Different time zones may be an issue 
Which is worse for memory, melatonin or no sleep? Answer: both!
Am so slammed with projects that I haven’t been here much, though am still awake into the wee hours. The to-do list grows exponentially.
Didn’t get home from the ballgame til late last night. I think I actually slept past the 4 am wake up. Off to check my app.
Does anyone else look at their sleep pattern on their iPhone?
Eta: nope- awake at 3
but didn’t get out of bed
Three friends has discussion one day, about the times we wake to use bathroom, it was fascinating each of us had a very specific time,( down to the minute) we awake each night.
I wondered if most people have some specific time,
For me it’s around 3:23 am, 
give or take a few minutes ?
Up at 4:17. Wish it was a bathroom break. It makes for a long day!
I didn’t get out of bed til 6 to hit the little
Girls room, but no getting back to sleep 
Just discovering this thread. I have experienced insomnia for the past 20 years, not continually, but in more like in episodes. I’ll have it for several months, then it resolves, then I’ll have a relapse, etc.
I’m in one of my insomnia periods. It’s Hell. I haven’t read even one post on this thread-going to start now. Just wanted to say “hi” to everyone on this thread that struggles with this affliction.
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I understand. My DH can fall asleep in 30 seconds if he decides he wants to. It’s maddening.
I can often fall asleep; it’s STAYING asleep, or getting back to sleep that’s the problem. It doesn’t matter what time I wake up-I usually just can’t get back to sleep. Not a problem if I wake at 6 am. A different story if I wake up at 1:30 am.
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I took melatonin last night- 4mg. Too many nights of getting up at 4. I woke at 2 am but went right back and made it to 6! I am hesitant to use it too much because it seems to affect my memory. But nice to have the day start at 6 instead of 4.
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I fell asleep very early last night watching tv and when woke up at midnight and was up for a bit. But then surprisingly I slept til 6! Amazing that I wasn’t up at 3 or 4. But I made the mistake of going back to sleep and had her weird dreams again. So got up before 7.
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Just found this:
However, melatonin is generally considered safe to take for a few nights or up to several weeks until sleep patterns normalize. The U.K.'s National Health Services (NHS) says that if you’re taking a low dose of 2mg, slow release tablets, you should never exceed a total of 13 weeks of regular use unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor. Higher doses may need to be even more limited in duration.
I think it is good when things get out of whack and then I return to my usual horrible, if stable, pattern!
Maybe we are all throwbacks to the polyphasic sleep eras.
My current issue, though, is a sick D who is now scared by every symptom she experiences and is keeping the rest of us up all night.
I ordered a mattress topper and a new set of sheets at 3:00 am. That should pretty much tell you how bad my sleep is. 
@psychmomma Great article! Interesting short history of sleep and how natural it is to have “segmented sleep” with two periods of sleep and a few hours of relaxation in between. I always think it is fascinating to realize electric light hasn’t been around that long, relatively speaking.
I posted this earlier in the thread:
I read somewhere that it is what nature intended, that we sleep earlier, get up for a few hours and then sleep again. Maybe in “old age” I am reverting to nature.
The article you posted really expands on this. Since I encountered this idea, I feel a little more relaxed when I get up and therefore seem to be going back to sleep a little more often. My hours to be up seem to be 3-5 or 4-6. I am grateful when I go back to sleep.
Maybe our culture should add in an afternoon siesta too.
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I slept from 11:30 pm to 6 am so I’m happy.
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@compmom I agree- seeing that it’s a natural tendency from the past relieves some of the anxiety I’ve attached to not getting 7 hours uninterrupted.
After two hours of sleep the night before, last night I slept for 7 1/2 hours - a record for me without any melatonin or tylenol pm.
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I was paying medical bills at that hour, @CottonTales!
Up at 3. However, I’ve had 2 weeks of incredible sleep, like 7-10 hours a night. I have no idea why this happens. Sp, looks like my rotation may be starting again. I’m thankful to be retired as I don’t stress about it too much.
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I took Klonopin (1/4) for muscle issue two nights in a row and slept 7 hours straight. It was heaven. I never take that more than two nights in a row and rarely take it at all. So once again up at 4am.
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