Insomnia....ugh

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So I've been going through a lot of stress lately. I have been having trouble getting a good night's sleep. I don't have a problem falling asleep but rather staying asleep.

I always wake up 3-4 hours after falling asleep feeling exhausted. Once I wake up no matter how hard I try, I just can't fall back asleep. Anyone ever gone through this before? What did you do?

Aack!

Yes, sleeping is not easy for me. Summer solstice is the 21st and the longer daylight hours insidiously do interfere with my sleep pattern (even though I have heavy draperies, etc). I have a weighted blanket (yes, really helps!) but in the summer it's too hot. Sigh. Anyway, I have an ambient sound maker. Could you try white noise, even just a fan in your room for when you wake up? Of course, there are prescription medicines but they really don't fix the problem, just temporarily mask it. I understand if you wake up during the night, it's best to physically leave your room and do something else, like read. Maybe fix a cup of herbal tea or take a hot bath.

I suffer regular bouts of insomnia. You can't fight it so don't get stressed, switch on the tv or read a book. I then find I wake up hours later with a book on my chest or the tv still on but more importantly I have slept.

I like some of the ideas I'm seeing here. I actually have windows facing my bed, so light comes pouring in as soon as the sun comes up! I may take some old bed sheets and put them over the windows. I am pretty light sleeper so the slightest noise or light will wake me up.

I also like the white noise suggestion. I usually put on stream sounds on my phone as i'm drifting off. It usually stops me from thinking too much and almost puts me in a trance.

I think getting out of bed is a good idea too. I usually just toss and turn for hours hoping that I can fall back asleep and it apparently isn't working! Maybe i'll start a novel or just study when I can't sleep.

I agree that prescription drugs are only a temporary fix, if that. I generally hate to even take aspirin, I like to do things naturally. I've found that meditation helps with relieving stress before bedtime too.

If anyone else has any suggestions, feel free to list them!

Try engaging in simple and quiet activities before bed, and when you can't sleep. It makes it harder to fall asleep when your brain is still wide awake from lots of activity, noise, and anything that could be stimulating to you. If you're at all like me, it might take a really long time to settle down at the end of the day. I know my doctor even said I should stay off my laptop and cell phone an hour before I plan to go to sleep. I definitely think darkening up the room is a good idea, as well. I know every little sound and light wakes me up, and it might help the problem at least some.

Only advice I can give is sleeping pills. They give you wacky, bizarre dreams, but they do work for most people. Insomnia is a b***h, so you have my empathy.

Sleeping problems are really a nuisance. It is important though not to worry about them, as they will get inevitably worse, giving more cause for worry, thus making the problem still worse... Easier said than done, though.

Some people just seem to sleep naturally in two phases. I often get this thing too, and like to read something relaxing when I wake up and can't go back to sleep promptly. I usually keep a book and the E-book reader on the night table for this.

Another thing that often helps me get back to sleep is to drink a glass of milk or eat a yoghurt.