I get up between 5-5:50 so I try to go to bed by 9:30. I usually read a bit and am asleep by 10 or shortly after. Unfortunately I have the problem of waking up a few hours later and not being able to go back to sleep. This usually happens a few times a week and seems to be tied to stress.
Has anyone tried a Himalayan salt lamp? My SIL says it helps her sleep.
7 - 8 hours now. I had insomnia bad for years during my 40’s and took ambien, perimenopausal I think. Since then I, I have bouts of it, but won’t take ambien anymore. I have found when I exercise regularly, I sleep much better. If I go several days without, I start having problems. I now take 3 mg melatonin when I have problems, about 3 times a month. Sometimes more. I just don’t want to get into a habit of taking them. OP, do you exercise? When I do have it, I give myself an hour to get back to sleep. If I don’t, I get up and go downstairs and read. A book is the best. It might be a couple hours, but I’ll get sleepy eventually and want to lay down. This was more of an issue when I worked more, I would feel more stress to sleep. Now I don’t.
I have suffered from various forms of insomnia for several decades. I have tried melatonin at different strengths and other different OTC treatments. None really helped. I have found that if I take the time to soak in a tub with lavender essential oil and epsom salt and try to meditate while in the tub I can usually fall asleep. The problem is having the time at the end of the day to follow this routine. The waking at night is a different matter. I have started using a diffuser with essential oils and I love my silk pillowcase that stays cool but I have been waking up anytime between 2:30 and 4:30 AM and unable to fall back asleep. I think H’s snoring is also a big part of the problem. In the end I guess I get anywhere from 4.5 to 6 hours a night
I average 7-8 on weekdays and a little more on weekends. I too listen to podcasts while I fall asleep. I set it to go off at the end. If I do wake up in the night it’s usually 2-4 then I’ll turn it back on and fall back to sleep. I have been thru stressful times and had issues waking at night when my brain won’t stop. It makes me even more stressed when I worry that I’m not sleeping.
@NorthMinnesota, here’s what solved that problem for me!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003C7OQ7G/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It’s not really his snoring, it’s the whistling from the mask on his CPAP machine. But these smaller size earplugs work wonders.
5-6 hours usually. Anything more than that leaves me feeling groggy.
Also I would be careful about melatonin supplements. Desensitization of the hormone can occur with long term use.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9406047
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/van-winkles/the-dark-side-of-melatoni_b_8855998.html
Having gone through a period of pretty bad insomnia myself a few years ago, I found that practicing mindfulness (as cheesy as that sounds) was by far the most effective treatment (my doctor at the recommended it). My insomnia went away completely without ever touching a sleeping pill.
I wouldn’t have thought the suggested dosage is so low. At my local big box store they sell 1,3,5 and 10 mg bottles of melatonin.
Re: Melatonin. It’s been several years since I’ve read Dr. Micheal Terman’s (Columbia U) book on circadian rhythms, but I recall the book making an argument for microdoses of melatonin, perhaps not available at that time?
I’ve gotten a lot of good info from CET.org — mostly product recommendations for Light Therapy when the days get short. But, of course, the study of circadian rhythms includes sleep quaility too!
I read Chronotherapy: Resetting Your Inner Clock to Book Mood, Alertness, and Quality Sleep.
I also see Reset Your Inner Clock: The Drug-Free Way to Your Best-Ever Sleep, Mood and Energy. Not sure what the difference in the books.
When I click on the Amazon link, I also see in the “Customers Also Bought” section a link to Life Extension Melatonin in a microdose of 300 mcg
Hope this helps.
I wonder if the microdose of melatonin is purely psychological. 1 mg does nothing for most people.
I tried melatonin and it didn’t work for me. Then I tried taking it about 4-5 hours before bedtime. Still no luck.
My friend swear by tart cherry juice.
A good “nuclear” option for fragmented sleep and adjusting body clock is sleep restriction therapy. You can look up instructions online… It’s part of cognitive behavioral therapy.
The only thing is, it can be tough to stick to (3-5 weeks of persistent effort), but as long as you have the willpower, it works wonders, IMO.
The microdoses may work better than higher doses. Higher doses lead to irritability. I split the 1 mg. Mindfulness works better for me but I get lazy and don’t practice. There are programs on-line for cognitive behavioral therapy. I am not a fan of cbtforsleep.com which is less expensive. They won’t tell you anything without a sleep journal and only accepts word format. I think I will try shuti.com. It is more expensive and it’s what the sleep clinics use.