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Do you tend to sleep through the night without waking?

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Community Manager
Community Manager

Do you tend to sleep through the night without waking?

If not, what wakes you up?  Do you find it harder to get a full night's sleep, why?

AARPTeri
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Periodic Contributor

I do tend to sleep through the night without waking. I take a few steps to ensure I'm getting the best sleep possible - I use Sleep Underground to buy the highest quality products, like natural sleep aids, and a comfy mattress that keeps me snoozing all night. I have had a few sleepless nights here and there. Usually, it's because of a stressful situation that's on my mind. Or if I'm having a bad dream I sometimes wake up so I can stop thinking about it. It's harder to get a full night's sleep if I'm not in a comfortable environment. That's why I always make sure I'm prepared with the right sleep aids.

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Regular Contributor

what a joke of a question? qualify of sleep or lack thereof is a huge issue with seniors. you should know that aarp teri.

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Super Contributor

Almost never, but I've gotten used to it by now.  Either I have to pee, I'm hungry, or I simply wake up.  It usually happens between 1 - 3 times per night, but is only really bothersome if it's say, 03:00 and I can't get back to sleep for hours.  Otherwise, it's just part of the sleep cycle for me.  

I am fortunate in that I can nap during the day if I need to.


People will stop asking you questions if you answer back in interpretive dance. - Meme
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Periodic Contributor

Once you go to sleep, you should be able to rest well. However, most people find themselves awake at least once or twice through the night. It might happen because of several reasons like having alcohol or caffeine in the late hours of the day, resting in a poor sleep environment, a sleep disorder, or another health condition. But, the problem here is that if you find it difficult to fall asleep again after waking up, you might fail to catch up on recommended hours of rest. This scenario is not ideal.

Deepak
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Super Contributor

I wish.  If I only had to get up once a night, it would be a good night.

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Contributor

I wake up at least twice per night to go to the bathroom.  I'm lucky in that I can always get back to sleep.

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Trusted Social Butterfly

I wake up every 1 to 3 hours mostly because pain increases on the side of my body that is pressed against the mattress and I have to change positions to reduce it.

 

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Contributor

Rarely sleep through the night. At least once I have to empty my bladder. 

I went to a “pot” doctor at a legal clinic here in Florida and started using CBD plus THC drops. I usually can bank on 6-7 hours. 

I also do breathing exercises to help drift off and that usually works.

If I still have trouble drifting off, I have some vapes also bought at a legal dispensary, and I smoke perhaps 3-4 puffs of Indica. That puts me out really fast.

the reason I don’t use it nightly is that it is a bit rough on my throat.

i am very glad I am able to afford legal pot.

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Regular Contributor

does the pot make you hallucinate?

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Periodic Contributor

Yes I do. Sometimes I don't sleep at all.   Between getting up to pee about 3 times and the dog wanting out a couple times. It drives me nuts. I have neuropathy in my feet and the pain, even with pain med, is excrutiating and keeps me awake. Found out I have a need for a CPAP machine to to me stopping breathing. Dr. gaveme some meds to sleep and new med for the neuropathy. I sleep a little better. except when thedog wants out.

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Social Butterfly

It depends on who I’m sleeping with!  😉

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Periodic Contributor

Not as well as I used to. It bothered me enough that I went to the doctor. I was tested for sleep apnea, but I don't have it (thank goodness).  But, I've been using a sleep diary and following some simple rules. 1. Go to bed only when you are sleepy.  2. The bed is not for anything but sex and sleep--no reading, watching TV or eating in the bed. 3. Darken the bedroom (drapes, blinds, etc.) and get rid of/cover up electronic lights (all those bright digital clocks, green/red/blue status lights, etc., etc.).  4. No looking at any electronic screen at least 1 hour before bed (2 if you can swing it).  That means no TV or smartphone/cellphone screens!. 5. Use white noise if it helps (a ceiling fan can perform this function or get yourself a little white noise machine or use an app on your phone--just don't have the screen visible!). 6. Use meditation to relax. 7. For those of you like me whose brains/worries try to kick in when you lie down, you may want to try to establish a "worry time" during the day where concerns are addressed during that time and not at any other! 8. Exercise regularly. 9. If you've been sleeping on the same old bed for years, perhaps it is time to get another one that is more comfortable for your age!

 

I've been doing better although there is still room for improvement. 

 

I advise anyone with sleep issues to not put off seeing a doctor and/or trying something new. Your overall health is impacted greatly by lack of sleep!

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Contributor

I'm 63 years old and have slept less than 8 hours a night for several years since menopause.  I sometimes have trouble going to sleep even if I feel sleepy.  I've tried sleeping pills, but do not want to rely on pills. I've tried all the recommendations, keeping bedroom cool & dark, breathing techniques, counting backwards, lavender diffusers, chamomille tea, etc.  When I get to sleep, I only sleep a couple of hours & wake up either hot or needing to go to the bathroom,  I get up, go to the bathroom, go back to bed and then sometimes go back to sleep, but wake up again in another couple of hours. Then when I get sleepy again it is time to get up to get ready to go to work.  I get 4-6 hours on weekday nights and maybe 6-7 hours on the weekends.  Everything I read says it is bad for my overall health, but I haven't found anything that helps get more hours or deep sleep.

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Conversationalist

When, I worked, I went to bed at 1100pm, got up at 3:30am.  I did this for 20 years. So, when I retired, I changed that awful schedule to 10;00 pm till 9:30am.  Sounds usually wake me up, music, talking but I think of my room bathed in white light and my pillow is a cloud so I float back into sleep.

Its important to change your way of thinking.  If you wrestle with your brain, it will wrestle back so if it's totally impossible then try this - Hylands -Homeopathic medicine.   Try #6 ,it literally calms your whole being down and whatever you are thinking about at that very moment, it gets shoved in the back of you, literally.  Your mind is free to drift and let it , till your eyes start to droop, your brain quiets down, and you simply fall asleep.  It's the only medicine that has actually worked for me, so give it a try.  It won't harm the body at all.

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Kudos
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Contributor

You suggested “Try #6”. What is that?

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Conversationalist

#6 is one of the Twelve Cell salts and it's made by Hylands, which is a Homepathic medicine.

Whenever it's hard to sleep, to quiet the mind, I take #6.  

It  usually means that your body is lacking that cell salt.  They are actually 12 cell salts.  The best one is Bioplama- it's all the 12 cells salts  combined.  I do take that one everyday.

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Newbie

No I take sleep medication and I still wake up every 3 Hours.

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Contributor

no

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Regular Contributor

No, I am a very light sleeper. I have little problem falling asleep but wake up if the wind picks up, rain begins to fall, or any unusual sounds around the house. Getting back to sleep is a challenge so I usually just close my eyes, relax my body, and rest until 5:30 or so. This has been the pattern my entire life so I don’t worry about my sleeping habits. Interestingly my wife is instantly to sleep and can sleep through practically any storm or event. 

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Periodic Contributor

About 3 nights out of 7 depending on level of stress.  Since I retired that's up from 0.  I am fortunate that my dog sleeps until 9:30   I get up at 8:00 and if I've had restless night, h gets very annoyed.  So I continue to work on it.  Very hard to avoid stress during these Trump times.

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Periodic Contributor

My mind is usually abuzz, thinking back on the day. I usually say quick prayers and then go into meditative breathing awareness. Is helps drift me off to a date with the sandman. If I awake in the night, I repeat the breathing technique. Sweet dreams, everyone.

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Conversationalist

When I was working, I had to be up early as we started at 6 a.m., and I had to sometimes shovel the driveway in winter and scrape the ice off the car windows, so I was used to getting up at 4 a.m. to eat breakfast and do whatever it took. When I retired, I took care of my Dad who had dementia so I worried about him getting up at night,and as a result, still got up early.  Now I can get to sleep right away (depending on what I am doing before bedtime), but my mind races and goes over things I need to do the next day and I wind up waking up several times.  I still get up at 4!  When daylight savings ends, I just thing to myself, another hour of insomnia!

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Contributor

I can't remember the last time I slept through the night- multiple bathroom visits! I was diagnosed with over-active bladder and prescribed Oxybutinin. Now I only wake up once and usually get back to sleep without difficulty.

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Contributor

I infrequently sleep through the night. I even went to a sleep study here at West Virginia University and followed all of the advice and honestly saw no change. The days I sleep the best, and that means staying asleep, are the days I work out the heaviest. Falling asleep is a constant problem. I would love to find the answer.

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Contributor

Yes

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Regular Contributor

No, not for 6 months after retiring.

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