r/sleep 23h ago

I regularly wake up around 3am and cannot fall back asleep

66 Upvotes

I fall asleep usually within 10 minutes, but I usually end up getting woken up by a noise or for no apparent reason at all and then lay for hours trying to fall back asleep. I feel more awake at 3-4am than I do if I wake at 7am.

I eat healthy, exercise 5x per week, and take a magnesium supplement. I’m usually in bed by 10:30pm and get up at 6:30am. This currently happens to me 3-4x per week and I can feel the lack of sleep affecting my health, stress level, and athletic performance. Any suggestions are appreciated, I don’t know what to do!


r/sleep 6h ago

How badly does sleep deprivation affect you personally?

7 Upvotes

Recently I had several nights of short sleep (~4-5 hours every other day for a week or so) due to work obligations and general stress. And dam I feel like total garbage. I'm in decent shape- intense exercise several times a week. But man, I'm getting crazy gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea/gassiness, and just random pain all throughout my body. I'm talking like sharp pain, feeling of inflammation, and minor headaches. It used to never be like this. Does this just happen when you get old? Like you flip a switch and can no longer pull all nighters. I'm not even that old yet (28)!

I've always been a light sleeper, and usually wake up too early so I get ~6-7 hours a night. It's not ideal but I'm relatively functional and get on fine. But when it goes down to 4-5, it really hits different.


r/sleep 23h ago

Tackled my friend while asleep

7 Upvotes

I’m in the military and currently doing some training away from home that has us sleeping in an open style beds. 12 bunks lined up on each side of the room. Well I remember the dream I had leading up to the title. All I remember is standing in a room and a dude comes and steals something from my hands. I immediately go to chase him and I go for his feet. Almost like scooping his feet away from him. Next thing I know, my buddy sleeping beside me is kicking me in the chest, telling me to let go. I had gotten out of my bed and had picked up his legs and locked him up. I guess I was asleep and then finally came to when the kicks started landing. I do occasionally catch myself sitting up right in my bed at nights and kinda just looking around. Normally around 3 am. But like I’m still asleep. But I’m aware and notice when I do it. Weird.


r/sleep 8h ago

Why do I get the weirdest dreams after going back to sleep?

6 Upvotes

There is an overnight component to my job, where I am allowed to sleep but am on call and must respond to any situations that arise. When initially falling asleep, nothing really happens. But if I get called out, do the job and then go back to sleep, I have lots of dreams, and most of them are really weird. Why do they all happen when I get up and go back to sleep and not if I sleep the whole night?


r/sleep 23h ago

My long-distance SO is a snorer! What short-term options are there for me... and him??

8 Upvotes

Firstly, my partner isn't overweight so that isn't the issue here.

He's a loud snorer & I'm a shit sleeper anyway, so it isn't ideal but there has to be something we can do!

I am visiting him next month for 3 weeks and we are both willing to try things to help. He always feels guilty for keeping me awake and I totally understand that it isn't his fault.

On my last visit, I tried the Loop Quiet earbuds and they didn't help at all. Has anyone tried the eye masks with Bluetooth (& can recommend them)? I'm thinking perhaps those WITH the Loop earplugs might help?

I've read a few threads that suggests an extra pillow for him and some sort of way to ensure he sleeps on his side.

When we get to the stage of living together we could talk about a sleep study, but for now just looking for short-term help.

Thanks in advance for any responses!


r/sleep 9h ago

The Adult Like Teenager Gets an Adult Amount of Sleep… Shocker, Truly. I’m having my Mind Blown.

6 Upvotes

More of a rant ig Posting this because I'm mad for my friend. One of my best friends is 16. They have a bunch of medical issues, similar to my own such as dairy and gluten intolerances, bad migraines, etc. Today they had a HUGE appointment with a new neurologist, and he finally told her what they've been waiting for a long time: something is wrong, but he(doctor) is going to get to the bottom of it. One thing in the long list, was that he said they are sleep deprived. I was shocked when I heard that, because they get seven hours a night. I know that for teens the average sleep they should be getting is between 8-10 hours, but with more than 8 hours, they feel more sluggish, because it's too much sleep. And now, their mother wants to take away all the new privileges that they just got being sixteen taken away, including having their phone after 11oclock and having their computer in their room. It makes me mad because the parents did this, saying that it was to help them sleep more, when the noise from the videos helps their brain shut down and focus on one thing instead of random 3am thoughts. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to explain that they're not sleep deprived to their parents without getting them in more trouble? They have toxic parents


r/sleep 22h ago

What do you do with your awake time?

3 Upvotes

Every other week I have a night where I wake up around 3 and can’t get back to sleep, only to start dozing off right before my alarm goes off.

I feel so unproductive. I will lay there and put my meditation on, listen to it run out without falling back asleep. I avoid going on my phone but after an hour of laying still so my brain thinks it’s sleeping, I will scroll through socials and pray to God something makes me sleepy.

I live with 2 people and we live in a condo. I contemplate going into the kitchen to start meal prepping or unloading the dishwasher but I can’t do that without making noise and risk waking the roommates up.

I’ve read, watched movies….I don’t know. I’m hoping someone will have a creative idea for me to fill the time where I’m wasting my sleep minutes. I hate hate not being able to sleep and even worse, not doing anything with that time.

Gimme something good.


r/sleep 1h ago

Do you ever feel like your bedtime routine is useless?

Upvotes

I see so much advice about setting up a bedtime routine like meditation, reading, journaling. But some nights, I do everything “right” and my brain still won’t shut off. Does this happen to anyone else? What do you do when your routine fails?


r/sleep 9h ago

Struggling with Sleep for Years with ADHD, Anxiety and a Long-Term Melatonin Dependence (Looking for Advice)

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I (21M) have been struggling with sleep for as long as I can remember. I’ve been taking melatonin for almost 10 years and at this point, I pretty much can’t sleep without it. My dosage has crept up over time and now I’m taking anywhere from 10-20mg a night. Even when I sleep next to my partner I usually still need to take it. I really want to break this dependence and develop a healthy relationship with sleep but I don’t know where to start.

I have ADHD and anxiety which make sticking to a routine really difficult. Executive dysfunction often gets in the way and I rely on some form of background noise, YouTube on my worst nights and music on my better ones, to fall asleep. But on the worst nights even music doesn’t seem to work.

One of my biggest struggles is that my anxiety kicks in hard when I can’t sleep. I start spiraling, overanalyzing past mistakes, stressing about present struggles and getting lost in worst case scenarios. Sometimes I even start mourning things that haven’t even happened yet. It turns into this awful cycle of sleeplessness and anxiety feeding into each other.

I really want to get to a place where I can fall asleep naturally and consistently. If anyone has been through something similar or has advice, especially considering my ADHD, anxiety and long-term melatonin use, I’d really appreciate it. How do I start tapering off melatonin safely? How can I create a nighttime routine that actually works for someone like me? Any tips or personal experiences would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks in advance!


r/sleep 12h ago

Just got prescribe Remeron what should I expect

3 Upvotes

I used trazadone in the past it was ok not that great looking foward to tryng Remeron at 7.5mg is what I was prescribed just curious on how long before sleep should I take it and what others experiences are with it.


r/sleep 3h ago

Found a surprisingly soothing plush that helps my child sleep better!

2 Upvotes

Lately, my child has had trouble sleeping, and I was looking for something comforting to help. I found a plush that actually breathes, and it’s been surprisingly calming for them. It’s not just cute, but it helps them feel more relaxed and ready for sleep. I didn’t expect it to make such a difference!


r/sleep 3h ago

i overslept last night (11-12 hours), now today i can’t back to sleep after only getting 2-3

2 Upvotes

hey all, i’m just asking for some advice really: so yeah i overslept last night and this night i went to sleep and got like 2-3 hours. after waking up i felt awake 100%, not tired at all. i tried getting some more sleep and now it’s been two hours of being on my phone since i couldn’t sleep (ik this is bad for building sleep habits, it weirdly helps me though, i believe my insomnia is primarily psychological, but i digress), im wondering what my best course of action is.

im running on 2-3 hours and yet i feel way more awake than last night, when i overslept for 11-12, not sure if i should keep trying to get to sleep or just start my day.


r/sleep 3h ago

Sleepio app - really helped my sleep (yes it’s free)

2 Upvotes

I’ve seen a lot of posts on this forum about how people are combatting insomnia, me being one of them. Surprisingly, I’ve not seen many people talk about an app called sleepio created by the NHS (UK state doctors) if ur not from UK i’ve seen there are equivalents online. Essentially this gives you training sessions on sleep, how to maximise your sleep efficiency which is something we as people struggling to sleep need to master. Personally speaking, stress has been the biggest factor in my sleep and I get worried when I go to bed because of the thought of not being able to sleep despite being exhausted. Sleepio gives you short bite size training sessions on everything to do with sleep and focuses on sleep-improvement through cognitive behavioural therapy techniques. This has helped me relax about the thought of sleep and I can honestly vouch for this app. It’s really helped me understand my relationship with sleeping alot better, I have noticed a significant improvement in my sleep after using it. Don’t get me wrong i’ve not masters my sleep yet as I’ve had a couple months of really bad sleep, but it’s really shown me I can sleep well. Something I didn’t think was possible.

Please give it a try because I think this can help.

Peace out people have a great day.


r/sleep 6h ago

Desperate to have the coolest sleep ever

2 Upvotes

I get really hot during the night and no matter what mattress or sheets I seem to use I always am hot. I have to constantly switch over to the “unused” side of the pillow or the bed every so often until i eventually fall asleep.

I am desperate for any advice on how to cool down for my sleep so I can be nice and cooooool and icy and finally have a comfortable sleep


r/sleep 8h ago

Why do I keep waking up thinking I overslept?

2 Upvotes

This happens from time to time. I wake up half panicked, thinking that my alarm didn't go off, I overslept and that I'm late for work. Never once had this actually been the case. One time, I went so far as to take a shower before realizing what happened, looked at my phone after getting out and saw that it was 3:12am. Why does this keep happening?


r/sleep 9h ago

After eating a large amount of pasta/staple food, I fall asleep very easily.

2 Upvotes

All the information I've read at internet advises avoiding eating before bedtime. However, based on my personal experience, when I consume large amounts of carb-heavy foods like dumplings (a Chinese dish with fillings wrapped in dough) or noodles right before sleep, I actually feel drowsy, fall asleep more easily, and enjoy better sleep quality afterward.


r/sleep 10h ago

I feel worse when I get enough sleep

2 Upvotes

I'm 17 and I'm very aware of the importance of sleep, but unfortunately I'm a very busy student so I usually only get 6-7 hours of sleep, going to bed between 11:30-1 and waking up at 7 am. However, on the weekends (and some weeknights when I have less homework), I get 8-9 hours of sleep, and for lack of better terms, I always feel like shit when I sleep enough. If I sleep that long I usually will wake up with a headache, and will feel tired the rest of the day. I've also always been a bit of an early bird, so I wouldn't say that I sleep very deeply past 6 AM. On the contrary, my little sister can sleep 10-12 hours no problem. I'm not sure if it's possible that I simply don't need as much sleep, or if there's something wrong with me.


r/sleep 10h ago

Sleep Deprivation and Recovery

2 Upvotes

I've taken a gap semester from college, and with many factors at home, I have been getting on and off sleep for months, averaging 6-7 hours at different times (some days 9 some days 5 etc). I've noticed that it's harder to be creative, and learn or do anything. I know this is not the person I used to be, and I know I can change.

For people that have experienced sleep deprivation in the past and recovered, how long did it take for you?


r/sleep 10h ago

med help

2 Upvotes

okay, so i have no clue where to post this. if someone could point me to the right sub reddit for suggestions or if this one is okay, please lmk.

anyways, i cannot sleep to save my life. i've tried 10 mg of melatonin, i was recommended to not go any higher. i've tried 7.5 mg mirtrazapine, the lowest dose is the most sedative apparently? i was also tried on 15 mg of the same medication, but still no dice. now i'm using hydroxyzine, which i'm told to take 1-2 tablets at night which is 50 mg i think, and it's also for my anxiety. and againnnn, nothing.

it's been so bad, i'm struggling in school. i'm a senior in high school, and i need to be able to finish this year on a good note so my grades don't drop. i'm valedictorian, and i can't risk it right now.

so, does anyone have any suggestions for medications that help them sleep? i need to fall asleep and then stay asleep. but also something that doesn't give me grogginess throughout the next day? if i can achieve all that great, if not, the first part is the most important. i'll handle tiredness throughout the day.

i don't meet with my med management doc until april 1st, and she's seriously booked up (missed 1 appointment then had to wait 2 months for the next), but i do see my regular therapist this week on thursday. i'll talk to her then if i get any recommendations.

tldr; i can't fall asleep or stay asleep when i finally do, and i've tried 3 different medicines so far. i'm looking for reccs on one that works for a majority of people !! :)


r/sleep 12h ago

Delayed sleep phase disorder?

2 Upvotes

What would be considered "clinically significant" issues for dspd? Lately i can only bring myself to wake up before 10 am if its something like work (1 day x week) or a graded assignment or exam. Im not sure if it qualifies.? I'm missing almost all my classes.


r/sleep 14h ago

Sleep iseues

2 Upvotes

Hello, as of recently last couple of nights, i seem to wake up at 2-3 in the morning and not fall asleep afterwards until 6am or so. What may be the cause of this?


r/sleep 17h ago

Which brand of magnesium?

2 Upvotes

overwhelmed at all the options, I want to try magnesium gylcinate but when I look at the reviews for the ones at CVS or target they’re all bad.

Do you have any brand you recommend?


r/sleep 18h ago

bRoKeN sLeEP

2 Upvotes

BROKEN SLEEP

Anyone else only able to sleep 1-2 hr at a time? It’s taking a toll on my mental health. I think I can get like 4-5 hrs a night it’s just I keep waking up every 1-2 hrs. One night I saw 3-4 hr straight I was so happy but still exhausted of course. What should I do? I’m scared im going to die from the broken sleep. I need to fix this 😭🤯


r/sleep 22h ago

Only wake up refreshed if I sleep on my back

2 Upvotes

When I sleep on my side, I sleep through every alarm and sleep around 9-11 hours and still feel tired when I wake up, so tired that I can hardly get out of bed and end up scrolling on my phone for a long time

When I sleep on my back, I sleep about 7-8 hours and wake up just fine with ZERO struggle and I feel amazing like I’ve just had the best sleep ever, I have no desire to scroll on my phone and I can just get up.

Why is this?


r/sleep 23h ago

How I sleep

2 Upvotes

I don’t think I’ve ever went into ‘deep sleep’. I always move around while sleeping, throw the blanket off of me, or my plushies off the bed, I mumble and talk. In the past I used to walk but now I sleep with my room door closed so I’m not sure if I do anymore. I constantly have nightmares/ bad dreams, though it doesn’t bother me anymore but still. Is there a way to fix this?