Can't Sleep

[nosleepsleep]

Hi all. I'm 52 and am going through the menopause. I'm unable to get a decent night's sleep at the moment with occasionally taking a Nytol.

I've tried magnesium tablets and CBD oil (which gives me headaches). I've cut down in coffee and do quite a bit of exercise.

It's getting to the point where I can't function very well in less than 7 to 8 hours sleep. I have quite a lot of stress in my life at the moment which doesn't help.

Has anyone tried anything that works?

Magnesium helps me, but when I’m feeling stressed/anxious there’s nothing that will help.
Do you have a good bedtime routine, and were you taking 500mg elemental magnesium ? Have you tried Epsom salt baths in the evening ? Have you stopped alcohol ?

Try and get hold of some melatonin, it's helped me loads. I bought mine abroad but I think you can buy online from the US. Combine with magnesium. I also find that reading before I want to fall asleep helps me to relax.

HRT?

Only thing that worked for me and why I have stayed on it for almost 15 years.

I found giving up alcohol really helped. Unfortunately I needed to give it up completely, as even half a glass of wine now affects my sleep.

I think that I'm at this point too. I love wine and sadly this has to stop. I don't even drink much but it always has a bad effect on me these days with headaches and heartburn. I wake up at 3am every night and don't get back to sleep till 4 30. I'm on hrt patches and pills but they don't seem too help. I have been prescribed Mirtazapine but I can't take them often as I have to work the next day. I only took one once and still woke up at 3am and felt horrendous all the next day.

Since peri my face now burns when I drink alcohol. Two sips and I go red, it feels like sunburn.

It's hard, it becomes a vicious circle. The less sleep you get, the more anxious you feel about it then can't sleep for worrying.

As you have a lot of stress in your life is there no way this can managed, outsourced or anything? The causes need needs to be addressed (sorry if that sounds patronising, obviously we can't get rid of all causes of stress can't but I know peope run ragged who could easily dump a few stresses but seem to think no one else can do it).

In the meantime strict bed times and waking times, so getting up at 7am even on days off, no alcohol or caffeine, at least an hour of physical activity a day that makes you sweat and a bit breathless, then use calming apps to get to sleep and earplugs if you're a light sleeper.

In the same boat. I feel horrendous. Two nights in a row with no sleep at all. I'm at my wits end!

I was taking magnesium glycine tablets. I very rarely drink alcohol. I have cut down on caffeine but need it when I haven't slept to get through the day. I also love coffee in the mornings.

I have been on HRT for a couple of years. It hasn't helped with anxiety and insomnia but has helped with other symptoms.

Luckily I can be a bit flexible with my working hours. I seem to get less sleep
as the week goes on so I do longer hours at work when I've had a good night's sleep.

With the anxiety, I am trying to manage it as best I can and exercise helps. The problem with having anxiety is that there is always something to stress about. I took medication for it but it made me feel spaced out.

I can totally relate to all you sleep deprived people reading this thread. It makes me feel unwell, agitated and depressed.

I get this now too! My face goes bright red 😳

I have been on HRT for a couple of years. It hasn't helped with anxiety and insomnia but has helped with other symptoms.

TBH this sounds like classic 'under dosing' with estrogen.

Would you like to share what sort of HRT you are on and the dose?

I know that when I have tried to reduce (or stopped) my HRT, poor sleep was the first thing to come back.

Your own hormones gradually get lower and lower, so whatever dose you started on 2 years ago might be too little for you now.

Patch or gel or tablets?

I'm on the Evorel Sequi patches - 2 weeks of 50 patches and 2 weeks of conti patches.

I can't remember HRT ever helping with my sleep. I've been like this since the peri menopause in my mid 40s.

Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thank you @JinglingSpringbells

Hrt doesn't help with my sleep either, which is a real pain. My sleep had steadily declined since the end of 2018!

In all honesty, I'd ask for a higher dose of estrogen.
You are on a medium dose, the same as 2 squirts of gel (which I use and I'm a lot older than you, many years post meno.)

You could go up to a 75mcg patch and see if that helps.

I've tried reducing my gel to one pump (which is about the same as a 25mcg patch) and my sleep suffers.

Go and chat to your GP because if your anxiety and sleep have not improved after all this time on that dose, it's normal to try a bit more.

@JinglingSpringbells - thanks for the advice!

Do you think there are any side effects of being on a higher dose?

I tried a different approach to pills and potions and listen to a podcast in one ear at night. Nothing too stimulating but just conversation seems to distract my mind and I drop off to sleep. No music or so called relaxation stuff either.

I can't take hey due to a family history of cancer but was feeling jittery due to the menopause. Ive just been put on venlaflaxine which is the preferred one for menopausal women. The change in my sleep in just 2 weeks has been brilliant.

Can't take hrt it should say.

I don't think so.

You see, although you are using a patch, women using gel can manage their own doses and go from 1 squirt to 4, to get symptoms relief. They don't always need to ask their dr to do this.

I was advised to use whatever helped (up to the maximum) but this was through a consultant. At one time, when I was younger, I did go to 3 pumps for a while which would be a 75mcg patch.

It's pretty standard advice to increase estrogen first before trying other medications. Estrogen receptors are in al our organs and the brain is one of the largest.

It's really worth trying a higher dose before other things.

Try switching your progesterone to Utrogestan tablets. They actually help you drop off to sleep. Pure gold! they really help

also. Try Sweet Sleep Magnesium Butter by Sweet Bee Organics. Suitable for kids too. Rub on the soles of your feet.

www.sweetbeeorganics.co.uk/products/sweet-sleep

another lifesaver has been eating dinner earlier. And not eating anything after 7pm

i follow a brilliant menopause group on Facebook called Irish Menopause. Brilliant for advice and info.

m.facebook.com/100038120616531/

I think you are on the wrong dose of oestrogen.

HRT sorted my sleep immediately.

@FluffyScarves - I was originally on Utrogestan tablets and I felt spaced out on them. I can't remember if they made me sleep.

@JinglingSpringbells - I will try and get a phone call with my GP. When I first went to her about HRT she suggested anti depressants. It makes me angry how they are prescribing anti depressants like sweets but I digress.

Thanks for all your comments

@JinglingSpringbells - thanks so much for your suggestion! I am now on conti HRT patches. I don't know if it is a coincidence but I am sleeping slightly better and I seem to have less anxiety.

i have been struggling with menopause. I am having a terrible time of it. Long relentless hot flushes. Daily migraine headaches. Light headedness. Sleep deprivation. Dryness. My hormonal profile came back with very little Estrogen levels. I have now been on HRT for four weeks. There is improvement. But still have bad days especially without sleep. And palpitations. The light headedness doesn’t seem to be going away. Any thoughts?

Any update, @nosleepsleep ? Did things continue to improve?