Specific-Hour Insomnia - what's going on?

I asked this a week ago but got no answers and am trying again:

I'm a 58-year-old employed, active woman, a few years into menopause (hot flashes still, darn it) who has always believed that sleeping is a waste of time, but this is getting truly annoying. I wake every night at 2:30 AM and essentially don't go back to sleep until time to get up at 6. The house is quiet, nothing special happens then, it doesn't matter what time I go to bed. Sleep aids using diphenhydramine hydrochloride help a little - they let me go back to sleep much easier, but I feel doped all the next day, especially in the afternoon. Hot milk, turkey sandwiches, melatonin, nothing helps. What's going on, and does anyone have any useful ideas?

MissA2007-02-01T10:22:41Z

Favorite Answer

There's two kinds of insomia... the more common kind where you can't get to sleep, and the more unusual kind where you wake up early. The latter is much more of a pain to deal with.

As far as home remedies, what's often worked for me is breaking the cycle (I am a can't-get-to-sleep insomniac). Try going to bed earlier... it sounds counterintuitive, but it works. Or stay up all night one night, if you can manage it. Sometimes just getting out of the grind can really help you. I'd personally give up on the OTC sleep aids unless you are seriously suffering. They are trading off on the "sleepiness" side effects of decongestant medications, but they also depress your REM sleep, so the sleep time you get does you less good. Some prescription meds do a better job. And try seeing if your diet has any effect on your insomnia... I wonder if you aren't having a blood sugar crash while you sleep that is waking you up?

Best of luck!

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Anonymous2016-12-25T21:55:24Z

1

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lost angel2007-02-01T10:08:27Z

I have not gone through menopause yet but for several years now I have had problems getting to sleep or staying asleep. The time does not seem to matter other than your body is getting used to waking automatically at that time. I would wake every hour on the hour so it felt like I did not get any sleep at all. I have taken trazadone which helped but caused very vivid dreams and nightmares. Plus after I tried to get off it and had trouble sleeping again I would take one or two and I was draggy the next day. I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions on how to get back to sleep or stay asleep. You may want to talk to your Doctor about it. You may even ask to be included in a study for insomnia for menopausal woman. Good luck I know how annoying this can be.

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Brutally Honest2007-02-01T10:05:19Z

I had a similar problem: I was waking up at 3:10 in the morning ...EVERY morning. I finally figured out that it was an alarm going off in another person's apartment! Unfortunately for me, I LOVE sleep, so when I was being woken up, I was a bear to live with!

Benadryl is a fair option, but it is best taken BEFORE you go to bed...you need to be able to sleep off the drug to feel better in the morning.

You should talk to your doctor about being prescribed Ambien. I've not taken it yet (I've got menopausal symptoms as well so my doc gave me some to try if I need them). You MUST take them before going to bed and you need at LEAST 6 hours of continuous sleep to get the drug out of your system.

Good luck.

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Lisa2016-03-15T07:25:59Z

I would look 24 hours into the future

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