Not getting enough sleep. Exhausted and anxious. Help!

[Hillsaremyhappyplace]

HRT has helped me in lots of ways but I’m still waking up early. I fall asleep easily and sleep through but I am always waking about 5 am. I am knackered! Last night I went to bed earlier but still only got the usual 5 1/2 hours sleep. I have been taking a magnesium supplement, but I’m not sure it’s made any difference. Any ideas? Thanks.

Is it magnesium glycinate?
Ive just learned to live on 5-6 hours, as that’s all I get. I’ve got a good consistent sleep routine, I don’t drink alcohol, but I just can’t sleep any longer.
Anxiety, although I don’t always recognise I’m anxious, makes mine worse. I have to admit to popping the occasional antihistamine if I’m working next day and I’m feeling anxious about it.

I take phenergen if I’ve got something at work I need to be really focused for but other than that & even with HRT I just get less sleep than I used too :/

@DustyLee123 thanks, yes it is magnesium glycinate. You sound like me. But I definitely need more than 5-6 hours as I feel so tired!

My husband is on night nurse for a cold and it’s tempting to take a swig!

Try adding more protein and more healthy fat to your diet. Women need healthy fats to produce hormones, and there is an amino acid in protein that is converted to melatonin, which helps regulate sleep.
More sun and red light exposure is supposed to help too.
Also, alcohol is a no go.

Best of luck!

Take a nap if you get the chance!

Promethazine (Sominex or Phenergan) knocks me out if I really cannot get to sleep.

Make yourself a nice bedtime routine and try to go to bed at the same time. Make sure the room is dark and a nice temperature and that the bed is comfortable. Think Goldilocks, without the breaking and entering, wilful destruction and porridge theft 🙂 Limit alcohol and caffeine. My routine is that once the bedroom door is closed I don't have to think about work, kids or anything other than sleep, reading, whatever until morning. If I think of stuff I need to do I type it into Google Notes and set a reminder. I massage my feet every night with foot cream with a couple of drops of lavender oil in. Then I listen to a podcast or audiobook.

As for supplements, you might find that an epsom salt bath is more beneficial and relaxing - you need to put plenty in. You absorb the magnesium through your skin.

I take marine collagen in the evening which also seems to help with sleep.

Two non medication things that helped me immensely. If you drink alcohol, even a small amount of, give up. And after realising that I had way better sleep in hotels than home, I made my bedroom extremely dark - all upstairs doors shut so stop light seepage, very thick blackout curtains and I also redecorated in a very dark colour (maybe don’t need to do the last one). I also started using white noise which was irritating at first but got used to quickly, blocked out any other random noise. Really worked for me, I do sometimes still wake very early but I can get back to sleep now.

And definitely this! I realised giving in to a Power Nap really helped in the early days.

A yoga, meditation or breathwork practice really helps also to keep cortisol down at times when it is unhelpful (4am!) and make sure you are not in fight or flight mode

Even a few minutes focusing on long, slow out breaths may be beneficial.

Hi OP, what do you do when you wake up at 5am? I went through this and I was reaching for my phone and scrolling, but that's the worst thing if you want to go back to sleep. Now I leave my phone downstairs and read a book when I wake up, that sends me back to sleep. Or you could try music / white noise / podcast.

After the first few years of this - I can’t take HRT - I changed jobs so I can start at 10 am and work until 8 pm.

Thanks all! Lots of good tips here. I don’t drink alcohol and I do eat plenty protein. I have one of those nail mats so I may try that before bed. The WiFi router has an annoying light so I may try and block that off. New earplugs. I wonder if we’ve got a mouse in the walls as I did hear something! 🐭 luckily it’s my day off today so I can have a quick nap.

I tried to go back to sleep for 45 minutes then gave up and went on my phone! I needed a pee(the magnesium glycinate is mixed with water which may be an issue half an hour before bed!)

Try yoga nidra podcasts? I've been using them and usually wake around 2 but am managing after a quick loo visit to go back to sleep after.

Absolutely to a Power Nap in the afternoon as well!

I'd been waking at 4am for ages and really struggling to get back to sleep, so, on the advice of a doctor friend who had been having the same problem, I tried using CBD drops. I've noticed a massive improvement in my sleep and I usually don't wake until my alarm goes off now. Bliss!

I'm one of these people that once I'm awake, I'm awake. Can never get back to sleep no matter what I do.

Yesterday I woke at 4am, today I woke at 5am. I rarely sleep past 6am, I'm always exhausted. I can flick between sleeping easily or not falling asleep for hours and hours yet still with the early wake ups.

Phenergan is excellent to aid sleeping, but beware if you have a predilection to restless leg syndrome it can make it worse. Unfortunately I do, sometimes I take it and it's knocks me out perfectly and other times it makes the RLS unbearable!!

Thanks everyone! The CBD drops- I’m a bit worried about addiction? I had issues with alcohol and haven’t drunk for 5 years. I definitely get addicted to things…

You have a WiFi router in your bedroom? That would drive me mad, i can hear the electricity from the phone charger and that's bad enough. Can you move it elsewhere?

Definitely cover the light on it if not. We used to have a caravan and I had to tape over all the diodes on the various electrical things or I couldn't sleep.

I sleep like the dead for 7hrs every night now.

Lots of vaginal oestrogen so no need for the loo
Glycinate - 450mg of elemental
Mirena coil - this made a huge difference to my sleep
I sleep under a summer weight feather duvet, wearing jogging bottoms and a vest and if it's cold a cashmere jumper. I literally am so comfortable at the moment. Oh and weirdly I've stopped using a duvet cover, the cotton was making things worse though I'm not sure how.
Separate duvet to DH.

I wake up nice and early but I'm in bed by 9pm so thats ideal. This morning I woke at 4.30 before my alarm but I was happy with that.

I sympathise OP, I'm often awake for hours in night and then fall asleep again at around 6am. Luckily my work is flexible and I can often start at 10am and work later. Not sure I'd be managing otherwise.

@Ilovelowry We have really thick walls so it was the only place to put it. I’ll maybe look at moving it. Dog was barking at 11pm. Husband started running a bath at 10.30. I feel rage this morning. Husband is booming around cheery and noisy! Had a great nights sleep apparently. I’ll look at all the tips. Thanks. Wish my husband would F off to work and leave me in peace.

Melatonin - I order 3mg online from iherb. Not over the counter in the UK but have never had a problem ordering it from overseas.

Hot bath before bed for at least 15 minutes - the drop in body temperature helps mimic sleep

I also use a Shakti acupressure mat which gives me surprisingly good sleep afterwards.

I have been an early bird for the last 2 decades and have given up trying to fight it and change my body clock and instead I adjust to it. That means I'm in bed by 10pm, fall asleep pretty quickly, and wake up sometimes between 5 and 6am so I get 7-8 hours sleep. When I wake up I go straight out on a walk with my dog and then when I get home I get ready for work and that's it. My day has started but I don't feel exhausted.

I use an aurora lamp that links to my phone and plays 'sleep' music.
If that fails, I stick a Netflix film on and fall asleep in minutes.😂

Interesting that oestrogen stops loo visits.

I'm not sure that would work for me as I've always needed to go for a wee once in the night, even as a kid.