Waking up Too Early ... Me, Not My Kids

How much exercise do you get?
I sleep better at night if I walk 30 min fast as I can and get a good sweat going earlier in the day.

Additional:
Try cutting out all caffeine.
When I was young I was less sensitive to it.
Now I can only have 1 cup of coffee 1st thing in the morning.
If I have caffeine after noon I'll be up all night long.

A few times a year I get insomnia and I'll be awake 3 days in a row no matter what I do.
I've learned when I get that way to not fight it.
I know it'll end eventually but I just have to get really good and tired to break the cycle.
And then I'm back to a regular sleeping pattern for 6 to 8 months.

I know that hanging up light blocking curtains in my room REALLY helped me. I also have white noise (either from an app on my phone or the ceiling fan), because those silly birds will wake me as soon as there's light.

Finally, I strongly recommend going to bed at a time that, even if you wake up at 5, it won't matter because you'll have gotten enough sleep. That's awfully helpful.

Good luck!

No real advise. Just sympathy. My wake up seems to be 5:30 but I dont need to get up until 6:30 and that extra hour makes such a difference. Even a half hour. Doesn't happen all the time but a lot. Sometimes it's bc i have to pee I think so I do try to avoid drinking much after 7pm. I think it can be triggered by foods I eat too. Otherwise what I try to do is completely relax and just rest that hour. I tell myself that can be as good as sleep and sometimes it's true. I know I can get a pang of anxiety that "shoot! Now I'm going to be tired all day" and that really ensures I won't get back to sleep. You could try half a Benadryl tablet. Hopefully it'll pass. I do go thru stages but it sucks I know.

My mom was having problems sleeping and read that a cup of hot chocolate before bedtime aids in sleep. She tried it and it has really helped her a lot. She uses a mix and uses 2/3 water and tops it off with milk. That way it's not tons of calories.

I always think about my grandmother saying a warm cup of milk before bed makes you sleep better.

Blessings!
L.

I have trouble sleeping too. Awake too early, not rested even when I do sleep. I don't have an answer for you but you are not alone.

I do find that I feel better if I just get up at 5 rather than laying there trying to go back to sleep for that last hour...because just as I get to sleep it's time to get up and I feel worse than if I had just got up.

Perhaps you could change the time that you do your exercise so that you would go to sleep. I know when I wake up early I usually get up. Laying in the bed gives me a headache. My husband likes to sleep in but I can't and I have to get up otherwise my day and mood are shot for the day.

How about a warm bath before bed, would that help you sleep longer? A glass of wine? A cup or warm milk or cocoa? If not, I feel for you.

Could you schedule an hour nap in your daily activities? Sometimes we moms have to take time for us during the day and just stop and rest. When I was at home many years back we all took a nap in the afternoon and walked to the park and played before dinner. Hubby would swing by the park and pick us up and take us home when he got off work.

Good luck to you.

the other S.

PS Kids don't have to be in every outside activity, they, too need down time.

It looks like a routine and you can change it. Try to sleep until 6 am everyday and don't leave the bed and after 2-3 days it becomes routine again. Only thing is to focus on what you desire and you can achieve it.

Thanks

Sleep is critical to good health. When we are not sleeping properly many things go out of whack: our cortisol levels decline, our sex drive declines, we age more quickly, our bodies don't produce the HGH that is needs...so many more. Lack of sleep messes us up!

The trouble is when people can't sleep, we tend to look at the immediate problem: take something to sleep. But it is more than that. It is our food, our exercise our state of mind, our stress level, our environment..so many factors.
You are already active 30 mins a day, that is great, what about your diet throughout the day?

Everyone is different and reacts differently to different foods but here are some common hindrances to sleep: high fat foods (at anytime throughout the day), caffeine (unless it is a natural green tea and used mid day), some medications contain caffeine and you may not even know it! -- alcohol, even that "one glass of wine" may not be right for you.

I have been using a nutritional system for 8 years. I only sleep about 6 hours a night AND I feel totally rested and ready for my day. I have the energy of a 16 year (with far better judgement) and I experience about 360 well days every year. Food, the right food, all day long is the key to overall health...including sleep.

Another thing to look at is your state of mind/stress levels. Are you waking up because you don't feel there is enough time in the day to get everything done? Maybe you are stressing about completing stuff or the kids. It may not be noticeable on the surface, but if you gave it some thought, you may be surprised at what you find.

What about prayer or meditation before bed or when you wake up? You tube has some great guided meditations for deep sleep or for a 30 minute refresher - do some research and find something that works for you.

And who knows...it could be the Spring forward thing...in reverse! ;)

PM me if are curious about what I am doing.

B.

An herbal tea to induce sleep may help. I get Tranquil Dreams at Teavana and it knocks me out!

No caffeine after 3:00 pm.
ZzzzzQuil? Half dose max!