Sleep problems

Hello,
I am 64 years old and am dealing with a lot of the problems others in this forum are sharing about- chronic and worsening health issues, loneliness, isolation, anxiety about the future, etc.

But, the worst thing seems to be that I cannot sleep more than 3 or 4 hours a night. And I can't seem to fall asleep if I try and nap during the day. I say that the sleep thing is the worst because it exacerbates all the other problems.

I've done some research on the problem and know that we seniors require less sleep than we used to and our natural melatonin production reduces as we grow older. I am using some of the tips for better sleeping that I've gotten off the internet but they don't seem to help much. I have tried melatonin supplements which seem to give me a little more sleep but it gives me vivid, anxiety-invoking dreams.

I force myself to stay awake till midnight or 1 in the morning and usually fall asleep okay. But then I wake up 3 or 4 hours later and often find it very difficult to get any more real sleep. I'm wide awake at 4 o'clock in the morning with my head running and producing more anxiety.

I've talked to my doctor about this and she is willing to prescribe some medication to help my sleep issue but most of them have side effects which make the daytime waking hours more difficult. I am hoping someone out there may have some useful tips that I have not come across or personal experience with prescription sleep medications that are effective while not having significant side-effects which make the daytime hours more difficult. This lack of sleep time during the night is badly affecting my mental and emotional health.

Thank you.