Sleep problems beyond desperate

[Mezzanin]

Hi
I have been having strange sleeping habits since March 2013 which literally developed overnight.
I can fall asleep most nights very easily, in fact often I am very tired. But then I wake up anywhere between 2-5 hours, and still feel tired (I often need to pee). I can then sleep another hour or so depending on how many hours I slept in the first block. Usually I cannot sleep more than six hours in total. On good nights it is 4 hours plus one on bad nights it is 3 hours plus three. Sometimes I wake multiple times.
I was very anxious when this problem started and my doctor says I am suffering from generalised anxiety but I don't think he is right.
If it was anxiety, why can I fall asleep ok?
If it is anxiety why can I fall back asleep afet my first awaking ok?
If it is anxiety why can I not fall back asleep after I have had five hours sleep in total?
I think I have a sleep disorder or CFS. I have spoken with many suffers of anxiety and there problems seem to be a troubled mind that prevents them falling asleep and/or waking up and not beeing able to return to sleep. Or waking up and sleeping many more hours.
Does anybody else suffer from this. I am desperate to hear from people who suffer from a similar problem.

[Speranza]

I have had this increasingly over the last few months - even if I went to bed at 3 I would still wake at 6, unable to get back to sleep.

I started Fluoxetine 11 days ago and I have been sleeping like a baby so I guess it certainly can be down to anxiety - it is a very common known effect of anxiety on the system. I'm not sure it needs a diagnosis in itself, your anxiety will be contributing to the problem and feeding off the anxiety of not sleeping. A few weeks ago I was so exhausted I even considered going to A&E and begging them to knock me out!

Are you getting help for the anxiety? Are you taking anything?

[arfasc]

I have troubles sleeping in my periods of anxiety.
It happens to me maybe once a year for few weeks.
I can fall asleep with no problems, really, but I wake up after some hours (4/5/6) and cannot sleep anymore.
It doesn't matter at what time I go to sleep.
I am taking citalopram and this time amitryptiline low dose to help sleep.
It helps a lot really.

Then in my "normal" life I sleep properly, waking up once every night usually.
Happy to see that fluoxetine is helping

[Speranza]

I did have one really good night's sleep after I had warm milk and a banana about an hour before I went to bed. You could try it!

[Clint70]

Hi mate don't dismiss it as not being anxiety, that's how this round of anxiety started for me, with a disturbed sleep pattern having to get up early to pee, no matter how late I'd gone to bed the previous night.