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 was the same, awake from 2-5ish every night. I'm 45, assumed it was perimenopause. I had a very stressful job, changed it in the spring and now sleep so much better.

Just reading all the posts here and yes, it is a common symptom, but also life in our 40s can be stressful so may be worth exploring other reasons before medicating?

Im just about to go on HRT after 2.5 years of trying to manage symptoms myself. The summer was awful for sleep anyway but I am sleeping more solidly and falling back asleep quicker now that I've been able to use my weighted blanket again. I am definitely waking up more refreshed.

www.larabriden.com/benefits-of-taurine-for-womens-health/

Taurine and mag glycinate helped in the short term; I do think seed cycling did too but ultimately it was hrt.

I also seemed to go drastically downhill very quickly and from reasonably regular periods am not on 100 patches in 10 months. I hadn't realised I was over heating at night too which was apart of the insomnia and basically hot flushes

I am not on the right regime yet and do still use magnesium and taurine.

Magnesium (but a strong dose - 2 tablets) at bedtime. Plus HRT. I've also read that Taurine is a good supplement for peri anxiety and the racing mind/insomnia - haven't tried it yet but it's on order 😀

I've also found that I'm more sensitive to light and noise so an eye mask and white or brown noise playing on my Alexa, minimises other things that might wake me.

I take Health&Her 'Sleep +' supplement.

I use Magnesium citrate since 8 weeks now and it really made a difference to sleep.

Still lots of other issues but GP wants to rule out underlying issues first and unless it gets worse I am reluctant for HRT.

I have taken the occasional antihistamine to give me a good night when needed.
But on a day to day basis I’ve practically given up alcohol, I have a couple of Epsom salt baths a week (magnesium), I take magnesium tablets, and I have a good bedtime routine. It works for me.

Omega 3. Changed my life. I am actually planning to add magnesium now because its so well regarded for.peri menopause generally but 1000mg minimum.of omega 3 has made a huge difference for me. The sleep thing started when I was about 41 and i have been using omega 3 for about 3 or 4 years now.

It is apparently used quite often as a supplement for anxiety and depression so k guess it makes sense.

Tried all the supplements. None of them worked. HRT did the job. Like a pp though, it took a while and I had to gradually increase to the highest dose because it wasn’t doing much. It’s such a relief to sleep all night.

HRT really helped me. Also no caffeine after lunchtime, no chocolate…avoiding alcohol. .

still l wake up but it’s not as bad and I usually drop back off again. But I’ve never slept well. Exercise does help a lot.

When you wake up the key it to accept it, you have to think ok right now my body needs to be awake. And that's ok.

Get up have a drink, cup of tea, herbal tea. Open a book, watch something on tv, put you bedside light on, write in your diary, do some emails, even go for a shower, just use the time you have for maybe a hour.

Then go back to bed and rest and sleep, if you lie in bed "thinking" about being asleep and fighting being awake it will just get worse and worse.

And the next night you will go to be and fear waking up again, so will no doubt wake and the cycle continues.

The key is to remove the fear of waking up! Just see it as bonus thinking time.

And also HRT, and other supplements for this period of your life, but the above method will change your whole life attitude to waking and acceptance.

I wake lots at different times in my cycle, around ovulation, so you could keep a diary, and write down your dates and worries nightly as well.

I enjoy my little secret night wake ups, I feel happy to be alive, awake, safe and try and stop that "oh shit I have a busy day, I don't need this thoughts"

Shit. This is me. 😞 Peri Menopausal up to the eye balls. HRT for 2 years. Last night I work up at 3. At 430 I got up having tried and failed to go back to sleep despite music/podcasts etc. Already take magnesium 🤷‍♀️

Loads to try, thank you all for the responses. I feel better for having a plan! I feel like I've already given up things I love (coffee, I miss lunchtime and afternoon coffee, wine through the week, evenings to chill instead of gym sessions.....) so adding things in feels more positive if that makes sense?