Problems getting a full night sleep

jozi

Not sure if this is the right secton but hoping someone can help.

For the past while I've been having trouble getting a full night sleep. I tend to wake up a couple of time throughout the night. For some reason usually around 3-4 and again at six. Most of them time just after 7 as well but I get up at 730 so not really to bothered about that.

I moved into an apartment about 2 months ago when I really started to notice a patern of waking up, before this I shared a room with my then GF. I've often complained to her I could never sleep but I'm putting this down to not having a patern. Usually try get to bed before 12, some/most nights falling a sleep can take me longer than 20-30mins.

I'm not sure if it's something outside waking me up (ducks or cars?) or something of a habit that I need to shake. Anyone got any advice or anything as I can feel quite tired at times in work which is never realy good.

Thanks,
Jozi

yaya*

Are you stressed or feeling anxious about something? The reason I ask is that I read somewhere that waking up at 3/4 is usually a sign of having something on your mind?

If you've recently moved into a new apartment, it might be that you're still settling into your new surroundings?

jwilldub

sometimes sleep patterns are affected by what you're doing during the day.

are you eating well?
are you getting enough exercise?
are you working late?
are you stressed out about something?

if you're not tired when you go to bed, don't go to bed and lie there trying to go to sleep. get up and do something relaxing. read a book.

if you have time, go for a brisk walk for about 20 minutes in the evening. the air & the exercise will do ya good.

make sure the bed is warm, particularly your feet because that can wake u.

the room should be dark.

do not have the radio or tv on in bed, as they are stimulants and keep the mind awake.

don't drink coffee or anything with caffeine after 4.30 in the afternoon.

if you're stressed out about something, try writing about it for five minutes only, then throw the paper away and focus on something else. don't spend any longer, dwelling on it.

can't think of anything else

Oryx

A cold bedroom is easier to sleep in.

We have a sleeping and dreaming forum, you may get some tips there.

appleb

Op, I will follow this thread with great interest as I am exactly the same. I used to sleep like a log but I am getting progressively worse. I lie awake most nights for a couple of hours, maybe more. Its driving me mad!!

Miaireland

I was having a similar problem recently. I found I was waking at night and two or three times and not being able to get back to sleep for ages.

I've found that I sleep better if the room is not very hot and went down to a lighter quilt. I sleep with ear plugs in. If I do wake up I do not turn on the light or look at the clock. I know that sounds strange but I found that I was getting stressed out by looking at the clock thinking well if I have to be up in two hours etc.

LegacyUser

Might you be waking up as you need to use the toilet?

Sometimes I wake up needing a wizz.

Overheal

I can't sleep a wink if I feel like I haven't done something important. Next time you can't sleep, do some housework: that's usually what I'm neglecting at any given time

John Mason

i wake at 4am nearly everynight - its so weird

how long do you wake you for, is it just a few mins or hours

jozi

Thanks for the replies above, I'll try answer some question above.

Eating, could probably do better here. It's usually some veg with spuds and the ocasional fillet or fishfingers, when it isn't it's more often than not pasta with sauce and sometime some veg mixed in. MAybe pizza 1x a week.

Exercise, since moving in here I've got plenty of cycling. I've a good 20-30 min cycle to/from work depending on how fast I cycle. Most exercise I've had in years!

Working late, not really. I get home late-ish some evenings and don't endup eating till 8-9 sometime nearer 10.

Stress, not sure about this one. I know I got stress when I was in college (subconsciously as I'm normally quite laidback and easy going) but that finished before June for good. I guess work might have something to do with it. There's a bit of uncertainty of how much longer I'll hae work for, but then again if it finished up tomorrow I'd be back home working on the car and planning a move back to Holland.

I do remember waking up last night from a dream in which I had forgotten something or something obviously related to work I used to get this from time to time in college with projects that had been going for quite some time and ended up taking up a lot of my time.

Tea/coffee I don't drink so no issues there, I tend to stay away from the likes of coke etc in the evenings to.

I know in the past looking at the clock could make me more aware of being awake and how a lack of sleep isn;t going to make me perform, for example, a exam as well or something else. Lately though its been more of a 1 eye open for a glans at the clock to see have i long to go for the alarm to go of.

Needing to use the bathroom is possible, on the occassion that i do go for a wizz i think I usually fall a sleep again very soon, not 100% sure though on this one.

I can't remember but I think I sleep better at my parents house, usually a colder room, no clock but a heavier duvet, always awake early though when I'm home, even after a night out.

I'm going to unplug the clock this evening and see does that help. Will have a look at the dreaming forum, didnt even know there was one on here

jozi

irishbird wrote: »

i wake at 4am nearly everynight - its so weird

how long do you wake you for, is it just a few mins or hours

Usually a few mins but I find it wakes my up enough not to sleep very deeply after and the littlest thing can wake me up then.

Overheal

I do remember waking up last night from a dream in which I had forgotten something or something obviously related to work I used to get this from time to time in college with projects that had been going for quite some time and ended up taking up a lot of my time.

I can't remember but I think I sleep better at my parents house, usually a colder room, no clock but a heavier duvet, always awake early though when I'm home, even after a night out.

Life is simpler at your family home.

What does your work entail? Are you constantly juggling a workflow across days and weeks? Are you setting yourself up in the afternoons/evenings for the next day or are you always left bleeding out the ears when its time to punch out?

jozi

I'm working for a relatively big architectural practise. Work varies greatly, sometime I wonder do they need me judging by the amount of work I get (last week was pretty boring).

I don't think it is affecting my sleeping patern. I should prob keep a diary of normal daily things like work and food and how i felt like i slept.

I've also ran into a pattern of waking up during the night. I always seem to wake a little after 5am. I live near a railway line and I'm pretty sure it's the noise from the first trains of the morning which wake me. Is there anything near your place which could be making noise?

Like yourself I sleep better at my family home but that's probably a combination of no worries, pitch darkness and no cars (the latter two being because they live in a rural spot).