I've been having major issues with sleep the last month. I don't have a problem falling asleep (except once I've woken up in the middle of the night) I just have a problem staying asleep. I usually wake up 3-5 hours after going to sleep, and am completely awake, alert, and busy minded, for about 4 hours before getting tired again. If I get up after waking up, and don't go back to bed, I will be completely exhausted within 10 hours, well before anything close to bedtime (and usually in the middle of the workday). I end up spending a good 10-12 hours in bed just to get enough sleep, and if I don't, I'm tired. Not that being tired helps me stay asleep...

I've tried melatonin, but it doesn't help me stay asleep, just fall asleep. Really, all the things I can think of just help you fall asleep, not stay asleep. I don't want to use OTC sleep aids, because they just make me jittery and my legs feel rubbery. I'm worried about using prescription sleeping pills, like lunesta, cause I've heard some things about them triggering depression, and I have enough problems with that already.

I just want to stay asleep for 7 hours!

I hear you on this one lately. You'd think that if I'm not getting up for work, I'd sleep. But no.

I'm not going to be much help (cuz we're in the same boat) but that never stopped me from talking before

Last night I actually slept from almost midnight until almost seven. The differences between yesterday and the preceding few weeks? I experimented with my new juicer so ate much healthier. And I went for a nice long walk while supper was cooking.

On Christmas Eve I sleep VERY well. So much so that when my husband came home from work at 8am (he works 3rd) after I had gone to bed at 5, I barely woke up. I slept deeply and well till 3pm.

The only difference that night is that I had just changed the sheets, lol.

Hey, never underestimate the power of lovely fresh sheets

I have so much trouble with insomnia. The past two nights I haven't been able to sleep until 4am which makes for a very long day being home with two small kids. It is very frustrating. I feel tired during the day but then at night I just can't seem to settle down to sleep.

I've had the same problem as the OP for YEARS. I used to stay awake for an hour in the "middle" of the night. Now it's two. (You can tell if you note the timestamps on my posts.) I sleep through the night less than a handful of times a year. However at bedtime, I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. If anyone has a solution I'm more than ready for it. I'm sure it has something to do with weight gain as well. I slept through the night fairly well last night - went to bed late (11 pm) and slept through til 5 am. I count that as one of my "slept through the night" nights for 2008.

i have this problem too! it's been really bad lately- and then i moved and i've had two weeks of good sleep. so weird. i was attributing it to starting a new medication... but i'm not so sure now.
How is your sleeping environment? We put up dark curtains and it's pretty much pitch black in our room, we also started playing a cd on repeat of "white noise" called Brainwave- and funny thing is we also have some fresh sheets on the bed since we moved and actually bothered to finally put some on at all lol. Anyway I've been sleeping a little bit better, my middle of the night restless time went down from 2-4 hours to 30 minutes tops. Also- i am trying not to drink too much in the evening because usually my wakefulness starts after i get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

I try to keep my bedroom clean, calm and dark. We have a nature sounds machine which is relaxing to me. There are different options and I usually listen to thunder or rain turned down low. A lot of times I have to take a sleeping pill to sleep but then I wake up groggy.

I have to jump in on this one since I've had terrible insomnia for years. I've tried SleepyTime Tea, the no caffeine after 12pm trick, a hot soak in a bubble bath, fresh clean sheets, etc, etc. You name it, I've tried it. Funny thing is, I can't keep my eyes open while I'm on the couch watching TV. But the minute I get in bed, I'm wide awake. I finally asked my DR. for a prescription for AmbienCR out of sheer desperation, which has helped immensely. The nights I try to go without it, though, I toss and turn all night. I don't want to be dependent on this stuff, but I can't sleep without it.

i have this problem due to an over active (aka stressed) brain. What helps me is exercise...but i know that doesn't cure everyone.

I've had sleep problems since I was a kid, what I'm doing now is:
-- not drinking water too late (because of having to wake up to use the bathroom)
-- not drinking more then 1 glass of wine in evening because that will help you GET to sleep but will then wake you up a few hours later
-- like cottagebythesea, I also have pretty much no problem falling asleep on the couch in front of the TV, I will occasionally move to the couch at 3 am until I fall asleep, then go back to bed
-- lavender spray from Bath & Body Works for sheets and pillows
-- I used to drink storebought camomile tea but then I went to a real tea store, with tea in big glass jars and got some camomile tea in the form of the little buds. That absolutely knocks me out better then Ambien does
-- to break a long "cycle" of insomnia, I'll take Ambien or Elavil (an old antidepressant). I think I developed some tolerance to Ambien, it doesn't work as well as it used to so I haven't taken it in a few months. Elavil does tend to make me groggier in the morning but it can help get me off the anxiety cycle of "oh my god, it's 3 am and I'm awake again"

Other things I've heard work
-- turn your clock around so you can't see what time it is
-- move your bed or where you sleep on your bed

Good luck. I absolutely hate being up at 3 am when everyone else is asleep...
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I was sick with a sinus infection a few months ago and extremely stressed out over school and had some very serious family issues going on. I took nyquil when i was sick, but when I got better I didn't stop taking it because it helped me sleep so much better. I only took about 1/2 or 1/4 of the normal adult dose and it was just enough to knock off the edge of having to go to sleep, and it was a lot cheaper than using prescription sleeping pills at least for me.

I have since though stopped taking it as I have graduated and a lot of my stresses have fallen away since school ended and now I sleep almost normal.

ha! i've been desperate and hit the nyquil before too. sometimes you just gotta get some dang sleep.

My college age kids swear by an occasional dose of Nyquil. Me, I'm an Ambien girl when I'm sleepless. Don't use it often, but it works great when I do use it. My sister can't stay asleep with it though & she uses the Ambien CR. I'm going to have to try the chamomile tea though.

I have the same problem - I fall asleep easily, but then wake up every few hours. Often, in a very regular pattern like every 45 minutes, or every hour or something. I tried turning my clock where I can't see it. I still wake up, but I at least don't lie there thinking "It is 4am and I have to get up in an hour and a half". Now I lie there thinking "I have no idea what time it is, but I know I should be sleeping!"