General

Frequent wake ups during the night - advise needed

7 months ago (edited)

I read @volker-blasek article on habits that support better sleep, which I found really insightful.

My father struggles (he is 62 years old) not so much with falling asleep, but with frequent wake-ups throughout the night. His Apple Watch shows around 20 wake-ups each night (!!) which leaves him feeling very unrested in the morning.

Are there any supplements, routines, or approaches you would recommend for addressing frequent nighttime awakenings?

Habits
Sleep
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· 7 months ago (edited)

I can only speak for myself, but whenever I wake up frequently at night, it’s usually because my mind just doesn’t calm down. What helps me most is trying to calm my mind at least 90 minutes before going to bed.

I do this by going for a short walk, meditating, reviewing and planning my day, and avoiding screens and especially notifications.

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· 7 months ago (edited)

@kama

Can be various reasons for that , any inflammation / post covid / stress ?

Tart Cherry before bed , should do the trick as it precursor for Melatonin + antioxidants to reduce inflammation :)

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· 7 months ago (edited)

Hi Kama, I find it difficult to recommend medical treatment in this case, as your father is a bit elderly.

But have you looked at other values besides sleep values, such as blood pressure, stress, and HRV?

One thing you can try, and which I find to be a very effective hack for better sleep in general, is 5-10 minutes of 4-7-8 breathing. There are guided exercises on Spotify. Maybe you'd like to try it with him? After a few nights, it would be interesting to see what effect it has on his sleep.

Another issue could be nutrition, especially in the evening and before going to bed.

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