Usually I sleep great, (& nothing has changed about my routine), so it freaked me out when I started ⏰ waking up so damn early. It only happens a couple times a week now, but I'm hoping it won't increase to every day! It started when I turned 60, if I recall. My neighbors are 72 & 82 years old, & they said it happens like that every day, for them. I'm against Ambien type sleep aids cause of some weird stories I've heard. Thanks, hope you guys have some tips.
Here is just a downright c r a z y. answer for you, believe it or not. It was not my idea.
But some believers think that we are awakened (2-3 a.m.) in order to pray for someone. Maybe they are far away. Who/what comes to mind when you first awake?
Pray for them, what else do you have to do at that hour anyway?
I don’t worry about being awake, and I lie comfortably and tell myself the plots of books I know well. Sometimes I put on a soft and boring CD, or run through my relaxation CD in my head. ‘Lie down on a firm but comfortable surface; cover yourself with a sheet or a blanket’ - I know it off by heart. Resting is not as good as sleep, but it is a lot better than worrying about not being asleep. I am fortunate in having a spare bedroom to retreat to if I am wakeful and restless.
Many people (including me) are prone to sleep ‘habits’, so once you wake at a couple of times at a particular hour, you keep doing it. Sleep drugs are good to break the ‘habit’, but easily addictive so not good long term. Try to enjoy being comfortable - many people aren't.
But here is what I use to do. Get out of bed, the longer you stay in bed the more frustrated you become. I would read a book, write, clean my house, and sometimes clean a friends house when she was sleeping (she lived down the street from me), watch tv, or baked. Now, if I should wake up in the middle of the night I just spend that time with the lord because I usually fall back to sleep within an hour. Meditation works really good or it did for me at one point.
Now I am finding that a hit of good quality pot is enough to put me to sleep quickly, and a few capsules of Valerian, cheap and easy to find over the counter, keeps me asleep all night. Medical cannabis is now legal in 33 U.S. states. I don't know where you live but if you can access some, look for a strain of Indica...that's the sleepy one :)
Peace and hugs to you as I know this is such a hard struggle!
If this doesn't fit you, try googling the phrase "sleep hygiene" for lots of good tips, some already mentioned here.
I would be sleeping through the night these days if not for my dog, age 15, who seems to have signs of doggie dementia, bless her heart.
Good luck as you figure this out!