I need sleep

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Had a chest infection and nasty flu virus since before Christmas

I usually take 7-8mg of Melatonin that usually knocks me out and I was getting around 6 hours of sleep.

Since I have had this virus the Melatonin does nothing.

I have had 1 hr and 21 minutes sleep last night and nothing tonight.

I am desperate for sleep

Insomnia coincided with the menopause

Gp won’t vive me anything apart from a prescription for 2 mg of slow acting Melatonin that doesn’t do a thing

Any body know how I can go back to getting a few hours sleep

No idea but I've got the cold and flu virus thing at the moment and what do you know, I'm wide awake at 3.45 am 🙈.

It really is shit.

Everyday becomes a hard slog. I wonder why being ill affected the melatonin, are you still ill?

Still trying to shake the lethargy and general feeling of being run down

I coughed so much that I couldn’t sleep .

I missed out on 3 nights sleep in a 7 day period.

YouTube meditation sleep hypnosis...It is possible meds are messing with you a bit, but insomnia is very much a mind muddle...that 'now they don't work' thought has crept in and it is just enough to keep you awake...
I suffered awful insomnia, really sceptic on the 'meditation', but honestly worked for me, its worth a try?
(I know it's 4.15 and you probably thinking 'your not asleep though!?', but I've 1 & 2 year old Dd's who have now decided to take turns in 'your asleep/I'm awake'....!)

I struggle to drop off, even after a night shift, sometimes. I found listening to the 'Calm' app sleep stories works everytime, I haven't heard any of them to the end. I also take an antidepressant to help me get a better nights sleep but find when I'm anxious or stressed it isn't enough and listening to the app really help. Or 'headspace' is another app which has a guy talking you through mediation, that sends me straight to sleep too.
Hope you manage to get some rest.

Tried meditation

Tried lavender

Insomnia hit me just as I was starting the menopause.

I think it is all hormone related.

Looking at youtube one night found this article about insomnia and weight gain and the menopause.

About oestrogen levels being responsible for keeping cortisol levels in check and when you hit the menopause your oestrogen levels deplete and so your cortisol levels rise.

After not being able to shift a single pound all I did was swap caffeinated coffee and tea for the decaf equivalent and over a few weeks I dropped 10lbs

Was getting sometime nearer 6.5 hours sleep and it was going well.

Now hit with this virus and it has all gone wrong.

And you don't think maybe that 'the virus has messed it all up' thought might just be keeping you awake?

No because the Melatonin is so strong that it normally knocks me out within about 20 minutes.

I play a really boring card game and it knocks me out

I have gone through the routine each night and nothing happens.

I am so tired but something is stopping me going to sleep

Unfortunately, insomnia is a battle, your brain is also very good at switching things up on you, for whatever reason - meds, illness, stress, even an intrusive thought can completely mess up a system that once worked well.
I started out trying all the meditation, relaxation, caffeine cut out, sugar cut out...some worked (for a few weeks), then it was very much back to the drawing board.
I was prescribed zopiclone after months of no sleep, knock out pills. They worked within 15 minutes, 7 hours straight sleep, for a good few months, then less and less....tolerance kicked in.
It was only when I knocked them on the head (which was horrendous, mind overload), stopped looking for a cause, just accepted 'I can't sleep' and returned to the meditation that worked for me.
I'm not saying that will work for you, it might well be an imbalance, but that can be rectified with the right (possibly different now) medication.

I hardly get any sleep atm, but for a good reason with 2 toddlers!- I sleep when they sleep (very little atm!), so nothing needed, plus I thank my insomnia on my ability to function as a zombie!
I don't want to make light of what your going through, insomnia can be an absolute living nightmare, but can be fixed.

I hope you get your pattern back soon with something that works

I use lush sleepy lotion I rub it on my wrists and chest and also use pillow spray too.
The sleepy lotion is great gives me a deep sleep. If I don't use it I either don't sleep or go into a sleep where I can still hear if that makes sense. X

I think mine is definitely linked to the menopause so unless it involves hormones I think that all the lavender in the world isn’t going to do anything

I have already tried the Lush stuff

I have spent a fortune over the last 5 years trying to sleep.

What annoys me is that I have been referred to the weight loss clinic at my doctors but their diet is far more than I eat atm.

On the few occasions I have had 8 hours sleep (3 times in 3 years) my weight plummets.

I don’t think my fat is down to eating but extreme tiredness

Managed 4 hours and 16 minutes according to my Fitbit.
I had 0 minutes of REM sleep and 21 minute of deep sleep.

Feel a little better but haven’t actually made it out of bed yet.

I suffered from terrible insomnia which was definitely a symptom of peri menopause, I tried every lotion and potion going, yoga, mindfulness.... literally everything. My physical and mental health was rapidly declining. The only thing that has solved the problem is HRT, it's been a miracle, I sleep a solid 7 hours a night, it was all due to declining oestrogen. Is this something you would consider trying OP?

My doctors surgery refuse to prescribe HRT

Don’t tell me to go to another doctors surgery because they have taken over all the surrounding areas

Piriton or similar for a few nights. Non addictive, but it can leave you a bit groggy next day.

This is going to sound a bit mad, but I usually say the short prayers from my former religion over and over like a mantra. Shuts out the mad swirling thoughts. And who knows..... someone up there might be listening!.

I am not for a minute making light of it at all, I suffer occasionally too.

I also (whisper it) have a stash of low dose benzos 3mg and if all else fails I just take one, and then sleep and sleep for nights after that one small dose. I know, but my doc is old an is a pet. He knows how things work on an "as you need them" basis. And I am older too, so I don't have young children to mind etc.

Sigh, I suppose that won't work for many, but the piriton really does. Just to say I am not advocating that everyone goes and takes benzos. But to be fair they do have their place for me about 4 or 5 times a year.

I refuse to suffer. As a woman I've done my bit, if I need sleep I will get it.

Can I ask why they won't prescribe hrt? Do you have an underlying medical issue? I would print out a copy of the nice guidelines on hrt and take it to your GP and firmly tell them that you wish to try HRT, if you still don't get anywhere write to the practice manager. They are being negligent in not treating you.

I've had the virus and now the insomnia. It's crap

GPs surgery won’t prescribe it to anyone as it is their policy

Their policy is bullshit and against NHS and nice protocol, a gp surgery can't just decide it's not going to prescribe a certain medication to a large group of patients, if I was a woman in your area I'd be livid and taking this to the nhs ombudsman it's outrageous.

You're within your rights to request a referral to a gynaecologist who specialises in meno.

OP, I know exactly what you are talking about. Before the perimenopause hit, I had no idea what poor sleep was. No matter how stressed, busy, over-excited, anxious I was, I always managed to sleep like a baby.

Until the perimenopause. All of a sudden, my sleep started to be disturbed and despite making radical changes to my life, removing stress, adaoting a very healthy lifestyle and all the recommended routines, sleep remains an issue.

After trying everything, and I mean everything, I finally found something that helps, amytriptiline. I was very reluctant to try it due to what I'd read about it in terms of side effects, but I got to the point when I just had to try it. I expected the horrible nightmares some people described, dry mouth, not being able to get up in the morning, etc.. but I didn't have any of these issues.

I did find that after taking it every day for a few weeks, it stopped working so well and I did start developing some symptoms, so I now take it only twice a week and for these two days, I get 7 hours of sleep and much more deep and REM sleep that makes me feel more refreshed in the morning. Knowing that I will get at least two decent night sleeps a week makes me much less anxious about the others, and even though it still not good, I don't get as upset about it as I did before.

It's none addictive so doctors are happy to prescribe on repeat for sleep issues.

Again my surgery are really reluctant at prescribing any sort of sleeping pills. I have asked for some form of sleeping pill just so
like Dontdisturbmenow I can use it for a couple of times per week

But the answer is No sleeping pills don’t work

I live in a very affluent area and everyone I know goes private because the gps surgery is so crap.

I once asked if I could have an allergy test. I have really bad eczema that I keep under control with no wheat and no dairy.
But every so often I get breakouts and know it is something I have probably eaten.
I was told categorically that there was no such thing
Arguing with them doesn’t do anything.

Usually on Melatonin I was at one point getting close on 7 hours and was feeling like I could just cope. I really need 8hours +
This virus has really knocked me off kilter.

There used to be a comedy on tv called I think My Hero.

At one point everyone I knew was thinking the same thing, the doctors surgery depicted in the programme was based on this surgery
If you had to call to get test results the music that you heard playing was the Peter Sellers, Sophia Loren song Goodbess Gracious Me until someone pointed out that if you were awaiting test results for a serious illness that it was some what inappropriate

Same here I feel your pain 💐
However out of desperation I tried magnesium supplement and they totally knock me out. In fact too much as now groggy every morning so going to chop them in half to see if I still sleep 8 hours plus without feeling the other way. Give them a try as they cheap to buy OTC