Insomnia Support Group
Insomnia is a symptom, rather than a disease, and is characterized by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep. People with insomnia complain of difficulty falling or staying asleep, which results in significant impairment of daytime functioning. Insomnia is categorized as transient (shorter than one week), short-term (one to three weeks) or chronic (longer than three...
8 years now I had insomnia as a secondary symptom of a disorder. I am 40+ and normally I manage well enough to enjoy life.
It's 04:24 and it is the fourth night I have been awake at 4 in the morning in a row now. I know what is causing it. I just had the flu again. My low resistance to germs causes me to get every single one that someone I meet has. And when I am sick I sleep too much. My body or mind decides I had enough and all the meds I normally take and all the tricks I learned don't help. I get up at 08:00 every day, my bedroom is a temple, and I adjusted my life and mind to better sleep.
Any long term sufferers got some tips to help?
Unrelated but still fun to watch is the Ted talk 'the Museum of Four in the Morning'. Easy to find on YouTube. Most will relate here I suspect. I know I hate 04:00 in the morning as I give up at 05:00 and most day I get to 4 I will get to 5 too. But still I need to try.
You are right about the body's response to fighting the flu or other diseases -- much better sleep often results. For me bouts of insomnia have been cured (at least temporarily) by the flu.
You are right to continue to have a consistent wake time. I would suggest keeping that. And if you are sick, be confident the rest you are giving your body -- whether actually asleep or just resting in bed -- is helping to make you better.
It would not be surprising if your middle of the night awakenings will diminish as you recover from the flu. You may be well served by just letting this go.