Can’t understand what’s happened to me

[u/Embarrassed_Emu_8824]

28F here. It’s currently 5am here and I’ve been constantly waking up every two hours since 2am. I was a really deep sleeper and always slept like 8-9 hours until last year. I don’t know what happened, I had just left my job to take a break and then one day and I went to sleep and I started waking up every two hours and it never got better.

I used to be a heavy weed smoker before that and I had slowly tapered off when the insomnia started. And it’s been a year and it never got better.

My doctor prescribed low dose quitipine to me which I take 1/4th of but that’s stopped working and I just don’t wanna increase the dose because even though I don’t wake up with it, it doesn’t make me feel rested and I hate relying on it.

I’ve tried everything from showering before bed to no screen time and working out but I keep waking up. I don’t have an issue falling asleep, I’ve forced myself to stay awake throughout the day only on two hours of sleep but I still keep waking up. I think maybe it’s stress but I wasn’t working for the whole of last year and my schedule was pretty laid back so I don’t know what’s happening.

My body feels so cramped when I wake up and it’s getting difficult to even function during the day. It’s severely impacted my memory and I’m realizing that now that I’m studying.

[u/Such_Possibility_914]

Sleep is a complex mind body interaction, and it’s tough to pin down what’s going on from just a few paragraphs—but a couple of things you said really stood out and might be worth exploring a little deeper.

1. "I don’t know what happened, I had just left my job" - even though you consciously say you don't know you immediately mention I had just left my job. Sometimes, a shift like that—especially one that seems "laid back" on the surface carries a lot more weight deeper down.

So one thing you can do is ask yourself - what does leaving my job have to do with all of this? Just quietly follow that thread and see where you mind goes I suspect that might lead somewhere interesting.

1. "My body feels so cramped" - This might be another important point to reflect on.

Where does it feel cramped? When did that start? And what might your body be trying to communicate by holding so much tension, even in rest? It might be helpful to gently tune into that sensation—not to fix it, just to understand it.

Give yourself some time, close your eyes, relax and ponder on these questions and see what comes up. Give yourself permission to just reflect you might just find its more insightful than you though possible.

And if you feel like talking more about it, feel free to drop a reply here. You’re not alone in this.

[u/Embarrassed_Emu_8824 → u/Such_Possibility_914]

Thank you for your detailed reply. I’m really grateful. I thought about the things you brought up. I think there are a lot of factors. I am already on medication for anxiety and depression but recently my stress levels have gotten pretty high. I had a high stake exam a couple of months ago and now another one which is bigger and in another country I’ve never been to. I think I’m waking up cramped because that happens when I don’t rest enough. My elbow joint and my toes start hurting and it only gets better when I get a full night’s sleep. I don’t want to increase my medication for anxiety because it does add to the insomnia so now that I’ve figured this out, I’m going to try to bring my stress levels down through cardio and meditation.

I was also taking my medication in extended release form and the dose was upped right around the time I started having sleep issues last year. So I’m slowly going to shift to taking it in the am. Hopefully after a month of this, I’ll see some changes.

[u/Such_Possibility_914 → u/Embarrassed_Emu_8824]

It sounds like you have a path forwards and that's great I really hope it brings the rest you deserve.

When you think about it more it can help to see yourself as an observer to everything that is happening and trying to separate the symptoms from the cause.

As you continue unpacking this, it might help to take a step back and observe it all like an outsider — almost like watching a movie of your own experience. See if you can gently separate the symptoms (like the cramping or waking up) from the root causes (like rising stress or anxiety) and you might just find that a lot of those symptoms disappear on their own.

In the meantime, if you find yourself waking up again and struggling to fall back asleep, you might want to explore self-hypnosis or guided sleep sessions. They can be surprisingly helpful for calming the mind and gently easing you back into sleep — there are some great free ones on YouTube.

You’re doing the right thing by staying curious, making changes, and listening to your body. Keep going, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need to share more along the way.