Waking up at 3 & 4.00am

kmjog · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 7

Hello,

I suffer from an anxiety disorder called OCD. I take anti-depressants which are supposed to help you sleep. I have no problems falling asleep. I go to bed usually by 9.00pm. For several months I have been waking up at 3 or 4.00am totally unable to go back to sleep. I get up and go on the computer. I do feel tired later. I have used a prescription sleeping pill from time to time. It only works once in a while. PLEASE any suggestions would be appreicated.

Sleepy in Calif.
Kathy Martin

<Mary> · Guest

Hi, I just discovered this website and am a chronic "bad sleeper". If you go to sleep at 9 and wake up at 3-4, that's 6-7 hours of sleep. That's good!!! Maybe that's all your body needs. But you should shift it to 12 to 6-7 am. Then you won't feel like you've been awake for hours before the day begins. I think too much is made of the magic 8 hours of sleep a night rule.

Atypical · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Posts: 15

Hello Kathy,it's Geri (sleepgone).

I just read you past post and a question comes to mind from my experience with OCD.

First, I've been reading and researching when I can. Many say 6-7 hours of sleep is enough if it's quality, restorative sleep. Some need 9 hours, that may be you, I don't know. I think you need to experiment because it's hell to wake up at 3-4 a.m. regardless.

Does your OCD that you mentioned affect your sleep? When I was working I used to get up and check the clock like a zillion times, afraid I hadn't set it right and would miss work, everytime I started to feel beautiful sleep I would jump up. I think that's partly how I conditioned myself to lose my sleep process. I just wondered why you mentioned OCD.

For what it's worth, I also read that people live longer who sleep less than 8 hours if its' quality sleep. We need delta, or deep sleep and REM or dream sleep. I have none of either but I thought I'd throw that in.

Take care and write anytime. I haven't left my home in 2 weeks, having a rough time.

Geri

kmjog · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 7

Hello Sleepgone,

thanks for your informative information about sleep. I am so sorry that you are having a rough time of it. Feel free to write to me at kmjog_2000@yahoo.com. I haven't been waking up too much at 2.00 or 3.00am. Some nights I go to bed at 9.00pm and wake up about 4.00am. I just don't know how to retrain my body cycle into more restful sleep.
Kathy

John Walker · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 1

Hi, I'm John (night-hawk-surfer).

I wake up all the time around 3-4AM.
I'm not on any medication now, so I don't know if this works for you. One night I was driving myself up the wall looking at the time. I started searching the web for a solution. My doctor has prescribed some sleeping pills but I hate taking them.

Anyway, have you tried relaxation/hypnosis tapes? There's actually loads around you can find. I even found one site where you can download the audio directly(calmsleep.com). Even if you order the CD/tape, you get a free download so you get it straight away. You can find loads more if you search for "guided relaxation".

I've tried this particular one for a couple of weeks and when I use it I usually sleep through the night. The thing is to bother to put the headphones on...

Anyway, I'd think it's worth the try, It works for me.

Take care and best of luck,

John

Desilu · Joined: 24 May 2003 Posts: 2

The "relaxation route" creeps me out. I don't like being introverted, which, despite what it says, is what the relaxation route does to me "Am i relaxed yet?" "how do I know when it's working?" and all that... I don't think - on the inside - that my outlook on life, or my relaxation level has anything to with my sleeping trouble.

What I do like and that works for me is trying to fix myself up health-wise. It works really well, and then I trip it up by being a "bad girl" (coffee, sugar, etc...). I have to religiously take a full gamut of vitamins every morning, high quality ones, too, from a vegetable source, not something else(vitamin B is usually derived from the slaughtering process in animals, so it's vegetable source for me). They work better too. Vitamin B complex is really the key to everything for me, as far as sleeping at night goes, if I remember to take it every morning. Has to be taken with a decent C, too.

Also, there is an herbal formulation I take sometimes that really really works for me. My dad told me about it. Anyone wants to know about it, let me know. I don't want anyone thinking I'm an advertiser or something by posting the url again.

Basically, even if the relaxation route could work for me, I accomplish the same sense of calm and togetherness just from keeping myself really really healthy. Yoga helps me out, too, but I only do THAT in the mornings... Seems like the only times I sleep well, is if I start my day properly. Maybe the key to everything is the right START to your day?

scrumdum · Joined: 30 Nov 2002 Posts: 9

for Desilu. how can I contact you to find out your Dad's herbal program for sleep? I'm a CPAP user and am still up at 3-4 a.m. after only 2-3 hrs. sleep.