Waking early

[whiteraven]

Have you tried free writing to see why your brain wants to wake up then? If its safety and vulnerability is there anything you can do to make it feel safer so it doesn't need to stay alert?

That's an interesting idea. Do you do this before you go to bed (or earlier in the day) or when you wake up early?

 

[whiteraven]

Feeling bad can hurt sleep, which you already know. Are you doing anything to address that itself?

I have physical pain that I am working on. Massage therapy, occasional meds, light exercise. For the rest - the emotional stuff - I'm in therapy but I guess I need something more. I don't know. That feels completely hopeless.

 

[MyWillow]

I can count the number of times I’ve not woken early the last few years on one hand. I think it depends on why you are waking. Melatonin can help re-set your body clock and it did help me sleep slightly more deeply but not enough to make a difference. I wake up in a panic - sometimes quite dissociated - nightmares, flashbacks blah blah. Repeatedly. Audio books help me get back to sleep but what I often need to do is get up and wake up properly. Crunch ice. Walk on a cold floor. Just break the cycle. Then it’s easier to go back to sleep and stay asleep. My first T was really surprised that helped more than warm tea etc but my psydoc she referred me to got it straight away. Whilst I’ve been traveling the past 6 weeks a 30 min yoga routine every single morning has helped - I don’t sleep better necessarily but at least I have a reliable way of grounding when I wake up.

 

[whiteraven]

Thank you, @MyWillow.

Whilst I’ve been traveling the past 6 weeks a 30 min yoga routine every single morning has helped - I don’t sleep better necessarily but at least I have a reliable way of grounding when I wake up.

This reminded me that when I've done qi gong before bed, I definitely slept better. Now to get up the motivation to do it.

 

[MyWillow]

Thank you, @MyWillow.



This reminded me that when I've done qi gong before bed, I definitely slept better. Now to get up the motivation to do it.

A good thing to consider is that it takes 30 days to make a habit. That doesn't mean you need to do the whole routine everyday. One stretch, one posture and build it slowly. When it comes to training my dogs and taking notes that habit literally started by writing the dog's name and the date at the top of the page. Done.

 

[littleoc]

I have no advice on the physical pain — I’m really sorry you have that. But for the emotional pain, don’t give up. It can take a little while to break through, but you can do it. :hug:

 

[Abstract]

I would do it when it is most raw, For you I guess when you wake up. For me it is when I try to go to sleep. With you with the pain stuff and that definitely doesnt help.

 

[ms spock]

I wake at 1am every morning, also at various times 3am, 3.30am, 4am, 4.30am, 5am and at random times. I have always had very poor sleep. I don't get stressed about it. I don't get upset when I wake up anymore. Like @Friday I have changed my mindset around that, and that has really assisted.

It depends how bad my hypervigilence is. When its very bad and I am very symptomatic I tend to be an
hour a day person and the things that help are the opposite to normal sleep hygiene. I sleep with the lights on and the television on. With my computer in my lap.

I do all the opposite of sleep hygiene stuff, it is weird but having TV shows on that I can wake up and hear, so I know that I am safe, in this here now, rather than back then. I tried all the sleep hygiene stuff for years and years, now I do what works for me.

 

[whiteraven]

I don't get stressed about it. I don't get upset when I wake up anymore. Like @Friday I have changed my mindset around that, and that has really assisted.

The only reason I get stressed about it is because I can't stay awake during the day (and I really have to). Also, this is new for me. I have always been a great sleeper.

I do all the opposite of sleep hygiene stuff, it is weird but having TV shows on that I can wake up and hear, so I know that I am safe, in this here now, rather than back then.

Yes. I've started turning the radio on when I go to bed. Just loud enough to hear but not understand what is being said.

 

[blackemerald1]

I've worked out that stressing out about not sleeping causes a lot of wakefulness.

If all else fails and you are desperate... start reading real books and make your eye's get tired. Often I will read, sleep, read, sleep repeatedly and oddly I wake up just as good as if I had a non-stop sleep.

If nothing else I have rested my body and if it's a decent book, my brain has had a rest too.

 

[ms spock]

The only reason I get stressed about it is because I can't stay awake during the day (and I really have to). Also, this is new for me. I have always been a great sleeper.

It took me some time to accept how my sleep is, so as this is not something that you have dealt with before, I can understand why it is so stressful for you.

 

[Abbysmom06$]

It's almost like people tell you when you have a newborn. Sleep when you can get it. Easier said than done but I find just lightening up on yourself and realizing the waking early is just a symptom of your illness and dealing with it the way that works for you best is helpful for me. Sometimes that means no sleep in a 24 hour period and sometimes it means 12 hours of sleep in that time frame. I know that goes against most popular wisdom about sticking to a schedule but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to get better and hopefully these issues will become less of a problem over time. Just a thought. Of course it's a thought based on 3 hours of sleep so take it for what it's worth lol. Good luck and go easy on yourself!