I have both Crohn's and MS and between them sleep is difficult at best. I have even found myself dreading bedtime. I developed Crohn's after the removal of my colon and a pull-through procedure known as a j-pouch, and with it I suffer night-time incontinence due to spasms. This keeps me on a sleep cycle no better than 2-2 1/2 hours at best. During a flare I might wake every 45-60-90 minutes or so. On top of that my hands go numb quite often, and my feet have chosen night time to be one of the more aggravating times, with shock-like shooting pains and severe spasms/cramping. The longest consecutive sleep time I have had in the last 8 years is about 4 hours.

I take 3mg melatonin about an hour before bedtime now, and I have found it helps me go back to sleep easier, even though it does nothing to help me stay asleep. However, like, you, staying asleep can carry some unpleasant consequences . . . so using melatonin has been a blessing for me.