Advice on staying asleep.

[YawnGirl]

As long as I can remember I have woke between 3 & 4:30 am. I go to sleep quick, just can't sleep past 5 hrs without waking up (wide awake). It usually takes me an hour or more to get back to sleep, by that time I usually have about a half hour and it's time to go to work. I can't take Ambien or anything that strong. I tried Roserum but it is the same as the over the counter stuff, only works for about 4 hours. Any advice on staying asleep? My docs have said for years, (since I was 13) it was early waking syndrome caused from PTSD (I don't think it is). It did go away for a while in my 20's but came back in my 30's and has been with me since.

Does anyone know of a drug, dance, spell, or chant I could do? I'm open to trying about anything.

**Good news is, since starting CPAP, when I wake at 3:30 am now I don't feel awful with a pounding headache!

-Paula

[Muse-Inc]

Melatonin? Blue light therapy? More time on CPAP to see if resolves? Swtich to APAP machine? 10 days on APAP and I'm already waking less often than I was on straight CPAP.

[Cavallo]

Same thing happens to me. Magnesium works well for me. I take the glycinate form (easier on the bowels.) YMMV.

I hope my shiny new APAP will help too.

[Scarlet834]

I have yawngirl's problem, dating back several years, except that most of the time I can go right back to sleep. Originally I thought this was the reason for my extreme fatigue. Now I think the fatigue was apnea and the wake-early is something else. So I don't have a solution for you, but my follow-up doctor's visit is this week and if something useful comes of it I'll post. The only other suggestion that has been made to me so far is that acid reflux or GERD might be waking me up. I'm currently on acid blockers and still waking up.

Might try the magnesium suggestion myself.

[jweeks]

As long as I can remember I have woke between 3 & 4:30 am. I go to sleep quick, just can't sleep past 5 hrs without waking up (wide awake). It usually takes me an hour or more to get back to sleep, by that time I usually have about a half hour and it's time to go to work.

Paula,

This started happening to me about a decade ago. I thought it was stress related at the time. I didn't equate it to being OSA related, which, in retrospect, it seems to have been. Even after being on CPAP for a while, I was still waking up after about 2-1/2 hours of sleep. I'd be up for maybe 60 to 90 minutes, and then I'd go back and sleep for another 5 hours or so. I rationalized it as my body was happy with 2-1/2 hours of sleep since it was more than what I had any night for the past few years. I gradually unlearned that habit, and now I generally sleep about 7 hours or so. The only time I even wiggle is to turn over 3 or 4 times during the night. I still do have a night were I wake up for an hour or so maybe every 2 or 3 weeks. I usually pass the time by watching a concert video, and then I am ready to go back to sleep.

It doesn't seem to do any harm in my case. The only issue would be making sure you had enough time to get all the sleep that you need. I have a flexible work schedule, so I don't set an alarm clock any more. I simply wake up when my body is ready.

-john-

[YawnGirl]

Same thing happens to me. Magnesium works well for me. I take the glycinate form (easier on the bowels.) YMMV.

I hope my shiny new APAP will help too.

I tried magnesium on my doctors advice several years ago but it didn't help. I'm hoping my apap I ordered will help. I really wish I could take ambien. I took it once, but I slept for 20 hours.

[Cavallo]

I tried magnesium on my doctors advice several years ago but it didn't help.

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, what form of Mg did you try, and at what dose?

[mhurley3]

As with many people, before starting CPAP therapy I would wake up 2,3,4 times a night. Once I started with CPAP it quickly dropped to once a night. After several months of CPAP therapy I finally started sleeping through the night. Now, after a year on CPAP, I seldom wake up during the night at all. Perhaps with time you will also sleep through the night without a sleep aid. Patience is a virtue.

[YawnGirl]

I tried magnesium on my doctors advice several years ago but it didn't help.

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, what form of Mg did you try, and at what dose?

I honestly don't remember the dosage.

[thewetlizard]

My advice is DON'T allow your adult children to move back in with you!

[kteague]

I really think that for some the mind has to be retrained to sleep properly, as it is habituated to fractured sleep. Sometimes time helps, as does effective cpap treatment, and careful consideration of medications and supplements. All that played a role for me, but limb movements were my biggest factor in continued broken sleep. Hopefully time will be enough to help you achieve more consolidated sleep.

[SleepyT]

As long as I can remember I have woke between 3 & 4:30 am. I go to sleep quick, just can't sleep past 5 hrs without waking up (wide awake). It usually takes me an hour or more to get back to sleep, by that time I usually have about a half hour and it's time to go to work. -Paula

Sounds like you're waking up when REM sleep might occur. Do you dream at all?

[Guest]

As long as I can remember I have woke between 3 & 4:30 am. I go to sleep quick, just can't sleep past 5 hrs without waking up (wide awake). It usually takes me an hour or more to get back to sleep, by that time I usually have about a half hour and it's time to go to work. -Paula

Sounds like you're waking up when REM sleep might occur. Do you dream at all?

I dream seldom, but I don't remember dreaming during my triation sleep study, but my doc said I had 3 dreams. I have an appointment on the 24th, I will ask if I woke during REM and how far into REM I was when I woke. My "very severe apnea" is during REM, so perhaps my .03 AHI are all during REM. I hadn't really thought about that. I will call today and see if they will fax me a copy of my sleep study. Thanks for bringing that to my attention SleepyT!

[YawnGirl]

As long as I can remember I have woke between 3 & 4:30 am. I go to sleep quick, just can't sleep past 5 hrs without waking up (wide awake). It usually takes me an hour or more to get back to sleep, by that time I usually have about a half hour and it's time to go to work. -Paula

Sounds like you're waking up when REM sleep might occur. Do you dream at all?

I dream seldom, but I don't remember dreaming during my triation sleep study, but my doc said I had 3 dreams. I have an appointment on the 24th, I will ask if I woke during REM and how far into REM I was when I woke. My "very severe apnea" is during REM, so perhaps my .03 AHI are all during REM. I hadn't really thought about that. I will call today and see if they will fax me a copy of my sleep study. Thanks for bringing that to my attention SleepyT!

This was from me, sorry I am at work and forgot to login!

[YawnGirl]

I requested a copy of my last sleep study to be faxed to me. The girl in the office said she will ask him and see if it's ok. I really need to find another sleep doc.