Sudden severe insomnia - help!

[colouringindoors]

Just that! Never suffered from insomnia. Maybe a bit more difficulty falling asleep the night before my period starts, but that's it.

But last 3 nights have been awful. Woke up Monday morning at 4, awake til 6 when i had a doze for a bit. Monday night couldn't get to sleep til after 2. Last night got to sleep better - about 12.30 but woke at 5 and awake since.

(usually sleep solidly 12-8.30, need alarm to wake me)

I now have a splitting headache.

Sleep is really important for my mental health, am on anti depressants and continue to have a lot of shit to deal with but nothing very new, so I'm puzzled. I have just turned 50 so maybe hormones are contributing, but so suddenly?

Am reasonably good with sleep hygiene and read in bed and use calm app. Quiet cool room. No caffeine from lunchtime..

Can anyone advise? I feel dreadful.

thanks

Hmmm. Beginning to wonder if it's connected to me stopping taking the codeine I've been on for 13 months. Only 30/mg a day for last four months but...

Talk with pharmacist this morning I think....

The only time I've had really bad sleepiness over a prolonged time was when I was peri menapausal at about 50-55. (I'd also be sleepless the night before my period kicked in)
I found a pill or even just half a pill of sleepease did the trick. It doesn't work if you take it too often but I could put up with some sleepless nights if I knew I could have some good nights sleep too. I had no side effects at all.
My insomnia went away even though I'm still peri menopausal

This could be connected with the menopause. I went through hell with insomnia for about a year around that time...could sometimes only sleep in half hour bursts. It was horrendous. HRT sorted it.

thanks both. Feels weird it would start so suddenly but who knows... Period not due for 10 days, please God this doesn't carry on til then, it will be really bad for my mental health

It started suddenly for me @colouringindoors. I’ve always been a very sound sleeper then all of a sudden I wasn’t. Weirdly, I even stopped being able to take afternoon naps.

At 50, you are definitely in peri-menopause so maybe ask your GP for a blood test. You can still use HRT if you’re still having periods.

oh crumbs. I also couldn't nap which is unheard of for me. Bollocks. My GP practice is massively overstretched as they've just lots 3 GPs oh well will have to keep ringing...

It will be codeine withdrawal. Its addictive.

Yes I agree with codeine withdrawal.

Oh thank you. Weirdly i had hoped it might be. Can't get my head round menopause at the moment (even tho I'm pretty sure I'm in peri). Right will def go and talk to pharmacist...

It sounds like withdrawals but could be hormone related. Try get a telephone appointment with a doctor.

Well excellent pharmacist at Boots. Said could well be withdrawal and potentially some perimenopause too. Though she agreed with me that the Trazodone I take at night which is very sedating should counter a lot of any peri insomnia. She agreed with me that the timing was suspicious. So I'm hoing to take half dose of codeine today and also tomorrow morning and see if that has an impact on my sleep.

She said that for her, bad insomnia was a big feature of her menopause. She was really lovely actually.

So fingers crossed it's codeine related and I can sort it by tapering down...

Then i can look at the menopause issues!!!

Fingers crossed you get a decent sleep tonight, OP. Insomnia is the absolute worst.

Thanks Citrus. I feel very lucky I've never had it before, it really is awful.

I'm not feeling optimistic

My insomnia started with a bang due to peri, and I had never had trouble sleeping before. HRT completely sorted it.

I have so many other things to deal with I just can't face something major like this

probably sounds crazy but i hope it's the codeine.

Well, looking like codeine withdrawal could be the culprit.

Took a slightly lower dose than i was on previously, yesterday. Slept 12-6 and 6.30-8.30. Very different from last 3 nights. Will repeat today to know for sure...

Feel soooo much better for sleeping.

👏👏👏👏

Glad to hear you had a better night. Hope it continues 🙂

Thanks very much Citrus 😀 It's amazing the difference one night makes!

Glad to hear you slept better!