Perimenopause insomnia - what are your top tips

[Kattekittt]

Well I’m on my second night of insomnia, I at least managed to get 4/5 hours last night. But so far nothing tonight/this morning!

Does anybody have any ideas that may help?

I’m on HRT but have had my dose altered due to irregular bleeding. It’s such great fun being a woman at times.

The only thing that helped me with the 3am waking was HRT.

I've had a lifelong problem with shutting my brain off to sleep (middle age existential dread hasn't helped) and now use a Snoozeband on a timer (along with wax earplugs if DH is snoring).

A lot of people like the purposely dull sleep podcasts but they're like nails on a chalkboard for me, I need to listen to something engaging and for some reason a two way conversation is especially soothing.

No matter how fascinating the subject I'm usually asleep in minutes and even if I hear the same podcast episode multiple times I never remember the details so can relisten over and over.

Similar to others
Hot shower before bed
Magnesium body butter/nice body lotion
Magnesium gylcerate -30-60 mins before bed.
Calm app - breathing meditations, sleep sounds. Stories. Distracts me from not sleeping & if I'm lucky tips me into sleep
Yoga nidra sleep meditation
Essential oil drops on pillow case or to couple sniffs from bottle if wake in night
Read or puzzles before sleep

I know you said exercise is limited but can you get some fresh air each day?

I've also heard having light snack - milk & nuts around 10pm can help prevent night wakings - potentially hunger 🤷‍♀️

Sending sympathies lnsomnia is the pits. Hope it doesn't last long and you find some new ways of managing it

Hello. Can anyone recommend a magnesium supplement please?

Magnesium Glycinate (I buy it from Amazon). It really does work, I notice the difference when I forget to take it.

Magnesium. No caffeine after midday.
No screens two hours before bed - read instead.

Night Nurse if all else fails.

Get cat off your head and insist he sleeps at the bottom of the bed. (Mine is obsessed with my pillow.)

Sleep headphones Amazon link

Then I listen to a sleep podcast to drift off to sleep be then have background sleep, droning music that stays on all night.

Podcasts I like on Spotify
I can’t sleep (guy reads random Wikipedia articles)
Sleep Magic
Lights out library (I have Patreon subscription to this one so get background sounds and I rarely finish an episode)
Tracks to relax

Hope you get the sleep you need.

As a fellow sufferer of peri insomnia I found just reading your post strangely relaxing and I really like how you have reframed some elements

I did the NHS sleep programme in the summer for 8 weeks, did bugger all! I nie take Phenergen which was recommended by someone on here and it works for me.

Thank you @Whatapickle78 i will investigate that

I’m just throwing cbd into the ring.
I get this 2000mg one from Holland & Barrett & its so good. It lasts months & I usually buy it when it’s half price or bogof.

www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/fourfive-cbd-oil-2000mg-orange-flavour-30ml-60063118

Just adding my thoughts as had insomnia for most of 2024. I needed a change in my HRT regime to progesterone for almost continuous ( 25 days of 28 day cycle). I take this at night to get the most of the sedative effect and split my oestrogel to one pump AM and one pump PM. Has helped massively. I also take 3 tabs magnesium glycinate at night and l theanine, collagen and CBD oil drops in the day.
if I’m tossing and turning and struggling to sleep I move to spare room or couch as change of room sometimes helps.

Long time insomniac here:
I get up early and go to bed late when insomnia pops back up
I read books I have read before so I don't get too involved
I did a course to train myself not to care! Really it worked for me
I take phenergen if I havnt slept for 3 or 4 nights.

But some things work for some folks and not for others. I see you say exercise is hard for you, I have migraine which can be triggered by exercise so I know how you feel a bit. And it's so annoying as it really helps!
Overall though acceptance is helpful, insomnia can be useful on occasion. I stayed up all night to watch the general election results, I'm an old lefty so it was like watching the cup final for me. I didn't even have a cup of coffee and didn't need one! I didn't have to work the next day though.
My insomnia comes and goes by the way so I do hope yours will as well.

Melatonin has really helped me.

Continuous progesterone in HRT has stopped my awful sleep and 3am
waking. I think when it’s hormonal it’s tricky to address with other things.

But things that help in conjunction to this: getting up at the same time every day and getting daylight in the eyes before 8am (or whenever there is light!!). This sets melatonin production for the correct time later.

Equally low lights from 8pm and no screens.

When I really couldn’t sleep I used a French drug called Donoryl - only half a tablet. Phenergen made me feel awful the next day unfortunately.
Melatonin doesn’t work for me (it’s better for jet lag and resetting circadian rhythm).

I take magnesium glycinate and spray magnesium on my feet before bed. Also take L Theanine.

Unfortunately it was the HRT that was life changing for my sleep. The other stuff just helps a little.

I have found that giving up alcohol has helped, even though I only had a few drinks at weekends. I really did not think that it would make a difference as I don't not drink much but it seems to be working.