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2:30 am wake-ups: What do you do?

Posted by judybradford @judybradford, May 6 4:52am

What do you do about 2:30 am and 3:30 am wakeups? Lately, I am able to get to sleep at 10:30 pm (a GREAT improvement!), but now I wake up way too early.

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judybradford | @judybradford | May 25 12:26pm
In reply to @smithneedssleep "I know this frustration very well but getting up and doing other things isn’t helpful for..." + (show)
Profile picture for smithneedssleep @smithneedssleep

I know this frustration very well but getting up and doing other things isn’t helpful for me. I’m now using the breathing technique that I read has helped others. It was also recommended in the calm app which I have used out of desperation. The technique is simple: 4-7-8. Breathe in to the count of 4, hold for the count of 7, and breathe out to the count of 8. Keep repeating and your heart rate and respiration will slow down allowing you to get back to sleep. At least it’s working for me now.
One other thing I started trying this week is to start drinking water (liquids) earlier in the day and stop drinking liquids between 5:00 and 6:00 pm. And, no caffeine after 3:00 pm. (I try to drink 60 oz) The result was that 3 nights this week I didn’t wake up to go to the bathroom. I still woke up but not having to get up and using the breathing technique I was able to get back to sleep quicker. I have come to the conclusion that it’s not just one thing that is the game changer… it’s a combination of things. I have also been trying to incorporate a bedtime routine with soothing music and some relaxing exercises on the bed and no screen time for 1 hour before bedtime. Hope something from this will help. 🤗

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@smithneedssleep

Here is the link to a good video about this very subject:

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1oldsoul | @1oldsoul | May 26 7:32pm
In reply to @roxiesmom13 "@daisy17 Glad you found something that worked for you both with fibromyalgia and sleep. My insomnia..." + (show)
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@daisy17 Glad you found something that worked for you both with fibromyalgia and sleep. My insomnia started in my twenties and I am now 79 and they have tried five different sleep meds. Fortunately the gabapentin has not caused side effects or addiction. I frequently stop it then restart after a few months. Insomnia intensified after I lost my husband so that’s why they tried trazadone but the loss of balance at my age was really a concern. Hugs and thanks for your feedback.

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@roxiesmom13
I am 72 and have had insomnia six years. I asked my doc about LDN and she didn’t know anything about it so I called the local compounding pharmacy and asked for the name of one of their doctors who prescribe it. I have tried so many medications and they either don’t work or they make me so groggy the next day that I can’t function. So I have made an appointment with this new doc and will see what he says. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia many years ago but it’s better now but I am going to tell him I need it for sleep and fibromyalgia. It’s worth a try since I’ve tried everything. Some nights I can sleep 4 or 5 hours but then out of the blue I’ll have nights where I only sleep 2 or 3 hours and I feel awful all the next day. I also use 1 or 2 Gabapentin occasionally but it leaves me pretty spacey the next day. It does give me a good sleep but I find if I take it every night, I have to raise the dosage after a week or two and then it makes me way too spacey. See if you can find a compounding pharmacy in your area and reach out to them for a doc reference. Hugs. Insomnia is so hard.

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roxiesmom13 | @roxiesmom13 | May 27 7:55am
In reply to @1oldsoul "@roxiesmom13 I am 72 and have had insomnia six years. I asked my doc about LDN..." + (show)
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@roxiesmom13
I am 72 and have had insomnia six years. I asked my doc about LDN and she didn’t know anything about it so I called the local compounding pharmacy and asked for the name of one of their doctors who prescribe it. I have tried so many medications and they either don’t work or they make me so groggy the next day that I can’t function. So I have made an appointment with this new doc and will see what he says. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia many years ago but it’s better now but I am going to tell him I need it for sleep and fibromyalgia. It’s worth a try since I’ve tried everything. Some nights I can sleep 4 or 5 hours but then out of the blue I’ll have nights where I only sleep 2 or 3 hours and I feel awful all the next day. I also use 1 or 2 Gabapentin occasionally but it leaves me pretty spacey the next day. It does give me a good sleep but I find if I take it every night, I have to raise the dosage after a week or two and then it makes me way too spacey. See if you can find a compounding pharmacy in your area and reach out to them for a doc reference. Hugs. Insomnia is so hard.

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@1oldsoul Thanks for reaching out and sharing your story. I find a lot of people don’t really understand either fibromyalgia or insomnia. It’s odd how different bodies react to medication. For me gabapentin just dulls the pain of fibro but doesn’t help with sleep so I don’t feel spacey. I have found since starting vagus nerve stimulation that when I do sleep even for just a couple of hours I feel more refreshed. Wishing you well. I will look into LDN in my area.

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1oldsoul | @1oldsoul | May 27 8:02am
In reply to @roxiesmom13 "@1oldsoul Thanks for reaching out and sharing your story. I find a lot of people don’t..." + (show)
Profile picture for roxiesmom13 @roxiesmom13

@1oldsoul Thanks for reaching out and sharing your story. I find a lot of people don’t really understand either fibromyalgia or insomnia. It’s odd how different bodies react to medication. For me gabapentin just dulls the pain of fibro but doesn’t help with sleep so I don’t feel spacey. I have found since starting vagus nerve stimulation that when I do sleep even for just a couple of hours I feel more refreshed. Wishing you well. I will look into LDN in my area.

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@roxiesmom13
Which vagus nerve stimulation device are you using?

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mmwagner46 | @mmwagner46 | May 27 8:38am
In reply to @mbixler "I’ve had this issue since I turned 12 - I am now 70. I’ve tried many..." + (show)
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I’ve had this issue since I turned 12 - I am now 70. I’ve tried many medications, biofeedback, you name it. I start a new medication and it might work for several months but then I’m right back where I started. Doctors can’t figure out what is causing it or how to get me long lasting relief. Last thing that worked was NUMO sleep gummies - but only worked for 5 months. I’m currently averaging about 2 to 5 hours per night. I hope you find something that works for you.

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@mbixler Have you tried Trazodone? I take 150mg. and sleep through the night

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judybradford | @judybradford | May 27 9:13am
In reply to @roxiesmom13 "@1oldsoul Thanks for reaching out and sharing your story. I find a lot of people don’t..." + (show)
Profile picture for roxiesmom13 @roxiesmom13

@1oldsoul Thanks for reaching out and sharing your story. I find a lot of people don’t really understand either fibromyalgia or insomnia. It’s odd how different bodies react to medication. For me gabapentin just dulls the pain of fibro but doesn’t help with sleep so I don’t feel spacey. I have found since starting vagus nerve stimulation that when I do sleep even for just a couple of hours I feel more refreshed. Wishing you well. I will look into LDN in my area.

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@roxiesmom13

How are you doing vagas nerve stimulation? I see that there are several different ways.

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roxiesmom13 | @roxiesmom13 | May 27 9:40am
In reply to @1oldsoul "@roxiesmom13 Which vagus nerve stimulation device are you using?" + (show)
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@roxiesmom13
Which vagus nerve stimulation device are you using?

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@1oldsoul I use Hoolest. It was the brand recommended by my chiropractor. He uses it for stress relief and thought it was worth trying. I’m keeping a sleep log of times and energy level to see how I am responding. It was around $200 but worth trying at this point.

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roxiesmom13 | @roxiesmom13 | May 27 10:33am
In reply to @judybradford "@roxiesmom13 How are you doing vagas nerve stimulation? I see that there are several different ways." + (show)
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@roxiesmom13

How are you doing vagas nerve stimulation? I see that there are several different ways.

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@judybradford I use the Hoolest it was recommended by my chiropractor who uses it.

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mbixler | @mbixler | May 27 3:15pm
In reply to @mmwagner46 "@mbixler Have you tried Trazodone? I take 150mg. and sleep through the night" + (show)
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@mbixler Have you tried Trazodone? I take 150mg. and sleep through the night

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@mmwagner46 Yes, I’ve been taking Trazodone for the past 7 years, along with three other medications.

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celia16 | @celia16 | Jun 14 12:59pm

I’ve had some very good nights of solid sleep as reported upthread, but they had been intermittent. I was recently surprised when I obtained several back to back goodnights of rest. I attribute it to my new portable air conditioner. I got it to supplement the central air system. It sits on the floor. With multiple days of temps of 100 F, the extreme heat was straining my AC system. The sound of the portal unit is soothing and apparently helping me stay asleep. So, I’m now researching a sound machine to use when I don’t need the portable AC. I had slept with a fan on before, but apparently it was not loud enough. I hope this continues!

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