception of brain fog but I am convinced THAT is because I’m always bloody knackered!

HRT might help both.

Lack of sleep is a major health issue (it can cause a lot of other things) and my meno consultant would probably suggest HRT as you are doing all the other healthy lifestyle stuff anyway.

HRT. It took a bit of tweaking to get the dose right.

I still have the odd night or two where I wake early, but not even every month now.

I found a weighted blanket very very helpful but I haven’t used it since upping the hrt.

You need more magnesium than will be present in a multivitamin. I take 1040mg of magnesium bisglicinate which amounts to 208mg elemental magnesium. It took about 6 weeks for this to work properly but my 3am wakenings are now over and I sleep right through now

How much vitamin d do you recommend?

oestrogen gel..... also magnesium i often still wske then for a wee but go back to sleep... also using ear plugs and also listening to stuff on bbc sounds. simple things like poirot! not too technical/thought provoking..
if stressed there's a good yoga nidra on the insight app i feel rested even if ive not had loads more sleep

HRT worked briefly. Rescue remedy nights worked briefly.

Currently bedsocks have been working (apparently regulate your temperature and help stop night sweats too) but I'm not sure how I'm going to get on tonight in this heat!