# Early morning awakening



## braveheart (Jun 22, 2007)

I am really suffering with early morning awakening again.

Thankfully, due to remeron I manage to sleep well from 10.30pm ish until about 4 am. Then after that I am continuously waking up, and am not fully asleep, and having lucid type dreams. I am also very restless then and cannot get comfortable.

Its really getting me down. 

I get up in the morning feeling just as, if not more, tired than I went to bed.

I am dealing with a lot right now -

~ lots of in depth recovery work in therapy.

~ changes at work [although that is settling now]

~ the potential suicide of an online friend. [I don't know what's happened to her, she was threatening suicide, and have heard nothing since.]

~ the disappearance of my befriender.

~ a prospective house move. [along with my flatmates.]

Mornings are awful. I've asked to start a bit later at work the day I start at 9 next week, but I don't really see the point of that as I won't really see myself getting any more sleep out of it.


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## sister-ray (Jun 22, 2007)

*Re: early morning awakening*

Im sorry to hear your going through all this , I do hope you hear from your online friend its so worrying I know when people disappear online  will keep you in my thoughts sending more positives and hugs for you:hug::hug:


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## David Baxter PhD (Jun 22, 2007)

Have you spoken to your doctor about changing the timing of when you take your Remeron, and/or the dose, and/or adding something to take at night for a while to improve your sleep?


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## ThatLady (Jun 22, 2007)

Talking to your doctor is the thing to do, Braveheart. Be sure to tell him all the contributing factors you've mentioned here. Perhaps, he'll have a suggestion as to what you might do to get a better night's sleep. He may be able to add a medication for you. :hug:


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## braveheart (Jun 22, 2007)

Thank you. 

I see my GP next Friday.

I do have some low dose zopiclone that my GP says is fine to take along with remeron when things are really tough. Its not as tough now though as when I last took the zopiclone as well. I am also cautious, and might take one on Saturday night, when I won't have to get up early on Sunday.

I told my GP about my troubles with sleeping when I saw her last time, 2 weeks ago. She simply said that I am going through a lot [some of the above are new stressors, but not all] and basically that I have to hold on and get through it.


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## Halo (Jun 22, 2007)

I too was wondering if maybe taking the Remeron a little later at night and staying awake longer will keep you asleep later in the morning.  Sometimes I know that I have awaken early in the a.m. because I have gone to bed to early the night before.  Have you tried staying awake longer at night to see if it makes a difference in the morning or do you find that you are still waking at 4:00 a.m. no matter what time you go to bed at night.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jun 22, 2007)

braveheart said:


> I do have some low dose zopiclone that my GP says is fine to take along with remeron when things are really tough. Its not as tough now though as when I last took the zopiclone as well. I am also cautious, and might take one on Saturday night, when I won't have to get up early on Sunday.



Does the zopiclone make you feel groggy in the morning? Or are you worried that it might?

If not, there's nothing wrong with taking it along with Remeron, as your doctor told you. It's not in the same family of medications at all. Zopiclone (Imovane) is a sedative/hypnotic prescribed specifically for insomnia. And since you're definitely having a problem with what's called "late insomnia", it would seem to me that this would be a good time to be taking it - that's why your doctor prescribed it for you.


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## braveheart (Jun 22, 2007)

Uh, sorry, I forgot to respond to the time taking remeron bit.. was stressed out with my wireless connnection being uncooperative. 

Basically, it doesn't make a lot of difference what time I take it -any time between 8.30 and 10pm, basically 30 minutes or so before I go to bed. Any later and I feel even more unslept in the morning!

The last time I took zopiclone was when things were pretty severe, and I had to be taken to a and e because I was so dizzy with anxiety, I think it was, that I couldn't walk.. and I tended to believe that the zopiclone had contributed to that. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't.
Generally though, mornings weren't too bad on it.

Maybe I'll try taking one tonight along with the remeron [I think I took the remeron first, and then the zopilcone right before I turned the light off... I think..]

My ex-psychiatrist didn't think much of zopilcone, but I always found it helped me.

My friend was just online for a while. She is ok, but still determined to die. I cannot stop her. Though I wish she could see things through the eyes of her well self, I wish she could understand how I hear that her despair is because she really wants to live, but feels -and is - so unsupported by her support team. 
I'm feeling very emotional about it right now.

*sighs*

I'll take a zopiclone tonight, although I feel a bit ashamed of needing medical support to relieve my heartache, to give me a rest from sadness and heartache and anxiety for some hours. But I do need and deserve some respite.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jun 22, 2007)

Insomnia, as I know well from personal experience, is frustrating and destructive. It also tends to make everything else worse - depression, anxiety, anger, whatever. Anything you can do to relieve it is well worth it.


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## Into The Light (Jun 22, 2007)

i hope it helps you braveheart and that you'll start to feel a little better. :hug:


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## braveheart (Jun 23, 2007)

Thanks David and ladybug.

I took the zopiclone last night, and I slept better. I still woke up early, but I was more relaxed, so that helped. I feel a bit more ready able to face a 9-5 work day. A bit.


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## ThatLady (Jun 23, 2007)

I'm glad it worked for you, Braveheart. Sounds like you may have found your answer. :yahoo:


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## Into The Light (Jun 23, 2007)

i am glad it helped you. you may need it for a little while just to get back on your feet again.

i just took a look at your blog. that's a beautiful photo you have up


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## Cat Dancer (Jun 23, 2007)

I'm glad it helped you too.


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## Halo (Jun 23, 2007)

Braveheart,

I too am glad to hear that you had a better sleep last night with taking the Zopiclone 

Here's hoping for another one tonight :hug: :hug:


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## sister-ray (Jun 24, 2007)

im glad to hear you slept better too :hug:


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## braveheart (Jun 24, 2007)

Thanks everyone.

Last night I didn't take any zopiclone. But I did sleep marginally better than lately, apart from period pain.


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