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!

I used to suffer with this, always waking up at 4-ish and struggling to get back to sleep. The one thing that has helped me is to not look at the clock when I wake up. If I don’t know it’s 4am then I don’t panic about getting back to sleep. I only look at my clock when the alarm goes off now. Sorry, this probably isn’t much help to you but it definitely helped me.

Hope you manage to find something that works for you. Magnesium is probably a good call too.

HRT has helped me stop the 4am wake ups. I probably sleep about 6-7hours now which is fine for me.

I take magnesium before bed which helps. I usually wake about twice during the night and I'll go to the toilet whether I need to or not. I generally go straight back to sleep....but if I don't I'll have something to eat - usually half a banana. Apparently the potassium helps with sleep? Anyway, it works for me. Otherwise the tossing and turning makes me hungry and sleep more unlikely.

As someone who can't have HRT, because of previous breast cancer, I'm very interested in the magnesium supplements - any more recommendations?

www.sleepstation.org.uk/

This really helped me with the 4 am wakes. It's free via the NHS. I registered and they contacted my GP for their agreement. It's an app where you have a personalised sleep plan and advice from sleep coaches. I'd struggled with sleep for 15 years, so it's been incredible for me.

HRT plus 8mg sustained release melatonin at night.
I was utterly sleep deprived waking daily at 4am and many many times every night before.

Amitriptyline 25-50mg.
Nothing else works unfortunately.

Magnesium works. Unfortunately it gives me awful stomach pains and bloating .

What kind of magnesium do you take?

What kind of magnesium do you take?

Hmmm... I can't remember! I think it was magnesium citrate. I can check, as I ordered it on Amazon. Is there a type that's gentle on the stomach? I'd be quite wary of trying it agajn... My mum had the same problem but worse.

HRT cured mine

Watching for tips . .

Magnesium is more easily absorbed through the skin so it might be worth getting some magnesium flakes for the bath rather than a supplement. Hopefully a magnesium bath before bed might be the change you need.

Magnesium worked for me too, I had this problem.

I take the together magnesium capsules

This is my situation too. I’d also recommend evening primrose oil which definiteky
calm down the hot flushes. And I’m on ADs for the anxiety. Feel like I’ve got all the necessary tools now to ride this out !

Another vote for Magnesium. I take Mag Enhance from Intelligent Labs, 3 types in one. Have taken one before bed for last few years and I sleep so much better. I might still wake (for a drink or if I hear a noise), but don't have any problems dropping back off.

I wake up every single night , between 3 and 4 it's so annoying . I take magnesium glycinate before bed and I find that I can get back to sleep quicker if I have remembered to take it . As soon as I wake up I put an eye mask on and stick ear plugs in , that does help. I would love to sleep all night , it would be lovely . I'm so tired when the alarm goes off and 6.45 and I feel I could fall into a lovely sleep then but it's time to get up

I'm perimenopausal and very intrigued by people saying they don't feel rested/ feel very tired when the alarm goes off. I have NEVER felt rested when the alarm goes off or indeed if I wake up naturally. I am not a morning person and never have been. Every morning I feel spaced and not pleasantly so. I think it's also about expectations. My standards are 'if an hour after waking you still feel exhausted, then and only then, can you know whether you had a good sleep'.

I was about to post exactly this. My 4am go to is political podcasts. Interesting enough if awake but so very easy to fall back asleep to if at all tired as they aren't too exciting and shouty. Stops my mind wandering,!stressing about getting back to sleep and more often than not I do.

Uggh. I feel your pain. I cannot take HRT due to being a two time cancer survivor. (not breast, but my oncologist said not to take as now huge risk of breast cancer) I have night sweats and throw covers off..pull them on, occasionally have to get up and in the shower. Its been 10 years of this shit and I just want to sleep all night!!! I had a weighted blanket and it really helped, but since I moved from the great white north (canada) to blistering heat in the dominican republic, I left it behind. Sadly regretting that choice now. solidarity sisters. solidarity.

I found that 3mg slow release melatonin killed off hot flashes and night sweats. Still occasionally wake at 3 or 4 am but drop off to sleep again. Take it 2 or 3 times a week rather than every night.

the magnesium i take helps more than melatonin and ashwanghara for me.
i'm taking this product from the us.
Bone Renewal® | Natural Bone Health Supplement | Pure Synergy® (thesynergycompany.com)

I can take up to 50mg but 10mg is enough for me to sleep well so that’s all I take. I am actually prescribed it for bladder problems and joint pain (I have lupus) but it really makes the difference for me. I do know some women are prescribed it “just” for menopausal lack of sleep and general joint pain so it’s worth asking about. (I say just in “” because there’s nothing insignificant or small about lack of sleep, it’s horrible).

What is slow release melatonin and where can you get it in the U.K.? I find melatonin gets me to sleep but doesn’t keep me asleep. Hrt used to help but no longer although I am on the maximum dose.