Can't stop waking up at 4am

[GreenAlien]

Does anyone have any magic remedies?

I tried HRT for a year and it did nothing. I tried magnesium and I think it made the quality of my sleep better but not the duration.

I have to work full time so I'm like a bloody zombie. I just seem to be completely wide awake any time between 4am and 430am and don't get back to sleep and then get up at 630am/7am for work.

It's affecting my life so much. Even taking a nytol and melatonin doesn't fix it (I think they both help with falling asleep rather than waking up). I've tried delayed release melatonin and that didn't work either!

I took the strongest sleeping aid I could get from the chemist - her recommendation - and that really helped. Other than that, I have tried "getting up" once I'm awake, having a wee and re-making my bed before getting back into it (I even made a cup of tea a few times) as somehow that re-sets my brain rather than lying there fretting.

Are you able to WFH so you could start early and then have a snooze mid-morning? Apparently in times past we used to sleep in two sessions rather than one, with a meal and doing stuff in between...and I've always wondered if actually we are hard-wired like that which is why I wake so early?

A physio told me not to drink any fluids after 7pm. It worked.

My problem is I cannot even fall asleep now. I literally toss and turn all night, feel like zombie the next day. I was given prescription for sleeping pills for 7 days, that was helping but I was still not getting a full night's sleep. I am ringing the GP tomorrow as I cannot function

My GP has told me to order melatonin on line!

I’ve had this as well at times. It’s a killer! I can’t remember where I read this but someone suggested this as a way to get back to sleep.

Think of a word (any word) then you start with the first letter of that word and list in your head all the words you can think of that start with that letter

When you’re done, you move onto the next letter.

It works because you are so busy thinking about words your brain can’t interrupt you with lots of other thoughts.

I don’t think I’ve ever got to the second letter 😀

I'm the same! Can't take HRT, tried magnesium spray and tablets, melatonin from Biovea ( awful stuff) even amitriptyline doesn't have the desired effect anymore, phenergan, nytol.. zero effect.

Total nightmare!

Did your GP specify which dose/ type to order?

I started going to bed later to cure this. Mostly works. Also, stopped drinking alcohol, and drinking anything after about 8pm.

I read a tip here on a similar thread about having a "spare" magnesium capsule to take if you wake up in the night - so if you usually take two, have a third by your bed with a glass of water. I've done it a few times when I couldn't get back to sleep and it did usually work - possibly a placebo, but who cares if it works!

I have this problem because I always wake up too hot and then take off the quilt. I then wake up an hour later too cold. 🙄DS15 takes melatonin gummies which he says helps a bit.

Not sure why my reply was hidden!

I’m the same, it’s driving me insane. I find I lie there wide awake then just as my alarm is about to go off I start drifting off to sleep! It’s frustrating so I feel your pain and I’m following for any tips.

Even on hrt I was waking at 3/4 I'm off it now I've tried everything, I sleep alone so might not work for you but i stick a podcast on put it on sleep and it helps me drift back off to sleep.

I listen to an audio book (ones I know already) so my brain is distracted and I can doze to it. It is horrible though!

I often wake at 3 or 4am but don't wake up 'enough' to get up and do something. which I would be fine with as I'd love to go to the gym before dog walk and work but struggle to get up properly at 5.30 anyway! I just end up tossing and turning only falling into a deep sleep at about 5am then feel like shit for the whole day.

I just go to bed earlier. I've accepted that my body clock has just shifted. So I aim to be asleep by ten and get six hours sleep.

Yeah I'm in bed for 9.30 most nights to try and fit in as much sleep as possible 😴

Sorry OP, I’m the same and it’s such a struggle to get through the days I can’t get back to sleep. I now have a ‘Sleep’ hot chocolate before bed that has collagen, magnesium and L-theanine in it (got it from Holland & Barrett, the brand is PURA Collagen). The Ancient & Brave one is also very nice. It does seem to be helping a bit and I also listen to audiobooks when I really can’t get back to sleep. Stuff like Little Women, Jane Austen books, all quite soothing! Hope it improves for you.

I’m asleep most nights by ten, then wake around 4 for an hour or so, mumsnetting and watching soaps. I usually doze again around 5.30 until I get up around 6.30 to 7.

I recently got an eye mask/ snoozeband with built in headphones. I fall asleep to a calming audiobook or podcast set on a 15 or 30 min timer. If I wake in the night I just hit play again, it's already on my head and all lined up ready to go, I rarely stay away long once I'm listening.

I took Menopace ,not sure why but it did seem to help.

Crikey, there's a few of us!
I don't even need to look at the clock any more - just know it'll be 4 or close to it.
Usually can't get back to sleep so just lie there rotating between sweating and freezing my tits off...oh and thinking about all the things I've messed up in my life!
If I had my own bedroom I'd put the radio on or some sort of noise distraction, but I'm conscious of waking DH & DS up. Sounds seem to travel in this house.
I usually try to wait till the time starts with a 5 before I give up and get up.
Tried all sorts but haven't cracked a solution yet so a big sigh in solidarity with all.
Might have to start crawling into a quiet cupboard for an afternoon siesta!
Also sick of looking like a bag of spanners constantly. I've decided if I ever win the lottery I'm going full Joan Rivers and getting everything hoiked up and back. Don't care if it scares the horses, be better than tripping over my own face all day 😩

Um, sorry, that was one of my more depressing posts!😬

I find my sleep is a lot better when I get early morning light - 10 mins or so outside within 30 minutes of sunrise - it helps reset your circadian rhythm.

Which magnesium do you take please?

It's because you mentioned the G word, I found this out last week when posting about G to increase libido!!