Insomnia

[hawkida]

I keep waking up too early of late. Never used to be a problem but now my brain starts thinking and won't stop so sleep doesn't return. Then I get up tired, spend the day tired, nap before dinner, and when I go to bed the cycle continues. Many of the thoughts that won't let up are work related. I probably need to exercise more if an evening but the cycle leaves me too tired to...

Comments

[watervole]

Have you got any ongoing aches and pains?

It was only when the physio managed to get my back pain to a really low level that I suddenly started sleeping much better.

I'd gotten so used to the pain that I hadn't even recognised it as the cause.

A ten minute walk around sunset may also help.

[hawkida]

Nope, no pain. I sleep from going to bed until the early hours, then wake up 1-3 hours early and can't stop thinking about the day ahead. It's focused around work stuff mostly.

[watervole]

Meditation app? I used to use one of those when my stress levels were very bad - and it really did help me sleep.

I used Insight Timer. It's got a good free version, and you can pay for more options. I actually spent a couple of years on the paid version - even though the free had all I needed - it had made such a difference to my sanity that it was my way of thanking them.

It's got a lot of tracks for sleep and stress.

https://insighttimer.com/

[a_cubed]

Have you tried meditation at all? It can take some getting used to, but it can help with this kind of thing.

I entirely sympathise with this sort of insomnia. I suffer from it occasionally. If it gets persistent I've found that meditation in the evening helps. But YMMV and it takes a while to get used to doing it.

[dalmeny]

Sympathy.

For years I would wake in the middle of the night for an an hour or two. I only discovered it was a perimenopause symptom after I started estradiol patches and almost immediately started to sleep through the night.

I hope you find a cause and that it's as easily treated.