Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[cakelady46]

Are nightmares a common symptom of peri?

Although I dream a lot I hadn't had nightmares since I was a child, until recently.  Now I'm frequently having very scary ones.

I can't seem to win, I either hardly sleep or get woken up terrified 

[dahliagirl]

I had this a few weeks ago; it was rather unnerving - I have put it down on my perimenopause chart, in case it happens again.  So far, so good though.

[Suzyq]

I don't know if they're common but I started having them when I started having hot flashes - really terrifying ones! Have gone with hrt

[Dancinggirl]

I definitely get more nightmares and anxiety type dreams. HORRID!!!! They sometimes stay with me all through the following day.
DG x

[Rowan]

I had a horrible anxiety one in the early hours of this morning.

[Night_Owl]

In my experience I would say yes, nightmares are a symptom of menopause - in the last 7 years I've often had nightmares and unpleasant dreams, whereas pre-meno rarely.  Just the other day I was saying to OH that I never have nice or funny dreams, in the past I remember waking myself laughing.

Maybe it's associated with the change in the function of the hypothalamus, the change in cycles of sleep, Rapid Eye Movement / non-REM sleep, ie. more (unpleasant) lighter, dream sleep, less deep sleep.  The night flushes/sweats adrenaline surges play a part too.

I'm on low dose HRT patch - and find taking magnesium tablets (Higher Nature brand) does seem to improve quality of sleep, not great by any means but better.


Night_Owl
x

[Rowan]

Agree with all you have said Night_Owl. 

I do miss those dreams when I woke up laughing it felt so good, I have even said to myself sometimes before sleep " brain please let me have a dream that makes me laugh and feel happy" it hasn't happened for a long time.

[nicros]

I have had terrible nightmares/terrors since starting the peri a couple of years ago. I even wake myself up shouting sometimes. I am trying to relax more before going to bed, like having a milky drink and reading, this helps a bit. Good luck hope it gets easier. Xx

[CLKD]

I talk in my sleep.
I have busy, involved, long dreams
Fortunately the nightmares about wolves that I had regularly as a child have gone .......... I take ADs which increases the likelihood of dreams

[tired lady]

Hi, I too have been suffering from the most dreadful nightmares for 3 years, it started when I turned 39 and my perimenopause symptoms started.  I often have more than one nightmare a night and I have noticed that quite often when I wake up from the nightmare and I feeling boiling hot with a night sweat, I think it might be by body's way of waking me up so I can cool myself down!  I slept absolutely fine until my perimenopause symptoms started and it feels like my sleep cycle has gone completely wrong and I also wake up with a pounding or racing heart after the nightmare which is awful!

I'm sorry to hear that you have got the horrible nightmares too, it really is difficult to cope with.  Do you dread going to bed?  I certainly do now! I hope it improves for you soon xx

[CLKD]

There were years when I dreaded going to sleep because of nightmares 

[cakelady46]

Thanks all for the replies, its a relief to know its not just me but feel for you all suffering.

I've not been sleeping too badly the last week or so, I've also been having warm milk in bed while reading which really seems to help.  I will keep a record of when I have the nightmares though, that's a good idea.