Help! Seeking a precious but elusive good night’s sleep

[Labbingtons]

I’m 45, peri and on a low dose of HRT.
A good night’s sleep is becoming more and more elusive. The issue isn’t dropping off to sleep. But if I wake (or more accurately am woken, thanks to a needy child and insomniac Labrador) I absolutely cannot get back to sleep. And it’s been happening for so long I now have all sorts of unhelpful thoughts like ‘well, I’ll never get back to sleep now’ and ‘I’m awake, I must be anxious, time to think of all the things to be anxious about.’ This coupled with endlessly feeling too hot, except when I’m too cold. My best chance of sleeping is alone in the guest room, with earplugs. But it’s still hit and miss. I was awake for three hours last night and am exhausted!

Any tips, thoughts and advice would be most welcome.

I've started taking magnesium supplements before bed and finding that it helps me sleep a lot better. I still have the odd bad night , but nowhere near as bad as before

Thank you, that’s interesting. Do you take magnesium as tablets? I’ve heard the sprays can be good.

TBH the most obvious way to tackle this is to ask to increase your estrogen dose.
In peri, women often need a higher dose than older women.

There isn't any point using HRT for symptoms if it's not doing the job and specialists would advise increasing the dose.

The dose is one that addresses the flushes and the insomnia.

Are you on patches, gel or tablets?

The starting dose for any is 1mgs tablets, 2 pumps of gel (1.5gms) or a 50 mcg patch.

If this is what you are using now, you can increase to 2mgs, 3 pumps or 75mcg estrogen patch.

Thank you. Im on 25 mg patches and they work well for the other psychological symptoms and aches. I have considered upping my dose and did try for a couple of weeks by sticking 2 patches on (so from a 25 to 50mg dose) but it made me very emotional and skittish. Although you are right that it might well help the sleeping and I should give it a more concerted try. I should probably speak to my GP about trying a higher dose.

It’s frustrating because the insomnia does feel very situational. On a good night, when no other bugger wakes me up, I can sleep the sleep of the just.

Oh goodness. A 25mcg patch is tiny. It's definitely not for someone your age. It's not the usual starting dose except for older women perhaps starting in their 60s or older.

The gel is 1.5mgs and that is the starting dose for it.
You are on the equivalent of half a pump of gel .

Not sure why a Dr suggested such a low dose for someone your age?

I asked to start on 25 instead of 50 and it made such a huge difference, almost overnight so I’ve never felt the need to increase. It’s only really the sleep that is problematic, apart from that things are pretty good. Although I’m starting to feel a bit more ‘meh’ about life again which suggests it might be time to try a higher dose. I’ll email the doctor now!

I'm similar - falling asleep is fine but then I'm awake again by midnight - too hot and/or restless legs.

I'm on a low dose and have an appointment this week to increase it.

This stuff is brilliant

https://www.sweetbeeorganics.co.uk/products/sweet-sleep?utmcampaign=20344482937&utmmterm=sweet+bee+magnesium+butter&utmsource=google&utmmmedium=cpc&utmcontent=153750537289&utmmdevice=m&gad=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhdS5quezgQMVh-ztCh2AgwClEAAYASAAEgJPhfDBwE

Hi OP.

I'm 45, started HRT on low dose this January and at that point I hadn't had a good night's sleep in about 5yrs.
I Went up to 75 patch after 2 months. Went up to 100 after another two months.

Changed to the mirena coil from utro.

Added testosterone.
Added magnesium glycinate.

Last night I slept for 7.5hrs without waking up once.

I am sleeping better than I have since before I had children 15 yrs ago.