Sick of bastarding insomnia

[Floofydawg]

Been awake since 4.30am after a few hours of broken sleep. Been on HRT for 5 years - gel & utrogestan. 4 pumps. Age 53. I do everything right in terms of sleep hygiene - exercise, early nights, no caffeine in the afternoon, read to fall asleep. Etc etc - have read all the advice.

I'm just exhausted ALL of the bloody time. And I feel like all the joy has gone out of life. Can't get enthusiastic about things, feels like low level depression & anxiety. Work is also stressful and my boss has no menopause awareness and feel like I can't approach him about it.

Could I be on too high a dose of oestrogen? Do I need to go back to the dr's and ask for bloods?

Need to do something, can't carry on like this.

I've been taking sleep tablets off amazon called The Restored. They were recommended on here on anther insomnia thread. They are magnesium with other stuff. They are really helping me sleep. If I wake up I'm not wide awake and usually just roll over and go back to sleep.

@HelloVeritas well I have zero libido so that wouldn't be a lie.

Haven't had bloods done in years but obviously need to ask for a blood test.

A fellow sufferer here :(

Melatonin and magnesium work for me, but nothing is as effective as good old Nytol. Sadly that isn't a long term solution (particularly the anticholinergic component which is linked to cognitive decline in the long term)

Interesting to read what has worked for others. I've just ordered the feather and down sleep butter from amazon.

Well last night was slightly better, I woke about every 2 hours but managed to sleep til 6.15. Decided to give my weighted blanket a try again. Might actually get some work done today!

Just to say i use Estradot patches and no problem with them swimming. I put mine just above the bikini line rather than on my bum or hip though, so they are hidden by my costume.

Good to know, thankyou.

Do you wake and feel panicky?
I follow a solution which was original lu on TikTok I think . Frozen peas on your upper chest. Something to do with cooling the body and the vagus nerve. Once I am v cold, having taken covers off, I then snuggle under covers and am usually able to get back to sleep, anxiousness gone.

Have you tried CBD? It's helped me feel more relaxed in the evening and therefore better sleep. Check its okay for you to take and get the right dose for yourself, low at first. Buy from reputable shops, I get mine from H&B and they have online menopause consultants (I think) so might be worth booking with them or another good meno consultant/GP, although sadly its not cheap!

@Wheresmemum that's probably the only thing I haven't taken.

Another vote for Magnesium Glycinate
Absolute game changer (and I’ve tried everything)

@AchillesHeel23 - do you mind sharing the brand/name of the magnesium you've tried please?

This is the one I'm using. Actually bothered to read the bottle last night and realised I've only been taking half the dose! Made all the difference. Or it could have been the two glasses of wine - who knows.

Magnesium Glycinate Supplements - 120 High Strength Capsules - 1040mg of Magnesium Providing 208mg Elemental Magnesium Per Serving - Pure Active Ingredient - UK Manufactured amzn.eu/d/7v8mLZo

yeah... DS bought me a tub of CBD gummies to try (for insomnia). I tried them for a few weeks (or however long the post lasted). Zero effect, like everything else. I sincerely hope they work for OP, though.

I don't want to continue wasting money on all these snake oils.

@SoftPillowAllNight I also use one from Amazon but it doesn’t seem to be available anymore so I’ll try @Floofydawg recommendation

Try cyclogest pessaries. My GP prescribed 200 mg. I sleep the sleep of the dead. If I miss one night I wake every couple of hours

I’m in the same boat OP and have also tried IT ALL. unfortunately I don’t have the solution but the following have helped me:

Ashwaganda in the day to help with stress. Pippa Campbell has her own brand which is really good. I also like the Trip CBD drinks

A carb heavy dinner.

As late a bedtime as I can manage. My natural bedtime is 9pm and I’m trying to push it to 10pm or later.

Epsom salt bath before bed - I like this one which has CBD in it
Westlab Mindful Epsom & Himalayan Salts Infused with Frankincense & Bergamot

i am also researching about the effects cortisol has on sleep and looking at ways I can reduce cortisol through my diet and daily habits as I think this is contributing to my 3am waking.

Have just ordered the recommended magnesium tablets from Amazon. I identify with so much said here, no problem falling asleep but regularly awake very early and can't get back to sleep. This morning was awake around 5 and managed to doze on and off until about 6.30 but that was a good night!!

Did you find that your sleep improved on one tablet of the magnesium @Floofydawg ?

Mirtazipine does really help with sleep, does fuck all for depression as far as I can tell though. I go through periods of only being able to sleep for 3 hours at a time, then usually have a catch up day where I can't stay awake, so annoying.

Maybe not for you but I find a cannabis vape helps with sleeping.

I feel your pain, though my lower dose HRT has made a world of difference

Just checking that you are taking progesterone at night ?

Also an afternoon nap can help with the exhaustion.

Sympathies.

@itsmeafterall what HRT regime are you on please? I'm on the patches with coil but there's no consistency to how I feel these days. I feel awful.

Another morning awake at the crack of dawn feeling like I have not slept at all. DD went to uni yesterday and this is what my anxiety is fixing on, that she is moving on, I am getting older and things are changing. DH is supportive but very pragmatic and doesn't worry about things he has no control over.

Have ordered the magnesium recommended. Trying to do mindfulness and get out for a walk. I just feel like a zombie though and can't settle to anything. Work is suffering - this sucks and I just want to feel like me again.

Same here...I had prosecco yesterday afternoon though which I know is the worst thing for it but was too tempted with the sun being out. Result is awake since 3am.
I take magnesium but like everything else, it seems to have no impact but keen to hear of any brands that may help.

I take two, that's what the bottle states is the dosage.

Following

I've been taking magnesium to help my sleep for the past decade (it was first recommended to me by a personal trainer) as I've always struggled with insomnia even pre-peri but what I found was that magnesium alone does nothing for me. I know it seems to work alone for lots of people but for me, nada!

However, when combined with L-Tryptophan, magnesium really does help my sleep. So I'm mentioning this in case other people have tried magnesium and it didn't work. I only found out by using a Poliquin supplement for sleep (Uber Mag Plus) that contained magnesium and L-tryptophan. It really helped but then there was a shortage and I had to switch to Poliquin's magnesium supplement without the L-trytophan and the benefits disappeared and my insomnia was back.

These days I religiously use a similar supplement to the Poliquin one called Trained by JP Dream Sleep. It works well for me and I recommend it for anyone struggling with insomnia. It isn't cheap though (£30). This is the cheapest I've found it:

https://www.dolphinfitness.co.uk/en/trained-by-jp-dream-sleep-120-capsules/312737

I stopped using the Poliquin one because I got annoyed that it's $22 in the USA but we get charged £37 to buy it in the UK! (I was living overseas when I first started using the Poliquin one so didn't realise how badly ripped off I'd be when I moved back to the UK).