Breaking the sleep pattern/dry throat

I cannot remember the last time I felt refreshed after a good nights sleep, actually I am lying I remember it very fondly. I slept over my girlfriends (now wife) house, it was about 10ish years ago or maybe even longer, I remember waking up and my head was between 2 pillows so there was a slight dip in my head position, I felt like I slept so deeply for a whole 12 hours. Hasn't happened since!

I try not to focus on the time I go to bed or the length of time I am sleeping and avoid thinking of pain or negative thoughts but I am still waking up around 5-5:30 every morning which leaves me exhausted after work, I can't seem to break this pattern. Also every morning when I wake up I have a dry throat and mouth and seem to get dry throat throughout the day and I do drink a fair amount of water.

Any ideas how to break this poor sleep pattern??

 

I do sympathise - I had terrible sleep patterns for years. But the things that helped were; no coffee or tea after 4pm. No news on tv or papers in evening (or at all) Go to bed earlier (seems a contradiction but isn't !) settle down, get comfy and read or listen to a guided meditation, or have a hot bath b4 bed. This all helps you get into a relaxed and sleepy state.
What I still do even now is; anagrams or alphabet games - in my head. I worked out that if I let my mind rush about thinking for itself, before I know it I am analysing situations, pondering problems and basically stressing... Not good. So I take control and force my mind to only - make as many words as possible out of 'cabbage' or 'treetops' (I get my husband to 'give me a word' before he drops off! Or I choose a subject - maybe rivers or beers or motorbike makes - and then go through the alphabet - A - Ariel, B - BSA, C- Cossack, D - Ducati.... This I use most nights unless I'm so tired working I just fall asleep quick.
I think it is our 'monkey mind' that stops us from going straight back into that lovely deep sleep. You just need to find a trick that works for you.
The dry mouth could be from snoring or just breathing thru your mouth all night. You could try changing position, or some way to nose breathe instead... We all do this when congested with a cold etc - the best remedy then is to fill a bowl with boiling water, put a towel over your head (to make a 'tent') and breathe in the hot, wet air. This might work for you too. It would be worth a try. Even having a bowl of water over/near any heat source can help - it just makes the room less dry. Good luck

 

Thanks for your words hecate. Will give things a try.

 

You may want to look at this: ://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783

 

Thx tennis tom think u may have put this up before as I remember reading this. Maybe I'll get straight up as soon as I wake 2moro.

 

Yes, I've posted it frequently to give offer TMS'ers an alternative slant on sleep. Chronic pain and "bad sleep" go hand in hand. After reading it I no longer worry about SLEEP. I won't stare at the ceiling ruminating on my problems or pains. I'll do something, turn on the TV and clear out some shows clogging up the DVR, read a mag, wash the dishes, etc. It's now new found useful productive time. After a couple of hours I'll fall back to sleep. This is how evolution has programmed us to sleep and not the time-clock of the industrial era. When you're tired you will sleep. Napping is good.

 

I'm pretty good with the falling asleep part it's just the accumulation of early rises that is leaving me exhausted. This past week or so I have noticed myself waking with a slightly number area around my neck and up into my head, sounds very TMSey to me. Waiting on a decision this week as to whether I am allowed to go part time come September so maybe this is playing on my unconscious.

 

Hi, Hecate and everyone. I really like your ways to have a good night's sleep. My subconscious is letting me have a long night's sleep now. I used to wake up 2 or 3 times during the night because of a racing mind and needing to pee. For the last two weeks or more, I've slept through for 8 to 10 hours without waking up once or needing to pee. I think what changed for the better was not watching any tv for at least an hour before bedtime and staying up an hour later than usual. And probably not worrying as much about anything. I live more in the present and don't worry about tomorrow.

 

Thx Walt, makes sense. Was kind of thinking those things but they weren't at the forefront of my mind. I'm starting to worry less more and more and I'm trying to stay present as much as possible.

 

Yeah, as mentioned previously I bet that the dry mouth/throat thing is basically due to snoring or sleeping with your mouth open...this happens on a pretty regular basis for me.

Just an aside as well I don't think I've ever met anyone with TMS/physical anxiety who hasn't suffered at one stage from the random waking up with pins and needles/hand numbness weird thing either...its a strange one as it clears a lot quicker than usual pins and needles literally a shake of the hands and they go from totally numb to back to normal...i can go for months and months without it happening and then get a period of it happening regularly. i know you haven't mentioned it but thought I'd bring it up here as I'm always fascinated as to how often I hear about this happening to TMS/anxiety folk.

 

I don't seem to suffer from the pin n needles effect but if i wake with my arm above my head my whole arm will be numb and I need to move it with my other arm. I just hope I don't wake with both arms above my head. Also I recall suffering from sleep apnea before, waking gasping for air and heart pounding, not happened for a while tho.

 

Wow, I hadn't thought of the numbness/pins and needles being tms! I have it on and off. Sometimes just the pins nd needles and sometimes the totally dead arm... weirdly it is always the arm on top of me or the covers - not the one I am sleeping on... Which shows it's tms really....