Perimenopause and sleep

[Sundaybluesahead]

I'm early 40s and have all the symptom of perimenopause, but the disrupted sleep is hitting me hardest. I can get to sleep easily but wake after 2/3 hours and then it's either a sleepless night or a few scattered naps. Then exhausted, increased brain fog and the cycle just repeats.

Can anyone recommend anything to help? I'm not on any medication, have one cup of coffee early morning, exercise with weights 3 times a week and do at least 12000 steps daily. Alcohol is limited to a few glasses of wine at the weekend. If there was a supplement to try I'd be straight to the pharmacy

I have the same, if I wake at anytime in the night my mind goes into overdrive and I struggle to get back to sleep. Going to sleep is fine.

Recently I've been listening to a meditation for sleep and the last two nights I've not had that problem. Too soon to tell but I had helped.

I'm 42 and my mum was done with menopause by 46.

Are you on hrt? I use phenergen for odd insomnia phase but not recommended long term.

Yes yes YES to the overdrive mind! Sometimes it feels like my brain is actually whirring. Mentally exhausted as well as physically

No, no HRT. But starting to wonder if it's something to explore

I also use phenergan for periods of insomnia. I’ve found getting up at the same time each day helps too, even if it’s been a bad nights sleep.

I’m suffering too. I’m currently trying CBD oil, which I think is helping a bit. I’m going to the GP next week to ask about HRT.

I'd say it sure is!!

Magnesium is good for sleep. I've been taking it a while to help with ovulation pains and anxiety, plus I had that explosive head thing at night for a while (where you hear and see loud noises which wake you up and terrify you but aren't actually there! Marvellous). Anyway I recommend magnesium. There's also a good book called It's Not My Head It's My Hormones which details a lot about imbalances/fluctuations and why hrt isn't necessarily the best idea for everyone.

HRT solved it for me.

I used to be really tired and go to bed only to wake 30 mins later and not able to sleep for hours. Started on patches last Nov and my sleep transformed within a couple of months.

Omg this is me…I hadn’t even thought that it’s probably perimenopause! Sometimes I’ll wake about 5am and be totally wide awake then finally nod off 20 mins before alarm goes off 🙄

Snap! I could have written this post myself. I haven’t found any answers yet but am considering going to the GP to ask about HRT. It’s so frustrating because being exhausted all the time affects everything. You have my full sympathy OP!

@neighneigh what kind of magnesium would you recommend please ?

I am the same. I’ve gone from being the worlds best sleeper to the worlds worst. I’ve tried everything inc HRT (which did help but caused womb thickening so I had to come off it). I’m having really good results with Sleep Aid tablets from Lloyds Pharmacy. I think they’re basically Phenergan which is an anti histamine and I find half a tablet is enough to get me to sleep and keep me asleep without that hangover feeling the next day.
Also magnesium glycinate helps.

Have you tried a ZMA supplement? Worth a go.

Another vote for Magnesium. I find it helps me fall back to sleep faster when I wake at night, which is most nights.
The type & quality is important though. This was recommended to me by a friend who is a nutritionist and works in Women's Health.

Magnesium L-Threonate

DH takes it too as he's a rubbish sleeper with a lot on his mind at the moment and he finds it helps too.

Same issues here too. Mid 40's - it's crap.

I’ve not tried any supplements to stop the waking, but I have discovered I can get back to sleep easier if I play a podcast or something, that seems to block out the constant chatter of the mind in overdrive!

HRT has helped lots with my sleep but I still get some nights where my brain feels completely wired and I'll barely be asleep before I'm awake again. It's particularly bad as I get palpitations at night and they keep me awake for hours😫

I've been on HRT for nearly a year and it took 6 months to kick in but I generally sleep much better now.

HRT worked within a week for me. Am sleeping through the night again for the first time in months, or if I do wake, go back to sleep again more or less immediately.

I also take magnesium which helps a bit (but stopped helping, hence the HRT). Magnesium citrate.

Good luck. I’m 43 and thought I was too young for all this but I was wrong.

Hrt and / or melatonin

I could have written your post OP. I was getting so little sleep I couldn’t get my words out in the right order some days, and was struggling at work.

Magnesium was a game changer for me. I take Novomins Magnesium Gummies from Amazon.

I listen to podcasts. They knock me out in seconds/minutes

Brilliant thanks all. Will look into magnesium and /or phenergan (haven't heard of ZMA, off to Google) as these will be quicker than getting a GP appt.

Podcasts during the night is a great idea too, would hopefully distract from the roaring thoughts

My main menopause symptom was erratic and broken sleep, I put up with it for years and functioned through what felt like fog.

three days of HRT and I slept through the night. Never looked back! I'd explore it as an option if I were you.

I'm not in the UK so not sure if it's available there but I've found 100% Cherry Juice to be brilliant. A shot glass full before bed and I'm asleep within half an hour with no disruption. Haven't slept this well in years. Cherries are naturally full of melatonin which isn't available where I am so this is a great alternative. I'm trying to avoid HRT for as long as possible and am exploring every natural remedy I can!