Broken sleep

Nettle capsules.

Thank you all for your useful tips and really helpful comments. ?.
I do wonder about sleep apnoea-apparently I do snore. I'm also trying to lose weight which may help.
I do find pillows very important-isnt it amazing how sometimes they feel perfect and other times feel like concrete?
Although its tempting I try not to lie in to long at weekends as feel as though I'm wasting the day. I try and content myself with getting up a few hours later than my work alarm!
I think one area I need to be wary of is that on a Friday/Saturday I will sometimes stay up very late as no work the next morning but I think that just adds to my sleep deficit.
One interesting treatment was an aromatherapy spray I bought for my legs when I was on a coach trip. It's meant to help circulation and smells lovely. During the hot weather I gave my lower legs with it and only once woke up and only for a minute. I've used it a few times with varied success.
I think it seems something that affects many people,certainly more so when hormonal changes hit! What the solution is goodness knows. Certainly what ever helps each person best but maybe most importantly is working around it and trying not to get over stressed about it.

I’ve just been reading about sweetbeeorganics.co.uk - they have magnesium cream for the soles of the feet and lower leg……….

I listen to music on my phone using earphones. Sooner or later that sends me back to sleep.

This is my problem, fall asleep easy, but wake up
In the night… I take magnesium at night and also sometimes take sleep aid which you can purchase from Tesco pharmacy, Tesco own brand, it works really well. I also listen to a audio book in the night if I can’t get back to sleep, and often drift off again as I Have night books that are not particularly good, just easy listening so I don’t have to concentrate to follow the story.

Men seem to sleep more soundly.
I have a theory that we women are programmed to wake eadily so that we can see to babies during the night.

Maybe try changing your pillow ? I used to have the same problem and sometimes still do,but as I go to sleep I think of the same ( Nice) thing every night and now find I do that and mainly go to sleep each time I wake up in the night.My brother used to tell me to turn the pillow over to get another channel !

If I'm having trouble sleeping I take Nytol. It doesn't stop me waking up but I do seem to go back to sleep quicker.

Applegran that's really interesting. I thought I was using weekends to pay off a sleep overdraft!

Advice I've seen from sleep experts is go to bed and get up at the same time every night (or close to the same time) - this seems to help our body clocks. Apparently if you sleep for longer on days off - for many people that would be Saturday and Sunday - you give yourself 'weekend jet lag'. I realise this is not a complete answer to the OP but hope it may be useful.

I do not sleep well. I usually fall asleep and half an hour later get up for a wee, although I have one before getting into bed. Then a hour later I get up again. So by now it is 12 midnight ish. Then I will go 2 hours and then 4. I think I am lucky if I only get up twice and manage to get a maximum 'run' of 4 and half hours. I have tried the breathing techniques and relaxation to aid sleep and my latest one is deep breathing in for the count of 4 and then hold for 7 and breathe out for 8. Another method is tense the body up and slowly relax all parts combined with deep breathing.
I think maybe this is my sleep pattern, frustrating as it is, and I try not to worry too much about it.

Much the same as everyone here, usually sleeping about 4-5 hours and not unbroken, but I do find magnesium citrate tablets help to curb the over active mind that prevents me going back to sleep. I also suffer from hay fever/sinus problems and when I take an antihistamine, only when I have had several bad nights this helps too. I have the Paul Mackenna book too but not yet read it. Does anyone rate it?

I'm the same and have been for years. No problem falling asleep but wake up several times. Sometimes I can get to sleep again sometimes I struggle. I've tried all the various ways and nothing works. Luckily I'm retired so if I need to I can have a quick nap around 3 or 4pm that seems to help.

Bigirl57

One of the side effects of statins is insomnia.

I didn't know that.

Monica My aim is to keep any wakeful period as quiet and dark and undisturbed as possible.

I agree with Monica. If you start reading, making a cup of tea etc. does that not wake you up even more?

I tend to just lie there with my eyes closed and I usually drop off again.

I am not sure whether this has already been mentioned but is your room too warm. I think your body temperature has to drop slightly for you to be able to sleep well.

There is also the breathing technique - breathe in for 4 through your nose and out for 4 through your mouth (not sure on numbers) which is supposed to relax you.

One of the side effects of statins is insomnia.

I go to bed 10.30, read until I get sleepy, light out about 11pm and I waken again usually about 1am and so it begins.
I was up tidying my garage at 3 am this morning as I had got the floor sealed and decided to put everything back in its place rather than lie there staring at the ceiling.
Its driving me bonkers, every night it happens, I'm lucky if altogether I get 3 hrs. I'm blaming the menopause and hope it it settles sometime soon.

I usually wake up between 5 and 6 am. Which is far too early.
I cannot for the life of me get back to sleep again ever.

It’s very annoying, as I would so love to sleep for longer.

My mind springs into action as soon as I’m awake and then That’s it.

Me too! I usually end up by going downstairs with my book and also have a drink of milk at the same time. I have to set a time limit on the time that I will be there, or if I get into the book I am reading, I have been known to still be there 2 hours later!

I sometimes listen to a track I downloaded from the internet. It's called "Weightless", its by Marconi Union who have several tracks (all called Weightless) of differing lengths. The one I use is 8 minutes long and I usually listen to it twice (they probably do a 16-ish minute one but I couldn't find it. After than, I turn it off, turn onto my side and 99% of the time I'm asleep within 5 minutes. Unfortunately, I only ever sleep 6 hours.

I have written my entire life story in my head while trying to sleep. I don't know if my insomnia started with my hysterectomy or the menopause.

Could you have sleep apnoea? I suspect I might have this as I often wake in the night. Sometimes I need the loo but other times not.

(and I take the dog outside at 3.30 for a few minutes - as she needs to go as well!)

I'm the same. I can usually go to sleep fairly quickly but it is rare that I'm not awake within 2 hours. Sometimes I need the loo, sometimes it is pain that wakes me and sometimes it is just because I wake up. To be up 6 times during the night is not unusual and tablets or potions seem to have no positive effect.

I don't need much sleep (never have) - and less as I become older - so I stick to the golden rule of always getting up at the same time, 6 am for me.

I only go to bed when I'm tired, usually between 1 and 2 am. Sometimes I'll have an afternoon nap, but only need half an hour.

I do feel much better rested in the mornings when I take an evening walk (as well as the early one) so I think exercise is very important.

Whatever I do, I always wake at 3.30 am for a wee, but go straight back to sleep.