Please help me sleep!

[confusedofengland]

Does anybody have any hints or tips on getting a decent night's sleep? Things I can do/not do or supplements I can take/dietary changes to make?

I am 44 so think it could be peri-menopause, although it has been going on for years. I tend to sleepwalk - semi wake up, talk, switch lights on, get dressed, then realise I don't need to do that & go back to sleep or DH nudges me & makes me realise then I go back to sleep. Can happen 3 or 4 times a night, most frequently when I'm stressed or worried about something coming up.

Thanks for any help or tips!

Have you tried sleeping alone to see if DH is disturbing your sleep ?

Alcohol really affects my sleep, when I drink it’s noticeable so I avoid it as much as possible.
Having a good sleep routine really helped me.
Windows shut so I’m not disturbed.

You could take Menopace as it can help
with lots of peri menopause symptoms. I would also have a break from Caffeine and alcohol and see if that helps. The Calm app- about £25 a year- is great for meditation techniques and the bedtime stories- for children and adults- are great for getting to
Sleep/back to sleep

I don't tend to drink much any more as it sends me to sleep on the sofa then I definitely don't sleep in bed. I do have lots of strong coffee in the mornings, which I absolutely love, but switch to decaf by 1 or 2pm. Should I change that?

Unfortunately we don't have a spare room so kicking DH out not an option. Would feel mean too as I wake him up most nights with the sleepwalking 🙈

Will look into Menopace. Not sure about the app as would like to avoid screens, I feel like I'm on mine too much already 😬

Look for sleep meditations on you tube and put an air pod in so not disturbing oh. I did a 7 minute sleep meditation last night as my little one woke me up at 3am and back to sleep within the 7 mins 😴 can sometimes take me hours to get back off to sleep!

Also I usually cover my screen so no light!

A yoga teacher taught me to lie for 10minutes with my legs up the wall, and it has really helped me.
Also there’s a free app called Insight Timer and they have lots of relaxation tracks, one that’s called yoga Nidra which has really helped even with hormone disrupted sleep.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3467846-Severe-insomnia?pg=1

I've had a lot of disturbed sleep through the menopause.

My best tip is to sleep alone!! I have the best sleep when DP is away or sleeping in the spare room if one of us is unwell.

Other than that aromatherapy-based products have helped, specifically Badger Balm (lavender balm that I put on my wrist pulse points) and a Neom pillow spray (expensive usually but this was part of a bargain box of Neom products before Xmas). My DC use a Tisserand roller ball oil.

I tend to use the aromatherapy things whilst reading in bed before trying to sleep as I think it just helps with the all over relaxation.

I will try yoga & have a look at that thread, thanks. Sleeping alone not an option but I like the idea of aromatherapy, will have a look at products 😊

The sleep spray by This Works is good I think? I also take magnesium every evening. I would definitely not be drinking 'lots of coffee in the mornings' - I'd stick to the first two to get you up and alive feeling and then stop there. Also even decaf coffee has some caffeine in it, so try and stop by mid morning if I was you. Your metabolism will be slowing as you age so I think its stays in our system longer. Peri menopause? Have you looked at HRT? Cherry extract is also meant to help with sleep? Quit devices and any 'screen' a good hour before you go to bed. Read a book? And most of all, hardest of all, stop thinking about not sleeping as that keeps you awake.

Yes the This Works sleep spray is very good- definitely worth a try!

I'll have a look at magnesium. Probably overstated the coffee drinking tbh. If I'm not working I'll have one very strong (just under 2 scoops) from my aeropress then a half-strength. If I'm working 2-3 cups of instant. But probably too much still.

Interesting point about metabolism, that's a depressing thought I do love to read but don't do it in bed as I fall asleep over the book & don't take anything in. I can get to sleep fine, it's the multiple wake-ups which are frustrating.

I'll try the sleep spray, I have seen an offer on a trial size.

Thanks for all the tips, a few to try.

I second magnesium. Made a big difference to me, which I didn't really realise until I ran out!