I have Problems with sleeping a full night

[Bevan51]

Hello , I've got this type of sleep problem where I wake up at night every night after sleeping a few hours so sometimes it happens three times a night I've tried sleep pills( from doctor) calming pills , don't drink or smoke , exercise ...and it's been like this for a long time anyone else have a similar problem I've tried looking at remedies from Google (it says something about technology and blue light) please help

[Dawsonmackay]

I've been waking up since I was 32, now 68. In the middle of the night I get up and read and then fall back to sleep. I found that for awhile melatonin helped but then decided after my last ablation to stop completely. I still wake up but it's okay. Part of my life. I sometimes doze during the day. No big whup.

[JohnEagel]

Yeah I can relate to that. I monitore my sleep with my fitbit. Sometimes I wake up and I am aware of it, sometimes it is so short I wont notice it. I also have sleep-apnea and use a CPAP and in the morning I still feel like worn out.

Well the blue light issue, blendy of info out there, basically one should not use mobile phones or tablets shortly before sleeping, it could have an impact on your abbility to sleep, so it is said.

Hard to get rid of habbits, writing that now 11 pm in bed

Hope you can somehow sort out your sleep issues.

Maybe a sleepstudy could be a next step.

Cheers

J

[Auriculaire in reply to JohnEagel]

Get a blue light filter app on the tablet and turn the brightness down as well. The blue light filter makes it more like reading a book.

[JohnEagel in reply to Auriculaire]

Tx mate, I do use a blue light filter but does not make a lot of a difference. Reckon it is more the content that keeps my brain from relaxing

Cheers and my the force

keep us AF free

J

[john-boy-92]

I wake up about 3:30 am and go back to sleep after 5 am. I've read that it's the effect of the old section of our brain. Apparently our ancestors use to wake in the early hours, get up and sit around chatting or eating, then go back to sleep. Unfortunately that section of our brain hasn't evolved to requirements of modern life. I've tried sniffing lavender, warm milky drinks, reading in bed and, in the summer wearing an eye mask, but I haven't found the solution yet.

[BobD Volunteer]

Sorry I don't understand "sleeping through the night? "

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to BobD]

Going to bed, falling asleep and then not waking up until the morning.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Nah, never happened yet unless I was drugged. lol I think longest continuous sleep was about four hours? I used to be good at sleeping standing up on a tube train!

[Visitingcat in reply to BobD]

😄!!

[paolina in reply to BobD]

The best is when you wake after about 1 hour and are convinced you've been asleep all night and it's about 6 am instead of 1 am.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to paolina]

Know the feeling!

[37Polly in reply to paolina]

My fav story about sleep is one when my husband and I were first married ( almost 57 years ago).I woke up about 12:30 and realized by husband was not in bed. We had gone to sleep about 11:00 PM. He was sitting on our porch waiting for his ride to work. I pointed out that our neighbors were still watching latedT.V . He had awakened an saw 12:25 on the clock and thought it was 5:00 AM. . Had quickly showered and shaved. As he crawled back in bed he commented..”good shave , though”. 🤣. It has been a good story over the years.

[Auriculaire in reply to BobD]

When a student I worked as a bus conductress in the long hols ( yes a long time ago when there were still conductresses) . I continued this full time for about a year after graduating as the money was very good especially the overtime. On early shifts I had no bother sleeping standing up between stops on a country journey with longish distances beteen stops.

[majjic in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Sounds like a dream to me.....I would so love to be able to do that!

[Sunny-fl]

I wake up every 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours several times each night. Always go back to sleep after 1st time and usually after 2nd time and sometimes after 3rd time. It helps me to go to bed early and try to clear my mind. Recently had a home sleep study - no sleep apnea. I enjoy a cup of coffee (doesn't affect the afib) around 4:00 every morning. Hope you find something to help.

[Purpletara]

Hi. I wake up between 3 and 4.30. I just put my headphones on and listen to sleep stories. Usually end up just getting up about 5.30. It doesn't bother me. What bothers me is falling asleep in front of the tv at about 9 pm and missing tv programmes! This is still not really a problem as I record them! Done this for years now. Think it has turned into a habit! Luckily I'm retired and don't have to go to work!

[Hidden in reply to Purpletara]

I am so tired by 9 pm too, I just wish they,d stop putting the hour back and forward. I,m awake at 5 am.

[secondtry]

Try Nasal Strips may not a cure but has improved my sleep, I use this brand amazon.co.uk/Breathe-Right-...

[Stumpy47]

Fully understand this problem, I was waking up every 1.5/2 hours throughout the night, once I had my PM implant, it improved dramatically & now get about 5 hours undisturbed. I used to let the problem bother me but then decided to just read or even get up, until I was ready to sleep again. Like others I'm lucky to be retired, so working is a hellish problem.

[Dickydon]

If you still feel very tired after a little while when you wake, then something is awol; but if you’re wide awake feel refreshed then your body clock has had enough sleep.

Many folk just have four hours a night and are like spring chickens next day. I need minimum of eight hours, mostly I get that more and less sometimes as well but I still feel whacked after eight hours.

I don’t smoke, drink, I eat small but healthily, type 1 diabetic, tinnitus & hearing probs, pacemaker, two leaking heart valves, pernicious anaemia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, no dairy.... Yet, I still manage to do my job as a sports tv cameraman! But always whacked out ready to Zzzzzzzz. Good luck hey!

[Hidden]

I have had the same problem for many years,I,m 72! I read for a while then sometimes go back to sleep. I haven,t got an answer for you because I,ve tried everything and I still have the same problem.

[Dickydon in reply to Hidden]

What I have found helps, is de-cluttering the mind.

Often, we are so overloaded with information/worries/do‘s/don’t’s/hunger/finance/this/that/envy/anger/hate/rushing here there & everywhere - it almost feels normal to think and have these thoughts and feelings. Experiences they may be, but can also be destructive as well deep inside our sub-conscious that results in conscious issues and problems coming to the surface.

De-cluttering the mind is not for everyone because we become so embedded in our ways, the slightest suggestion from an outsider can often add fuel to a simmering fire.

A de-clutter is and can be a very long process. If you have family & lots of people around you then it is very difficult because there are too many inputs in your life. It’s almost a monastic existence where true de cluttering works best.

[reinaway]

I usually read these posts first thing in the morning and i too have a troubled sleep pattern and have tried all the remedies I can think of to little avail but guess what this morning I keep falling asleep trying to read these posts!!😂

[Maggimunro]

Hi there, so many of us Afibbers have disturbed nights. When I was still actively dipping in and out of Afib I could be up 3 times a night for the loo.

Now I still surface frequently but I subscribe to Amazon Audible. So when I go to bed I choose a book, plug in my ear phones and doze off quickly. This stops my brain going instantly into a spin cycle and stopping me from sleeping.

When I surface during the night I am probably 5 chapters further on but I just let it run on and slip quickly back to sleep. Very occasionally I need to take a Zopiclone, but I get through one packet of 28 in a year . Just knowing they are in my bedside cabinet stops the anxiety of not being able to get to sleep.

I also think advancing years leads to lighter sleep.

[Purpletara]

I’ve recently bought a gravity blanket and although I am not sleeping longer I feel I am having a better quality of sleep. A definite improvement on everything else I have tried. Still early days but so far so good.

[Guitar335]

Since using a Fitbit Ive realised how 'normal' it is for me and everyone to wake up in the night. We all do it but to varying degrees.

Theres a great book by Matthew Walker "Why we sleep" which is helpful

The big help for me is audio books as they distract my busy mind. I listen to them before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the middle ion the night. It helps me go back to sleep much faster.

Googling and summarising the info of what to do is good but off the top of my head

Don't use any screens an hour before bed - the blue light

No Caffeine at least 6 hours before sleep (inc coke etc)

Exercise in the day but not within an hour of bed

Reading before turning off the light helps many

Declutter your bedroom. A messy area is stressful and not calming

Some say...sleeping on your own helps

Good luck

[lindat15]

Best remedy for me is to listen to some relaxing music. Focusing on the music prevents me from thinking too much and helps me fall asleep again so much quicker than lying awake in total silence.

[Hidden]

good sleep hygiene can help a lot

sleepfoundation.org/article...

We have removed all technology from our bedroom so no watching TV in bed, one last look at facebook etc. Actually as a family we have a ban on using phones/tablets/laptops after 7:30 pm and no TV for half an hour before bed. Sounds boring but has really helped

[Polski]

Taking magnesium can help.

[Hidden]

I don,t have trouble going to sleep, it’s staying asleep. 4 hours later I,m wide awake. I read before I sleep,if I can keep awake!

[philologus]

I'm good at sleeping - I can do it with my eyes shut!

Blue light is important.

The first hour or so after sunrise (what sun you may ask?) contains the right wavelength of blue light to reset our bodyclock each day. This is important because it triggers a lot of other things - energy levels, alertness, etc. to allow us to do what we need to do during the day.

Blue light after sundown confuses this so should be avoided as much as is practical. The new types of light bulbs don't help. The old types gave off red and infrared light and this helps our brain to start the shutdown process for the night. Open fires did the same. Odd though it may sound - candles are better for us than electric lights at night because they don't give off blue light but do produce red and infrared.

I know of someone who says that the best health advice he can give (he's a neurosurgeon) is, "Never miss a sunrise." He starts his day in his garden wearing as little as possible and with nothing on his feet. (Being earthed regularly is his second bit of advice.)

He has an open fire and he uses candles.

The earth is a huge negatively charged lump and we need to be connected to it or we build up positive charge to the point where it upsets our elecrical system.

It wasn't a problem when people ran around in their bare feet and even when we started wearing leather soled sandals and shoes it was OK in general because leather - esp wet leather - is a good conductor.

When man-made soles became the norm and we covered our floors with lino etc we became isolated from the earth and so our daily activities caused us to build up a positive charge that had nowhere to go.

Before you go to bed stand in your bare feet on grass or on a beach if you are lucky enough to live near one. Alternatively, you can buy (or make) an earthing mat that connects to the earth pin in the electricity supply socket in your home. You can buy ones for your feet or one that acts as a hand rest while you are on your computer etc.

Google "earthing" and there's lots of videos that show just how much charge we have in our bodies when we use electrical products.

Hope this helps.

George

[Raft]

Wow, I am not alone, so many of the replies mirror my sleep issues.

I have Matt Walkers book on my Kindle and it contains a lot of good stuff.

I am in the middle of a CBT programme called Sleepio, which is recommended by a number of local GPs.

It is useful in looking at your own approach to sleeping and gradually changing a few of the issues raised by comments from others in this forum.

The one issue I have difficulty with is defining sleep as although I rarely have trouble getting to sleep, I frequently "start" to wake up around 5 on a majority of days, whatever time I go to bed. This can be any time between 11 pm and 12.30 a.m.

By "start" I mean after the early waking I can drift into a state of trying to get back to sleep or gradually waking up. So my question is when did my sleep finish?

But back to Matthew Walker, he highlights the need for at least 7-8 hours as necessary to maintain good health, whereas my Sleepio Prof says we can survive on less.

As we know at the end of the day we are all different?

[DIB69]

I'm exactly the same except on very few and glorious occasions when I've slept right through the night apart from a singular trip to the loo. At least when I retire I won't have the awful panic and anxiety that accompanies a sleepless night thinking that somehow I'm going to have to get through a day at work on little or no sleep.

[Hidden]

Hi bevan51

I always get up for the loo at least once in themiddle of the night

What then really helps me get back to sleep is to watch some of my Sky recorded episodes of Tour de France stages in the same Alps area that I have a cycling hol in every summer!

That always puts me in a good mood, which is key for me dropping off again

Thanks

Alps! Holiday

[Japaholic]

Read about Bi-Phasic sleeping, all the handsome and intelligent people do it!

healthline.com/health/bipha...

[37Polly]

Must be normal since we all have the same issue!