The waking up could be a blood sugar issue. If you eat last before 9 PM, you could be experiencing an episode of fasting hypoglycemia. You might try a complex carb snack before bed. I have cheese and crackers or a banana with peanut butter on it.

I had to sleep in a recliner until my neck settled down and stabilized. A chiro did massage and gentle adjustments. My PT did traction and gentle mobilization. She also did TMJ work. Neck inflammation from less than ideal sleep posture can change vertebral blood flow and change your sleep. For me, it caused Central Sleep Apnea and fitful sleep and stressful dreams.

Do you have stressful dreams?

Conversations can be a struggle for a couple of reasons. Group conversations mean you have to track the many voices and often people speaking over each other. This is taxing. Long casual conversations where you think you need to keep the conversation going can also be stressful.

Another conversation stressor is cell phones. The poor transmission of cell phone to cell phone puts a lot of strain on auditory processing. As I tell people, I can either decipher the poorly heard words or understand the sentences. I can rarely do both for very long. I have some hardwired landline phones I use for extended calls. It makes a big difference.

Are you taking a magnesium that is not mag oxide ? Mag oxide is not much help. Mag citrate or the other mags are better. You should add B-12 (1000 mcgs or more) and some folic acid/folate as a minimum.

Why are you taking amitriptyline ? How much ? Does it appear to help ?
btw, Does amitriptyline get a red squiggly for spelling ? My spell checker suggests a very comical correction.

I was taking an anti-anxiety antidepressant (ssri) that I replaced with 5-HTP and L-Theanine and do much better with it.

Glad to hear you are getting treated at Dr Cantu's clinic. So, you must be in Mass. I lived in Nashua when I suffered my life changing concussion in 1965 and Connecticut when I had a bad reaction to a concussion playing soccer in 1970. Our snowy and icy Idaho roads make New England winter roads look great.

My best to you.