I'm so tired of

[Bullfeathers]

not getting a full night sleep anymore. I wake up at 2 and can’t go back to sleep and then I’m exhausted all day.

Is anyone having this issue ? If so what are you doing about it?
Any advice would be appreciated
😫

[Sympthsical]

1. Exercise?

I used to work out regularly. Then Covid hit, the gyms closed, I started working from home. Maybe it was the anxiety. But the lack of physical outlet just left me feeling restless. Tired, but restless. I'd go to bed and wake up two hours later. Go to sleep. Up two hours later. This had been going on all year.

Gym finally re-opened. I made sure I got exercise everyday. Suddenly started just conking out around 11pm pretty soundly.

Even if it's just walks.

It does make a difference, if you can do it.

[Bullfeathers]

2. Every two hours

sounds right. Ugh 🤦‍♀️
Interesting I was talking about my lack of exercise with my therapist last week. After excepting the fact I wasn’t going to get any relaxing medication we turned to exercise . Prior to all of this I loved Jazzercise and went 5 days a week

Thanks for the push I needed it.

[SheltieLover]

3. I read when this happens

Welcome to DU!

[KT2000]

4. I hear that

from several friends. Sorry I don't have advice - sometimes it takes investigating to figure out what is going on. Don't use technology for a couple hours before going to bed; don't drink alcohol or do exercise before going to bed. Don't watch TV in your bedroom. For women, it could be menopause symptoms. For some it could be taking a nap during the day. Taking certain addictive drugs such as opioids or antidepressants at the wrong time of day can leave a person with withdrawal symptoms at bedtime.

[Raine]

5. It happens to me continually. I take melatonin, it will work for awhile

but after taking it for week or so it losses it's effectiveness. I will then let a few days go by then it will be effective again. Trying to sleep is a concern, waking up every few hours and then not being able to fall asleep for another couple hours is the pitts. Often just I give up and turn the TV on or look at the internet

[ailsagirl]

6. I sure do

Can’t say I have any advice.

PS For me, melatonin does nothing.

[Rorey]

12. Same here about the melatonin

One thing that has seemed to help me overall is magnesium.

Obviously it's not working right now.

[Deb]

7. A Dodow has worked well for my husband.

Not foolproof but it works most nights. We share a bed and the light doesn't wake me.
https://www.mydodow.com

[Phoenix61]

22. Interesting. Even more interesting is how much

of high-school/college French I remember.

[11 Bravo]

37. No parlez.

[True Blue American]

8. Same here.

By 6PM I am shot. But being back in the pool exercising is helping.

Early riser though. Never be any different.

Getting ready now for 6AM class.

[Rorey]

13. Same here

I enjoy getting up early. Just not THIS early. It's 3:35 here. Just before dawn is perfect for me, but that's two hours away.

[True Blue American]

23. The time change is killing.

Ready for bed before dark.

[Rorey]

26. For me it's the afternoon that's the worst

Then I get a second wind in the evening.

I'll get some exercise today. We got a pretty bad hailstorm yesterday, so I have a lot of cleanup to do.

[Grokenstein]

9. I was just having a similar problem. Turned out: sugar!

https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/surprising-signs-youre-eating-too-much-sugar/

I let an overdose of sugar slip into my nighttime eats, and it was giving me "restless leg" syndrome, making me jump out of bed after a couple of hours' sleep, and leaving me durrrrrrrrrrrrrrr all day long and unable to go back to sleep. I'm an Old now, I can't eat crap and then conk out like I used to. Cut back hard on the refined sugar, my leg stopped being antsy and I started sleeping soundly again.

[Bullfeathers]

10. Ok change right

Now! I’m changing my lifestyle. I want to sleep. When I’ve accomplished this I will make a post.
I’ve had it!

Thank you for all your responses

[Rorey]

11. I feel your pain

It's 3:20 here and I've been awake for an hour.

I was doing pretty good for quite awhile, making it until 5 a.m., but now about once or twice a week I've been waking up WAY too early and can't get back to sleep.

A few years ago I had severe insomnia. I tried OTC sleep medication, marijuana edibles, and practically eliminating caffeine. Going for a good walk every day helped, and another thing that helped was meditation. There are a ton of guided meditation videos online. Not all were good for me, but I finally found one that was very helpful and started doing it every night. I got so used to it that I didn't have to use the video anymore.

But that worked for falling asleep in the first place. I can't seem to get into that mode when I wake up after just a couple of hours of sleep. But maybe something like that will work for you anyway.

[smb]

14. I've Found That Low-Level White Noise From A Fan Helps A Lot

That just leaves the cats' antics -- when I retire in a few years I'll have to train them to not expect breakfast at 5 AM.

[catsudon]

15. ambien

ask your doctor to see if ambien is right for you.

warning: not for long term use,,,, source: me as a former addict

[secondwind]

17. Unisom is good also, not habit forming. Half a pill is enough.

[ailsagirl]

35. I have tried ambien

Last edited Mon May 17, 2021, 09:29 PM - Edit history (1)

It was trippy. I’ll never use it again. Used to use restoril. My doctor made me go off it. Now it’s just toughing it out. 🙄😑

[catsudon]

38. that is how hyponotic works.

it put you into a dream state almost immediately. and if you force yourself to stay awake (how people abuses it), you will hallucinate like in a dream. which also explains how people have amnesia afterwards like you normally do forgetting your dreams after waking.

yes it is trippy. and really really bad if you're addicted to it.

[ailsagirl]

40. That explains my reaction

[BeerBarrelPolka]

16. I've been

I've been like this for years. Nothing, absolutely nothing, has helped me. From prescription meds, to herbal, to you name it. I am physically fit, no sugar, quiet room, etc.

[TraceNC]

18. Yes! It started for me within the last couple of years.

One thing I’ve been trying lately is to not use my phone or iPad about two hours before bed. Also, trying to adjust my sleeping pattern back to “normal.” I have a bad habit of staying up until 1am or so, often looking at my phone or iPad.

Lately I’ve put those aside around 9pm and I try to sleep around 11 or 11:30. It’s not easy to break these habits, but on nights when I’ve done these two things I’ve slept a little better and felt a little better the next day.

I need to eat better and incorporate some kind of daily exercise (even if some days just a short walk or something). I have an ankle problem so too much impactful exercise will be a problem and I’m planning to get a bicycle so it will be a little easier on the ankle and not pounding the pavement with steps. And now I’m rambling. I hope you’re able to find some solutions that work for you.

[True Blue American]

24. If you can get in a pool

Much better. I just finished and am ready for the day. Follow up appointment for my Laser surgery to relive pressure on my eye. It was absolutely nothing. A few clicks it was over.

[TraceNC]

32. That's my longer term goal.

I was a competitive swimmer from age 12 through high school. Really miss the water. Just feel like I want to lose a little weight first. I know. It’s vain.

[littlemissmartypants]

19. White noise. You can get a fairly inexpensive sound machine.

I have one that has a variety of sounds like the ocean, rain and other various sounds. Also, melatonin mentioned before. I try to avoid benadryl because it has been associated with dementia and is an anticholinergic.

I have completely cut caffeine and chocolate consumption out after 1500 hours every day, too. Sometimes you have to try different things and see what works best. I read somewhere that eating artichokes can help with sleep, of all things.

Some people swear by establishing sleep hygiene or routine before bed but that may not work for the situation you mentioned, early waking. I read one research study that claimed that a consistent temperature of 66° is optimal for sleep.

If you are close to a university, check their psychology department and see if they have a sleep study program or can refer you to a practitioner in sleep study for an assessment.

The Sleep Foundation is a great resource.* I wish you lots of luck. I know how frustrating what you are experiencing can be. Stay encouraged. ❤


* https://www.sleepfoundation.org/

[littlemissmartypants]

20. And btw, welcome to DU. nt

[gab13by13]

21. If you snore,

request a sleep apnea test. You can do it yourself at home if you wish. Just a suggestion, I don't know your age and I'm just an internet doctor. I had one done at home because I was cured of A-fib and sleep apnea can be related to A-fib so I didn't want any more A-fib so I had the test done, I had 18 occurrences where I stopped breathing, which is just moderate sleep apnea. I now use a Cpap machine, most people love them, I hate it, but I do sleep now without waking, unless I have a bad dream.

[GoCubsGo]

25. Midnite, a weighted blanket, blue blockers...

I had similar issues when I was going through the change, which was compounded by stress from my life going to complete shit. Up at 3 AM, couldn't fall back asleep. It went on for years. And, part of the problem was stressing out about not being able to fall back asleep. I started taking MidNite, which is a drug-free sleep aid that is widely available. It helped a lot. I also purchased a weighted blanket, which was a godsend. It took a few days to get used to it, but now, when I do wake up, I usually fall back asleep within a half hour. My life is still a huge pile of shit, but at least I'm getting decent sleep most nights, instead of being up for hours ruminating.

Your technology might also be part of the problem. Blue light from TVs, phones, computers, etc. does a number on one's sleep patterns. Turn it off an hour or so before bed time. Or, at the very least get some blue blocker glasses, or install blue filters on your devices, such as f.lux. Some devices already have similar software built in. My Fire tablet has a "bedtime" setting that does just that.

[USALiberal]

41. midnight is melatonin and herbs. nt

[2naSalit]

27. I take naps...

When I need them, that helps a lot.

[lark]

28. 25 years ago got a new high stress job and I couldn't sleep.

Tried everything over the counter and only Kava Kava worked, but then it was pulled off the shelves here because it's toxic in the presence of alcohol. If you can get kava kava and don't drink, it is the bomb! So, I was literally awake for 72 hours and ran into a wall and knocked myself out. I started trying prescription pills - Ambien, Valium, Elavil etc. but those caused me to feel badly hungover the next day and required greater doses to work in a very short time. What I finally found works best for me is pot. I still have the same inability to get to sleep and to stay asleep, but smoking a strong Indica at night works - even during periods of high stress though I do smoke an extra bowl then.

[HAB911]

29. It makes biological sense to have segmented sleep

If the mid-afternoon siesta has some roots in our evolutionary history, it may be that it served to conserve energy resources and help our ancestors lay low during the hot mid-day sun on the savannas of Africa where weak, slow, formerly tree-inhabiting humans were very vulnerable. At night, they would have been extremely vulnerable in deep sleep, so a period of wakefulness during which they could make sure they were safe made sense.

Many reasons

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sleepless-in-america/201609/in-the-middle-the-night-it-may-be-natural

[smirkymonkey]

30. Yes, absolutely.

A huge problem for me, although this might be a question better posted in the DU Lounge. Just an FYI for future reference.

I am currently running on about 2 hours of sleep, which is pretty normal for me on a Monday since I go by my normal sleep/wake cycle on the weekend, which is to stay up very late and wake up very late. But it really messes me up for the work week. I am WFH still, so I might have to take a little nap around lunchtime. I don't mind working later to make up the time, since I don't have to commute.

I have thought about getting prescription sleeping pills, but I am worried about the side effects and the expense (for the better ones). Maybe I should rethink it. Might be worth it.

However, there are a lot of things one can do to make it easier, but it would require seeing an doctor, therapist or sleep specialist to examine one's habits to see why there might be a problem.

Anyway, good luck with your insomnia and I hope you get some worthy responses!

[Iggo]

31. Yep. Not a lot, but often enough. Maybe a couple times per month.

I put a documentary on. Usually any one will do, but I try to find something with a low droning narrator’s voice. Lose the extra pillow. Watch it sideways with the blankets pulled up over my chin. Anything about archeology in Egypt works the best. All that sand.

[Treefrog]

33. I do that too. Or listen to Audible books I buy for that purpose.

British royal history is a favorite lol. I also have a white noise machine, and melatonin works wonders for me. Lots of exercise during the day.

[Golden Raisin]

34. Also having this issue.

Don't know what to pin it on: advancing age (early 70s), body-sleep patterns changing, Pandemic, gym closure, medications, diet, evil sleep spirits? My gym is still closed so I go outside every day and walk, walk, walk --- to get some fresh air and exercise. Still waking up at 2 or 3am and then great difficulty in returning to sleep. Super annoying and tiring.

[skypilot]

36. My sleeping problem was a little different from yours.

I wouldn't wake up and not be able to get back to sleep, I would have a terrible time falling asleep to begin with. The thing that worked for me (and hopefully can work for you) was iodized salt. While trying to find a fix for my insomnia I stumbled upon a website that listed the symptoms of iodine deficiency. I was exhibiting every symptom, with insomnia being the worst one. I simply replaced my non-iodized salt with iodized salt and also bought a bottle of iodine supplement from The Vitamin Shoppe. I would put several dashes of salt in some water sometime before going to bed. It worked like a charm for me. At first, I was afraid that it might just be a placebo effect but it has been about three years now and I have not had problems sleeping. If you don't have any issues with salt you might want to give it a try.

[RegularJam]

39. I am struggling with the same thing.

I currently have some additional stress in my life, as many of us do, and during the pandemic I stopped eating right and exercising.

Screwed myself with the not eating right and exercise. I can sleep well through periods of stress if I just take care of those two areas.