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Menopause

Insomnia! Screwing with my life!

12 replies

Erebus · 14/01/2014 19:08

I am 50 and perimenopausal.

The biggie for me is insomnia. I work 3 days a week; on the other two, I often have to see the family (2 DSs, 12 & 14) and DH) off to work- and take to my bed for a 2 hour sleep catch-up! I do this because I have Things To Do and as such, know I'll be better off functioning reasonably well through a shortened day (with a 10-10.30am 'wake-up') than getting up, in mortal 'pain' at 7.15am and dragging myself through the day, exhausted. Whilst recognising that tonight will be just as bad! And yes, I exercise when I can! 3 mile walk today. Hot bath, no caffeine blah, blah.

I have discovered over the past few years that I'm either In the Mood or Not to do everyday stuff. As in - willingly (and sometimes happily and with enthusiasm!) able to take tasks on, or not. If I wake utterly NOT in the mood, I just can't start, be it cleaning, shopping, sorting, organising. I must add that I do the barest necessary so the house is clean enough and there's food on the table, but if there's anything else that needs doing- nah, if I'm not in the mood. I mean, not 'don't really feel like it' aka 'Princess', more 'can't face it', just can't start the task; so insomnia really affects my day to day functioning!

I have found, interestingly, when I try to sleep that I actually can't switch off. I try and adopt relaxation techniques as I lie in bed at 1am, 2 am, but it's almost as if my conscious splits; one half trying, the other observing, criticising and hijacking. Part of me is going 'om' as I focus on progressive relaxation; the other is going 'yeah, right, do yer worst- but what did Michele mean when she said that to Sharon today?'- which is maybe better than the catastophising it does by 4am, still awake. What if?...

The tragic thing is, on keeping a 'sleep diary'- I find that it's the evenings when, to put it bluntly, I've got hammered (3/4 bottle wine over an evening) when I wake at 7-8am having had what feels like a great night's sleep! Eight complete hours sleep! Imagine!

Just venting here, sorry!

OP posts:
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Jaffacakesallround · 15/01/2014 08:18

I sympathise. Are you looking for suggestions or just offloading?

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Ledkr · 15/01/2014 08:28

Sleeping tablets are your friend.
I take 10m amyltriptaline which does the trick.

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Jaffacakesallround · 15/01/2014 11:43

Ami is not a sleeping tablet- it's an antidepressant which can be used in small doses- below 75mgs- for pain relief. No dr would give you this for insomnia- it's sedation effect is a side effect of its main use.

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Ledkr · 15/01/2014 14:39

I know that Jaffa. It it's really helped me to sleep and in such low doses too. 5-10 ( I bite it in half if I'm up early the next day) I initially had it for pain relief but it's had such a positive effect on my sleep/life that it's worth talking to the dr surely?

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Jaffacakesallround · 15/01/2014 15:16

But a dr would be behaving irresponsibly if he prescribed something that wasn't the right drug for the condition.
Drs will give sleeping pills - for about a week.
The reason for lack of sleep in menopause is lack of oestrogen. Supplementing that is one option.

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Erebus · 15/01/2014 18:14

Thanks- just offloading, really!

I recall when the GP would dish out Temaz with gay abandon. It was great! Grin- No, when I were a young 'un I used to do a crazy shift pattern as a HCP and we were all on low dose Temaz (as in 'only when we needed it')- admittedly, our shifts were a bit brutal, 28 hour shifts at a go, once a week, so no consistency!

I am wondering whether I should be having a chat with the GP? I mean, currently I'm functioning pretty well with my 'catch up' sleeps but they're only possible because I have a supportive DH and, if I wake again at 10.30 or 11am, I am a dervish of activity to make up for the time I 'lost' asleep. If I were a single mum, working full time, I wouldn't be coping at all.

Though if DH didn't snore for England- and if he didn't sleep for England as well! If he's still awake 3 minutes after his head has hit the pillow, he's 'had a bad night'. If I'm asleep 2 hours after lights-out, I consider it a triumph!

Didn't know it was the oestrogen drop off. Can you supplement that with natural products?

OP posts:
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Jaffacakesallround · 16/01/2014 08:43

Google phytoestrogens from soya and pulses- some women think they help but there is no real scientific evidence to back it up. Natural bioidentical oestrogen is available on the NHS as HRT.

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Jaffacakesallround · 16/01/2014 08:47

you might find this good reading

BMj

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LordEmsworth · 16/01/2014 08:48

A while ago I saw an acupuncturist for insomnia / sleep deprivation, and I think it really helped - it might have been coincidence but my sleep started to (slowly) improve at the same time. Maybe worth a go if you can afford it?

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summertimeandthelivingiseasy · 16/01/2014 14:06

I fell asleep about 6.30am this morning/last night. Feel awful, like half my brain is missing.

It just happens out of the blue, so hard to prepare for.

I have just started a period so maybe it is the oestrogen. Also, I had a very stressy day.

Hopefully, I will be out like a light tonight Hmm

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willyhaschips · 17/01/2014 20:04

I have had terrible trouble sleeping since starting with the perimenopause. Am now on HRT and it's relieving all my symptoms....except the insomnia! Grrrr :(( so surely it can't just be lack of oestrogen can it????

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Longsuffering2 · 28/02/2014 17:15

Dear Erebus,
Go and buy The Effortless Sleep method by Sasha Stephens - and throw away your (sorry!) stupid sleep diary - you are obsessing and making your problem worse. Buy some silk sheets from John Lewis to help with heat control. Follow the Sleep Guide and you will recover - for good. I did. Stop coming on this site obsessing your problem. But do come back on to tell us how well you are doing on your road to recovery. I don't get royalties, but am a fervent believer.

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