Sleep (or not)

[QuaintIrene]

Hello -- am new here, so apologies if this topic has been discussed at length. I'm 51, haven't had a period for approx. three months. I am waking up several times in the night, which is unusual for me. It's not due to sweat. I am sure that it the waking is menopause related.

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with this? I don't want to take sleeping pills.

Thank you!

That happened to me too - I used to be able to sleep through anything. I found it got worse with alcohol and I also cut out most of my daily coffee - I now drink only 2 cups per day and no coffee after 3.00pm. I'm now used to waking regularly through the night but find that I get back to sleep quite quickly. Are you tired in the mornign?

Yes, whacked out in the mornings and quite often with a migraine too. (The headaches have started in the past few years -- I think that they were possibly one of the first symptoms of perimenopause.)

I have just started cutting out alcohol and caffeine (after 3pm) and am finding it is making a slight difference already.

Yes- this was one of the main meno signs for me. I was waking up sometimes slightly hot but not so much as to make me wake up iyswim!
My sleep patterns changed- from going out like alight as soon as I went to bed, I was feeling wide awake and often waking up all night long feeling really hyper! It was one of the main reasons I went on HRT- have been on it for 2 months and felt better after a week.

p.s.
I don't drink tea or coffee anyway for other reason, or alcohol. My gynae and I decided I had made as many lifestyle changes as possible, including regular exercise, so we decided to give HRT a go. I am 53, last period (?) 3 months after my 53rd birthday.

Honestfriend describes exactly my sleep patterns. HRT. Hmm. Have kept away from it this far as concerned about its knock-on effect on blood pressure. I have started taking Estroven (an over-the-counter remedy) again (it helped with PMT-ish symptoms a few months ago), so let's see if that works!