Anyone else wake early...and can’t get back to sleep?

RedfordML · 24 April 2019 at 5:59AM

I think it’s a little to do with natural job stress...

But I’m waking at 4.30-5am every morning when the alarm doesn’t go off till 7! I’m just lie there and can’t get back off!

Any tips of ideas that might help my sleep patterns?

Thanks

[Deleted User] · 24 April 2019 at 6:05AM

I do this, it's sleep maintenance insomnia. I used this course through the nhs https://www.sleepio.com/
Pretty good for a few weeks but I'm starting to wake earlier again now.

getmore4less · 24 April 2019 at 6:55AM

I wake early(at my age it's to pee) and found that I can't get back to sleep mind racing.

I stopped trying just get up and do stuff, 5am this morning after a bed time of 11:30pm

If you have things on your mind try to cross them off the list.

Get jobs done that would be done at other time if you can make this regular/routine your new getting up time just becomes earlier.

Paper work(budget, checking accounts, to do lists etc.) can be a good to focus on something different.

Research stuff like next holiday or any project you might have coming up around your house.

Catch up MSE or any other regular sites you use

Do some random browsing on something you have an interest in.

If there are job related things causing stress can you work on those out of the work place, might not be doing the job but could be related activities like planning and priorities today I will get X and Y done, Z waits till tomorrow.
What is it at work that is bothering you?

Another activity I sometimes do is binge watch TV, catch up on the programs the others in the house don't like to watch.
if more general TV that does not need focus I sometimes do ironing at the same time.

If you catch yourself falling asleep in the evening that can disrupt sleep,
I try to go to bed as soon as I start nodding off now even if really early like 9pm.

If I stop drinking fluids early it can delay the morning pee so good if I have had a few days with 6hrs or less sleep it helps a catch up.

With the mornings being light I like to get up earlier anyway.

Morata_ · 24 April 2019 at 7:24AM

Yes, solely work stresses and feeling desperate as I don’t know what to do* (*see my other thread!) it’s brutal. It has to be that as during the Easter break,
I slept really well and didn’t wake one morning worrying or stressed as I wasn’t at work. (I work in schools!)

Ozzuk · 24 April 2019 at 9:22AM

I get this occassionally, if it is really bad then get up as Get' suggested. Other things I try, write a story in your head often a few minutes of that will make me drop off. Writing a list of everything your mind is another good one.

Finally, I often embrace it - tell yourself you are warm, resting, and this is a good thing, I often drop off then or at least enjoy it more.

It is all about distraction.

Manxman_in_exile · 24 April 2019 at 11:16AM

Ozzuk wrote: »

I get this occassionally, if it is really bad then get up as Get' suggested. Other things I try, write a story in your head often a few minutes of that will make me drop off. Writing a list of everything your mind is another good one.

Finally, I often embrace it - tell yourself you are warm, resting, and this is a good thing, I often drop off then or at least enjoy it more.

It is all about distraction.

I agree with Getmore4less and Ozzuk. Get up and do something until 7am. or just accept it and try to rest. I also find listening to the World Service or 5 Live can be a useful distraction, although it can sometimes be counter-productive!

I spent a week in hospital during February and found it difficult to sleep. One night I was listening to Radio 5 and at about 5am they broadcast a preview of the next programme which was of interest to me and I thought "Great - I'll listen to that..." Five minutes later I was fast asleep!

libra10 · 24 April 2019 at 4:03PM

I often wake before 5am and get up, make a cup of tea and watch BBC1. Also surf the net or read.

It's great to enjoy a couple of hours peace before my family get up and the day begins.

Teapot55 · 24 April 2019 at 4:16PM

The thing is, if you haven't had your eight hours, you might not want to get up & stay up at 5am!

One of my solutions when it happens to me is to find a different place to sleep for the rest of the night (an understanding partner is useful for this option). In my case on our super-comfortable long sofa downstairs with my warm dressing-gown on & a silky-soft, warm throw over me & yes, the BBC World Service (not R4 though as I am allergic to it nowadays until after 10am). Works for me; you may find a variation of this that would work for you.

The other solution is to plan ahead as if you are going to be waking up at 5am and go to bed eight hours beforehand. If you don't wake at 5, win-win.

(I would countenance against cutting out fluids, as one reply said, as that could concentrate the urine in your bladder & give you extra problems). :think:

Claddagh_Noir · 24 April 2019 at 4:52PM

I usually wake in the night to go for a wee!! So annoying. I have one of those eye mask things and it works wonders for me. I also listen to an Alan Patridge audiobook on low volume, his voice helps me relax an drift of back to sleep!

On the weekend I will listen to Karl Pilkington, doesn't help with Ricky Gervais and his disgusting laugh! :rotfl::rotfl:

getmore4less · 24 April 2019 at 6:49PM

Teapot55 wrote: »

(I would countenance against cutting out fluids, as one reply said, as that could concentrate the urine in your bladder & give you extra problems). :think:

Not if you are sensibly hydrated.

Some of us are drinking plenty throughout the day stopping for a couple of hours before going to bed won't concentrate urine much.

For a 11 to 7 sleep it is far more successful if you reduce fluid intake from around 9pm if you are finding yourself waking for a pee.

if urine is getting darker drink more during the day early evening

jonnygee2 · 24 April 2019 at 6:50PM

Not at the moment but it has happened to me when work or life has gotten more stressful. Not normally I wake up about 3,start thinking about something at work, then my heart rate rises and stress starts to increase, then I can't sleep again.

One thing that helps me manage this is to spend the last 10 minutes of each day planning the next. I write all my outstanding tasks down and then prioritise them on a little graph with Urgency and importance as the two axis (yep, a new graph every day!). I also list stuff that maybe isn't a task, but is stressing me out or making me feel !!!!, and I make it a high priority task to solve it, normally something like 'speak to Rob about him being late' or 'call Mo about that aggressive email he sent' etc.

Then I number them and then make a little checklist of stuff to do tomorrow, and leave this on my desk.

For some reason this act considerably reduces the amount of stress I experience after work, and makes me think about work less overall when at home. I think perhaps it's just having a handle on everything that's going on and how it's making me feel.

Anyone else wake early...and can’t get back to sleep?

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free