I'm waking up really early (4.45/5am) and can't get back to sleep.

[Happytodayhappytomorrow]

I've been on HRT for nearly 3 years now.

I've never been a great sleeper but this is a new thing. I seem to remember years ago a Pilates teacher having the same problem around about this age (I'm 55) and she attributed it to the menopause. Is there anything I can do to stop it happening? I'm so tired

TIA

I've just changed my hrt to a higher dose one, kliofem, and it's really helping with my sleep. Before I changed my hrt I was relying on Melatonin which I ordered from America.

I had this too, for quite a few years. I used to be the first person in at work. I did find taking melatonin 5 mg helped but I think I have read you can't get it in the UK. We can buy huge bottles of it at Costco!

I also have a few audiobooks that I have almost memorized that help me block out awake thoughts. Would you believe The Private Lives of the Tudors is a wonderful sleep aide, in a good way. The Audible version is very well narrated.

It does gradually go away. I know it is tough OP.

Thank you all very much for your posts. I shall look into all of your suggestions.

I do like morning time and I'd be happy to get up early if I wasn't so tired. I will make more of an effort to go to bed earlier (I even tried to have a nap this afternoon as I'm so tired now that I feel sick ).

Update.

I don't care if it's a placebo, coincidence or the weather but since I started taking the cherry night powder, my early morning waking has stopped.

Now I just need to find a cheaper supply for the stuff

Wow! What is in that stuff?! (goes back to google...)

I used to be like this, I started to read a fairly boring book and I’d be sleepy about 30 mins later, pop on an eye mask and I’d go back to sleep.

However since stating HRT 2 months ago, I sleep like a log until 7.

Sorry missed your update OP. That’s great news!

Yup Cherry Night powder worked for me!

I started sleeping very badly over the last couple of years, at the same time as my menstrual cycle becoming erratic and terrible mood swings/anxiety (having had nothing like that before).

I've tried a few things but what seems to work best for me is taking Neuronight (natural remedy, not a sleeping tablet) and 5mg melatonin (bought from US via Amazon).

Also continuing good sleep practice (no caffeine after midday, exercise regularly, eat healthily, no screen time hour before bed etc).

A while back I was told about cherry juice helping you to sleep.
As I’ve been awake by 4.30 the last few mornings I might try it.

4am starts for me most mornings too.

One thing that helps (but is really hard for me to stick to) is no food after 6pm and no drinks apart from water after 7pm. Although it didn't feel like I was waking because I needed a wee, once awake I would need to go. When I cut the food and drink in the evening I can often sleep until about 5.30.

Oh and my tea is decaff all the time anyway, so wasn't advocating caffeine at 7pm as a good way to drop off .

Same here. Peri-menopausal at 47. Always waking up from 4am. Cut down on caffeine to morning drinks, no difference. I'm about to look for a supplement of some sort.

I went through this last year. ...my advice is not to fight it. Do you have a garden..get up make a cup of tea and go and listen to the dawn chorus. ,its beautiful. I wish I could wake up early now but I struggle to wake up at 7

Oh just saw you tried cherry ....glad it's working.

Yep , and hay fever and hot flushes not helping either.

I'm sorry to hear how many others are struggling with the early morning waking. I woke up about 60 seconds before the alarm this morning - that's fantastic.
I get up quite early anyway as I love some quiet time in the morning before the rest of the house wakes. And of course it's easier to cope with waking early when it's light out and the birds are singing. I like nothing more than 15 minutes in the garden first thing.

But, and it's a big but, I'd like all that to be my choice and not to be waking up when I feel like I actually still need more sleep.

So far, the Cherry Powder is my friend .

Puppylucky, where do you get your Cherry Powder from? It's expensive isn't it?

Try cherry juice, not expensive and available from Tesco.

I’ve had a lot of success with a couple of things - uploading a free app called Insight Timer. It has loads of free meditation sessions on it for going to sleep, and there are a few to get you back to sleep at 4am.

Secondly, a Magnesium capsule worked far better for me than the spray. Just check that it’s the right sort of magnesium as there are various options. It relaxes me, and I know it also stops me from grinding my teeth so much. I wake less stressed, that’s for sure.

I have the same problem. I’m 58, on HRT. I have melatonin prescribed by my menopause specialist (private). It works pretty well at helping me drop off and stay asleep. I’m able to get 7 hrs or so when I take it. I’ve always been a poor sleeper.

Is it the light? Try a really good eye mask. Makes a big difference to me

@EarringsandLipstick

Sometimes waking early but more usually, dreadful sleep patterns. Exhausted by 9. Need to go to bed early for any chance of good sleep but most days I'm exhausted despite that.

New thing since my 40s. Prior to that I was a poor sleeper, found it difficult to go to bed early but this is entirely different & so debilitating.

In discussions with my GP re HRT at the moment.

HRT resolved insomnia for me within two days of taking HRT. How did you get on with your GP in getting your HRT?

I swear by the Cherry night powder!

My sleep has improved so much with it.

Always been an early riser (5am gym goer!) but over the past few months have been waking at 4 or even 3am some weeks and unable to get back to sleep. Definitely getting peri menopausal symptoms (I'm 52) but still having regular periods so not quite there yet! My way of dealing with it is to get up if I'm awake and head to the gym earlier and go to bed at 9pm by which time I'm so knackered that I sleep. I'm aware that this is a subtle change for me and would be way worse if I normally woke at 6 or 7am!!

Ffor the last 2 weeks my OH has been having night time anxiety attacks so I've been awake/dozing since 1am listening to him dry heave then talking through 'stuff'. He's getting treatment now so the last two nights I've been able to sleep but haven't due to the heat! I'm a wreck - can't concentrate, feeling nauseous, really struggling in the heat and I normally love it

I have this too , I don't take HRT. I've found that stopping caffeine after 9am (!) and taking magnesium at night seems to help me sleep deeper and go back to sleep after my early waking.