Can't sleep

[Loco]

I know it's important to get sleep so the body can grow, but I have been having a problem lately where I often wake up at some point in the night. I would rather be able to sleep at least eight hours non stop. Tonight I went to sleep and then woke up...and then went back to sleep and then woke up again. It is not even the time I had planned to wake up. It is still very early(only 3:30 AM).

[Aielyn]

Obviously, the first question is, why did you wake up? You need to think about that for a while.

If you tend to wake up very easily at even slight sounds, you may not be sleeping deeply enough. If you tend to wake up very suddenly, on the other hand, you may have some form of sleep apnoea. Do you snore? It's a common symptom of sleep apnoea.

And, of course, you also need to think about the mental side - do you have anything major on your mind, recently? Something that could be inducing a mental state that has you waking up early?

Another relevant question is, how long has it been taking you to get to sleep in the first place? Are you falling asleep quickly, or do you tend to lie in bed for quite a while, trying to sleep, before eventually falling asleep?

More important than anything else, though, is this - do you feel at all sleepy or otherwise tired right now (or rather, "then", since this was over 3 hours ago), having woken up without getting a full night's sleep? If you feel fully awake, then it's not an issue - your body had gotten enough sleep, and woke up. If, on the other hand, you woke up, but feel like continuing to sleep, then there's some issue.

[Ragetiger]

I had simular events happen like this before too. The main culpuit is that I had overslept the night before. It doesn't seem like much, but when I go beyond 8 hours of sleep I won't go to bed on my normal time or will wake up early.

If this takes place only once in a blue moon, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Howver, if this issue continues for more than one night, start looking for causes for sleeplessness.

[The Magus]

I recommend talking with your doctor and seeing if he can arrange a sleep study for you. It may be sleep apnea or some other issue.

One thing I've read, though, is that a normal sleep cycle can involve waking up midway through the night and then dozing intermittently the rest of the night, especially as we get older.

One thing to pay attention to is how you feel the next day. Are your energies low, do you feel tired or irritable?

But at the end of the day, your doctor is still the best person to talk with. I have sleep apnea, and when I was heavier and still drinking I did a sleep study and found out that I had stopped breathing more than 200 times in the night! Hearing that REALLY helped me quit drinking and focus on my health, and I'm sleeping a lot better now.

[bigun]

Try using ZMA and / or melatonin before bed. It helps promote deep sleep, and the ZMA will raise your testosterone and give you awesome morning wood

[jclikestoplay]

I think we all come across this problem once in a while. I for one had a very bad sleeping habit when August came and work suddenly spiked. Naturally, my circadian rhythm was disturbed because of unforeseen mandatory overtimes.

So what I suggest (and this is what I did) make your sleeping room more comfortable. You may already be tired of its set up, and you need a more relaxing ambience. Turn off your smartphone and put it away from your bedroom. Have a light meal and preferably drink milk as well before hitting the sack. If you could allow yourself a 10-minute workout or a yogic session, the better. And lastly, shut yourself off the happenings outside your room, leave your worries behind. or simply before going to bed, make sure that you have done all your chores, so worrying about something that needs to be done will not be the last thing on your mind before you go to dreamland.

[redwolf64]

These are all good suggestions - melatonin can help and the suggestions in the last post have worked for me.

I'd also take a look at your bedroom to see if there are distractions there waking you up at night - maybe there are lights from cars that pass by or a streetlamp outside and the room isn't dark enough.

I'm more of a night person and have to force myself to go to bed early for the job that I have, especially during Daylight Savings (or Darkness Wasting Time, as I call it). It's helped me to have going to bed as a kind of ritual where I give myself some time to wind down - I read, meditate or do other things to separate the cares of the day from the time for rest.

[rupom]

If this takes place only once in a blue moon, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Howover, if this issue continues for more than one night, start looking for causes for sleeplessness.

[RosettaWood]

Originally Posted by Loco

I know it's important to get sleep so the body can grow, but I have been having a problem lately where I often wake up at some point in the night. I would rather be able to sleep at least eight hours non stop. Tonight I went to sleep and then woke up...and then went back to sleep and then woke up again. It is not even the time I had planned to wake up. It is still very early(only 3:30 AM).

Hi,
Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well. When you wake up or can?t get to sleep, take note of what seems to be the recurring theme. That will help you figure out what you need to do to get your stress and anger under control during the day.
-Rosetta