Broken sleep

The myth of the eight-hour sleep www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783
I’ve posted this before because it was news to me. Apparently waking in the middle of the night was the common pattern. People might even have got together with others in many ways?. I know this doesn’t help one sleep but perhaps we are just reverting to the ways of our ancestors?
PS when DD was cabin crew Night Nurse was often used by crew so they could sleep at unlikely times to get up for early flights.

Ever since a back injury in 2017, I've had disrupted nights. I've tried all the usual things - and more.

Now, I've just accepted that I won't sleep for more than four hours. Sometimes I have a nap after lunch.

Whatever I do, I always seem to be awake at 3 am, so I'll make some tea and toast, do some puzzles or read a book - and take the little dog for a stroll around the garden. Sometimes, I feel tired again and go back for a second sleep. The main thing is that I just don't worry about it!

I have World Service on all night. It usually sends me off to sleep again quite easily. Which can be annoying when the subject is interesting :-)

This is my normal sleep pattern although I do usually go back to sleep after an hour or two but it doesn’t bother me in the least I just accept that it’s my ‘old age’ sleeping pattern
I think worrying about it and trying all different things is the biggest means of never improving once you accept it s the new way it ll improve
I don’t even think about it now just bunny hop my way through a lovely night

Thanks everyone for your comments. I've tried the sleep hygiene programme. I may try the night nurse suggestion when desperate. I am realising it is such a common "old age" problem and certainly agree that learning to accept and live with it rather than getting frustrated with it helps. Sweet dreams??️?

I'm like you Fluty1 and am often awake, usually after my first 4 hours. I watch TV, make tea & toast & eventually feel drowsy enough to try to sleep again. I don't worry about it because fortunately, if I'm very tired, I can if I choose, have a snooze in the afternoon. I accept it as "old age creeping on" and roll with it.
I think the more we worry about broken nights, the worse it is.

I was given advice from a consultant last week on improving my sleep pattern. It is called sleep hygiene.

She gave me a few suggestions as follows.
Turn off all electronic devices at least half an hour before bed.
Have a warm bath
Try a lavender roller ball on wrists
Spray pillow with lavender mist
Have a regular time to go to bed
Herbal tea especially for sleep

These are now my suggestions
I have signed up for an app which has meditations, sleep stories, music of nature. It cost me £34.99 for a one year subscription. It’s called CALM, there is another called Headspace. I have downloaded it on both my IPad and mobile. Each night I put on ear phones and plug into my mobile and fall to sleep with one of the stories. As you both wake in the night I suggest you listen to your story then. I usually fall to sleep and rarely hear the end of the story. The story switches itself off automatically.
In addition I have a scarf which I rest over my eyes to make the room completely dark.
Although my sleep isn’t perfect it is a lot better.

Finally for night time awakeness try the following
Count back slowly from. 100
or go through the alphabet with girls names then boys
Alphabetical towns or countries are good too.

You need to experiment with some of the above.

Best of luck.

I have this problem too, I have found something that works for me though, it gives me a good nights sleep and I wake up feeling good - Night Nurse, which is obviously meant to be used for colds. I restrict myself to only using it when I’m really tired from nights of not sleeping well, I probably have it about once every 2-3 weeks. I don’t know why, but’s it’s a miracle worker, even though it’s probably not good to take it regularly.

I have a similar problem. I fall straight to sleep when I get into bed sleep for 2 hours, then fall asleep again and wake up again between 3am and 4am. I get up, go to the bathroom. Sometimes I can go back to sleep, but most times not. I am up most mornings by 6am and very often before 5am. I cannot find a reason for this, but more importantly, cannot find a solution. Any help appreciated.