Terrible sleep, anyone else? And any tips. Desperate please

[Happydays50]

Thank you for reading,
I'm not on HRT, but I am managing menopausal symptoms ok, but not sleep. Its awful and I am a walking zombie.
Anyone else not on hrt manage to get some decent sleep.
How do you do it?

Try taking menopace.

www.amazon.co.uk/Vitabiotics-Menopace-Effective-One-Tablets/dp/B000KU94ZW

Menopace worked for a few months but they can only do so much. Ask your doctor about Ustrogestan pills- they are progesterone pills you take one just before sleep but has to be on an empty stomach. It puts you through all the normal cycles of sleep. I am, however, also on the lowest dose of hrt- I just refused to be a zombie...

Second the HRT. Still have a few poor nights each month, but much better than before!

HH Did you mean Utrogestan?
These are prescribed as part of HRT- they're not a sleeping tablet and aren't given alone only with a separate oestrogen, although I doubt you intended to imply they were!

They don't make everyone sleep well. They can be sedative for some people but that's good and bad! I understand some women hate them because they cause too much lethargy.

I find they give me disturbed sleep actually! If you take them daily then that means you are on continuous HRT (post meno) which may not be suitable for Happydays.
HRT however was the only thing that helped me sleep- it was my worst symptom.

My apologies.. I was just so relieved Utrogestan worked for me, obviously too quick to recommend it as didn't know they can only be prescribed with hrt.
I know they're not sleeping pills but there's no doubt they work for me. No lethargy, just a decent night's sleep. I'm in peri and on the lowest dose of hrt in gel form.

Happy- have you tried all the usual things that might help anyone with insomnia regardless of hormonal stuff going on?
I'm thinking about magnesium supplements - magnesium relaxes muscles. I take Osteocare for the calcium I need and it's balanced with magnesium. If I forget to take it I do think my sleep can be worse.
Maybe try things like lavender oil on your pillow, or as a room spray, or essential oil in the bath? Or some herbal sleeping supplements like valerian? I'd definitely ditch caffeine - even DH can't drink coffee after about 2pm and he's not a menopausal woman!- and same applies to alcohol- it's initially sedating but as the night wears on it actually works as a stimulant and might wake you up.
And if all this fails- HRT?

Great advice, thank you.
I will look in to magnesium too.

Am 49 no periods for 7 months mostly ok by day but hot flushes and insomnia were dreadful at night which was making me feel terrible. Tried black cohash, sage tablets, soya, evening primrose but nothing worked. Bit the bullet yesterday and dr gave me Elleste Duet 1 mg so fingers crossed. Last night went to bed earlier as can get to sleep it's staying asleep that's the problem. Felt I had a better night already.

Sleeplessness has been one of my main issues. I went down the herbal route and saw a qualified medical herbalist who had experience of dealing with menopause. She gave me a special nighttime blend which was an individual prescription for me and it took about 2/3 nights (and a bit of tinkering with the dose with her advice) to work. Thank God! When i ran out I slept OK for a few weeks and then moved house and the stress of that pushed me back into sleeplessness - got some more of the potion and sorted again. I know one of the herbs it contains is black cohosh - can't remember the others. I'd see a herbalist if you can, rather than self-medicate.

I'm the same as you OP. I take melatonin (bought abroad but I am told is also available on ebay) sometimes which can help, and sominex tablets (available over the counter in pharmacies) which contains sedating anti-histamines....not at the same time, and for occasional use rather than regular. They do help but I'm still struggling sometimes so am interested in other ideas.
I seem to be getting terrible problems regulating body temperature at nights currently as well. Might look into the menopace.

Re the magnesium, do you take it in the evening before bed?

Is there any medical reason SEal why you can't use HRT?
To stop night sweats and aid sleep, it IS the answer!

Why bother with loads of other things when you might get some relief really quickly?

If you are worried about HRT due to the now discredited data from 12 years ago, might be worthwhile looking at new NICE guidelines and risks benefits to put your mind at rest.

Dunno really Polly. Would just prefer to do things more naturally I think. Thanks anyway.

I came through it without HRT, with insomnia the main problem.

Things I did to help:
No caffeine or sugar
No carbs in the evening, and generally healthy diet, cutting back on alcohol
No flickering screens an hour before bed
Yoga
Andrew Johnson 'de stress' and 'back to sleep' apps/MP3 tracks
If you wake 4,7,8 yoga breathing (google it for more info).

I think stress was the main culprit, in conjunction with the hormone changes of course - I am past it all now and feel great, although occasionally get insomnia but use th breathing and apps to help me through it.

Good luck!

Lifestyle changes like those rather are helpful. All of us should try that kind of thing in middle age anyway.

There are some of us though who, even with all those lifestyle changes and more , still need help.

HRT is natural- it's what you have before meno- and it's only recently that women have lived for 30-40 years post meno with no oestrogen.

It's the boiling hot at night that I can't cope with, will read more on this MN topic, having been putting it off as rather hoping I've not hit the menopause but have to face it - I've arrived in that particular place!

HRT helped me with anxiety, sleeplessness and other stuff. Not sure it's done a lot for the night sweats, but a wool duvet and menopace has helped.

If you aren't getting full symptom control, think about changing your HRT for a higher dose.
Something like Oestrogel ( gel rubbed on arms or legs) allows you to change the dose yourself until you get symptom control
If HRT is working, you ought not to still suffer with night sweats.