4-6 Hours Max - Why?

[DBCoast]

I’ve been dealing with crushing insomnia for almost 5 years.

I cannot sleep beyond 6 hours for anything. The few times I have, I’ve felt like a new person. Amazing. My question is - what happens in the body or with the sleep cycle at the 6-hour mark that could cause this? I’m up after 6 hours like clockwork and I feel horrible. I can’t seem to get beyond it.

It also happens after 4 hours, where I’ll be up and wide awake for around 3 hours before I can go back for maybe 2 more. It’s absolute torture.

So, it’s basically either the 6 hour max and feel shitty sleep, or the 4 hour adrenaline wake up and torture.

I’ve tried just about everything, but suggestions are welcome. I’m just trying to figure out what mechanism is preventing me from sleeping past 6 hours. Maybe from there I can try to fix it.

Thanks!

 

[Perry Staltic]

Have you tried taking a long hot shower right before hitting the sack? By long I mean until you empty the hot water heater.

 

[Warrior]

Do you go to sleep at the same time each night? If not what is your average time of hitting the hay?

Do you find yourself waking at the same time? If not what is the most frequent timing of your rising?

Are there feelings of anxiety and panic running through your system when this happens that makes you feel wired?

What happened that was of significance around 5.5 years ago that you haven't fully examined or dealt with?

How is you caffeine consumption and stimulants in general?

How much exposure to sunlight and fresh air do you get daily?

Are you generally an anxious person?

 

[DBCoast]

Have you tried taking a long hot shower right before hitting the sack? By long I mean until you empty the hot water heater.

I’ve started doing soaks in the tub with magnesium salt. Relaxing, but no help carrying through the night.

 

[Jennifer]

I’ve tried just about everything, but suggestions are welcome. I’m just trying to figure out what mechanism is preventing me from sleeping past 6 hours. Maybe from there I can try to fix it.

My guess would be that’s when your liver glycogen has depleted.

 

[Peachy]

My sleep improved immediately when I started using silicone earplugs. No more adrenaline rushes. I sleep about 6 hours then an additional hour. Not perfect but a big improvement.

Getting enough calories in through the day is big for me too.

 

[DBCoast]

Do you go to sleep at the same time each night? If not what is your average time of hitting the hay?

Do you find yourself waking at the same time? If not what is the most frequent timing of your rising?

Are there feelings of anxiety and panic running through your system when this happens that makes you feel wired?

What happened that was of significance around 5.5 years ago that you haven't fully examined or dealt with?

How is you caffeine consumption and stimulants in general?

How much exposure to sunlight and fresh air do you get daily?

Are you generally an anxious person?

Yes, average time I go to bed is 9:30pm. No problem falling asleep. Usually fall asleep on couch because I’m so tired and if I wake up and try to go in my bed, it’s over. Once I wake up at all, it’s a no-go. So it’s usually back to the couch until I fall asleep some hours later.

I usually wake up 4-6 hours after I fall asleep. I get up for the day at 5-6am.

No real anxiety when I wake up, but I do feel restless and bad. I don’t have racing thoughts or anything.

5 yrs ago I stopped taking klonopin, stopped drinking, and started doing CrossFit to an extreme degree.

Caffeine is 5 tablespoons of pour-over coffee, two cups, finished by 10am, with some milk and honey, but I do drink some on an empty stomach when I wake up. I know this needs fixing.

I work from home so I’m outside getting full body sun exposure every chance I get. Multiple times per week weather permitting.

I’m borderline an anxious person. I do have tendency toward obsession and can get swept up in worry.

 

[Inaut]

I have a dichro green bulb I use at night before bed. Just pointed at me. I notice after 10 minutes of general exposure, I get really relaxed and tired. Not sure if it's worth trying in your case but just something i noticed the other day.

 

[Perry Staltic]

I work from home

I never had sleep issues until I started doing this. You might need to break up your routine and isolation with human interaction

 

[Peachy]

I never had sleep issues until I started doing this. You might need to break up your routine and isolation with human interaction

So true. I could use a work-from-home-hygiene thread

 

[TheHound]

Look into Andrew Hubermans thoughts on sleep. Here's a start: Toolkit for Sleep

How much bright light are you getting in the mornings?

 

[DBCoast]

Look into Andrew Hubermans thoughts on sleep. Here's a start: Toolkit for Sleep

How much bright light are you getting in the mornings?

I’ve done this. Good stuff.

I walk every morning and get sun in my eyes per his recommendation.

 

[Bliss]

For wake-ups I keep honey/ salt or a sugar-salt mix on the bedside table. Then I listen to a semi-interesting podcast (with a timer on so it doesn’t wake me up again later).
In my case the biggest improvements in sleep length, quality (as measured by sleep data as well as subjective feeling) and in reduced night waking have come from improving liver health (I did TUDCA originally, but now I prefer taurine, I find it gentler) and from supplementing thyroid.

 

[DBCoast]

For wake-ups I keep honey/ salt or a sugar-salt mix on the bedside table. Then I listen to a semi-interesting podcast (with a timer on so it doesn’t wake me up again later).
In my case the biggest improvements in sleep length, quality (as measured by sleep data as well as subjective feeling) and in reduced night waking have come from improving liver health (I did TUDCA originally, but now I prefer taurine, I find it gentler) and from supplementing thyroid.

Thanks, Bliss. I’ve tried some salt, milk, honey before bed, but no luck. Tried ice cream too.

What’s TUDCA?

I don’t know the state of my liver, but I was low carb then high fat Weston Price style diet for a while. Maybe too much fat?

 

[stoic]

How dark is your bedroom?

Personally, I always sleep better (and longer) when in complete darkness.

 

[DBCoast]

How dark is your bedroom?

Personally, I always sleep better (and longer) when in complete darkness.

I tried total black-out, then started keeping my salt lamp on after reading about darkness and stress on here. (However, I tend to think that they must be referring to seasonal darkness and darkness while awake causing stress, not darkness while asleep, but who knows…)

 

[Jennifer]

I just thought of something, @DBCoast. Ray once talked about how he had people with insomnia set a timer to go off an hour before they would typically wake up and have something to eat and he said within a week, they were sleeping through the night. I’ll look for the exact quote and post it here, but maybe you could try it and see if it helps break your unlucky streak?

 

[DBCoast]

I just thought of something, @DBCoast. Ray once talked about how he had people with insomnia set a timer to go off an hour before they would typically wake up and eat something and he said within a week, they were sleeping through the night. I’ll look for the exact quote and post it here, but maybe you could try it and see if it helps break your unlucky streak?

I’ll do it!

Maybe like some cheese and salted OJ??

 

[Jennifer]

I’ll do it!

Maybe like some cheese and salted OJ??

LOL I don’t know why I said timer. I meant an alarm. Oy. I suppose getting baked might help with insomnia. Hehe. I’m still looking for the quote—I have 41 pages worth to go through—but yes to cheese (or milk or ice cream) and salted OJ. I keep coming across quotes where Ray recommended salt and milk with honey or ice cream for insomnia.

 

[DBCoast]

My sleep improved immediately when I started using silicone earplugs. No more adrenaline rushes. I sleep about 6 hours then an additional hour. Not perfect but a big improvement.

Getting enough calories in through the day is big for me too.

I have some of those. Might try them again.