Waking Up Every One - Two Hours
Posted , 7 users are following.
I have been suffering debilitating insomnia for ten months. Sometimes I can fall asleep pretty fast, but I can't stay asleep for long. I wake up every one to two hours. If I awake at 5, I can't really fall back asleep. In general I can't sleep past 7 or 7:30 and not able to nap.
I also have very low testosterone levels and high cortisol after midnight. But, the high cortisol and low T is due to long term insomnia. Any other thoughts on what's keeping me from staying asleep?
1 like, 4 replies
Misssy2 nickz711
Posted
You mention the high cortisol...does that have something to do with the way you eat?
I know also that lack of sleep raises cortisol....and makes us gain weight.
I just prescribed ANOTHER drug to assist me with this sleep problem.
Nothing has worked for me but this new drug is Olanzapine...I will let you know!
michelle_79406 nickz711
Posted
I used to be the same . I would wake up every 2 hours. Eat choclate or Chrisps and back to sleep for another 2 hours. All night this was going on. Do then I decided to stop bringing my phone on putting on locker beside the bed. I plugged out my clock radio . And kept a bottle of water on my locker. So if I woke . I drank water and went back to sleep. And now I don't wake up during the night at all , it's brilliant.
77DarkHorse7 nickz711
Posted
Ten months? Okay, you absolutely have to get a thorough history and physical and imaging studies. It is not normal to suddenly develop severe symptoms that become so chronic.
In the meantime, try to get some relief. Try melatonin. There are some people it won't work for but when it works it Really Works.
Last resort, that green fern-like plant that the law is not a friend to. It works on orexin which is like your sleep/eat thermostat. It can reset it, if absolutely necessary.
sleepscientist nickz711
Posted
I'm curious what time you go to bed at night- is it a regular, defined time, or more sporadic? Going to bed at the same time every night can help.
Also, have you tried different beds over this time? or have you been using the same bed for the past 10 months? Discomfort can lead to wakeups. If you aren't using extra pillows for support, that can be a major help- i have a very uncomfortable bed, but when i side sleep and cram pillows along my front and backside, and put one in between my legs, it is much more comfortable. If on back, you can prop your knees up a bit and try to find the ideal positioning. I'm guessing you've probably experimented with this already, but just checking.
In addition to the comment about making your room as dark as possible, you can also try using earplugs. This can be a very helpful way to prevent disturbances from sounds.
What time do you eat your last meal of the day? Eating too close to the time you go to bed can spike cortisol.
Hopefully one or more of these things can help.