I only need 6 - 7 hours of sleep to feel rested. Everyone seems to think that is too little, but I read an article somewhere on the internet (when I find the link I'll post it on this thread) that postmenopausal women don't require as much sleep as when they did in their 20's and 30's (middle aged men require 8 hours or more, as is evidenced in my DH's sleep patterns!).

My problem is staying asleep. I drop right off when I go to bed, then 2 AM comes and, wham! my eyes pop open, and sometimes I feel like it's time to get up for the day. I usually have to go the bathroom, then I start thinking about things, then the tossing and turning starts....and then I'm up with the cat, reading a book. I fall asleep again about 4:30, then it's time to get up by 5:30, and I feel like I haven't slept in 3 days....

Most of the insomnia information deals with people who can't get to sleep in the first place, so I was perplexed by this until I heard a naturopath on the radio mention that waking in the middle of the night was often the result in a drop in blood sugar levels. He recommended keeping a small piece of cheese or a small handful of nuts by the bed...something that would raise blood sugar without spiking it...I now keep 1/2 a mozarella cheese stick on the bedstand and eat that when I wake up, and it has worked wonders for me! I have also eaten a few nuts or small bit of cheese just before bedtime, and that also seems to help me get through the night.

So, that's my epic story about sleep...