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For some reason for the last few years, my body will only sleep for about 4-5 hours a night. I was told by a friend of mine that maybe this is normal and that's all I need. But it hasn't always been this way though. And I feel tired a lot of the days now, compared to before when I could get a full 8 or more hours of sleep.
I've been to the doctor but the doctor says he is not sure what to do, but does not want to perscribe anything, because those sleeping medications are bad for me he says.
I've been told to try melatonin, which I have for a while now, but that doesn't change anything. I still wake up after 4-5 hours, but with the melatonin, it's worse, because I actually feel more tired. So the sleep time is the same even with melatonin, just more tired.
Does anyone have any idea what I can do? My gf suggested weed, and that helped knock me out for 10 hours on my day off. But I do not want to have to do that every night and I don't even like weed much though. It was my first time trying it, and it's just not for me I don't think.
But is there anything else that can help that well, or no?
Sleep deprivation can be caused by things like not getting enough exercise during the day, sleeping late in the mornings, watching exciting TV/movies before bed, etc. If you think about it, you might find something that's causing your sleep deprivation.
I've developed a sleep routine that puts me right to sleep every night. It involves calming music and a darkened room an hour before bedtime, fluffy blankets, etc. You can likely find a routine that works for you.
Oh okay. Well in my job, I have to do a lot of work on the computer, but I got glasses that are suppose to block out the blue light and help with that. But maybe they don't help fully and that's the problem?
As for exercise, it's just been hard to find time with it, with my job. I can exercise on my days off no problem, but it's hard to find time everyday, because of work, and other things I am forced to commit too. Do I have to exercise every day? But even on days off when I do, I still only sleep for 4-5 hours for some reason, so it seems that the exercise hasn't added any more sleep to the cycles.
I could try, I am just not sure how to describe it. I will go to sleep but wake up after 4-5 hours, and be tired still. That's all I can think of though in describing it.
Do you spend a lot of time on your phone? Do you fall asleep in front of the TV?
You need to establish yourself a bed time routine, whatever that mean to you. Maybe a glass of wine to unwind, put your jammies on (or undress...whatever is the most comfortable for you), get in bed, turn the lights off, or down...and peacefully drift off to dreamland.
I go to bed around the same time every night because of work. But I do work on the computer a lot in my job. But it's hard to help that since it's my job. I do have glasses that are supposed to help but not sure if they're helping enough maybe.
Moderator cut: comments removed because title to which they refer has been corrected.
Since you're not having trouble falling asleep, but rather staying asleep, I don't know if a particular bedtime routine would help. There are various other things that you could try to adjust, though. Maybe you're going to bed too early, or on the other hand going to bed too late can backfire on you. Sometimes you need to find just the right window.
Melatonin works better in smaller doses--I heard this from a doctor. I get 3 mg tablets and break them in half. 1.5 mg turns out to be enough for me. And the best tip I discovered about melatonin--don't take it at bedtime if you're not having trouble falling asleep. Put it right next to the bed so you can take it when you wake up. If it's a small enough dose, it will help you fall asleep again without making you groggy a few hours later.
Another doctor's recommendation--if you take or don't mind trying a magnesium supplement, take it 1/2 hour before bed. It's soothing and also helps prevent muscle twitching or cramps that can disturb sleep.
What do you do when you wake up after 4-5 hours? Some people like to get up and do something, like reading or cleaning, and an hour later they are able to lie down and go to sleep again. (This doesn't work for me--I find the best thing for me personally is to lie quietly with eyes closed and NOT look at the time. But it works for some).
How about the room temperature? Do you feel too warm or too cold when you wake up? Make it so you can easily adjust your covers when you wake up. And lots of people sleep best when the room is cool to cold but they have thick covers.
How about a fan, white noise or ear plugs. Ear plugs changed my life--I used to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go to sleep again because I would hear every little noise. In the summer, the fan helps me too.
Last edited by in_newengland; 09-03-2021 at 11:17 AM..
Oh okay, but taking another four later is not possible for me though. Because of my work schedule, I am forced to have to sleep all in one go in a day. I cannot take four at one point and then four at another. So is there away to adapt to my work schedule, if I have no say in it?
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