Thanks for your responses all! Some very useful advice.
I'm 57 this year, so ummm, bravo with the username spot
My hormone levels, that show how far into the menopause I am, are mid-40s, so am well into it. However, I haven't had a bleed for years now, but since I was 14 I only had 1 a year (so went on the pill in order to regulate and know when they would happen), but my gynie said my ovaries were producing normally so never understood why! I am still getting PMT each month, although luckily nowhere near as bad as when I was in my 40s.
Do need to work and am getting myself ready for new employment, hence need to be alert and sparky, rather than a sad, lacklustre version of it, which is too often the case.
Do yoga and exercise at home, as well as the gardening and cleaning. No TV in the bedroom, only read a book before bedtime. Don't usually find going to sleep a problem (unless utterly strung-out), it's the going back to sleep after having woken a few hours later - that is when no amount of relaxation or reading seems to work (used to).
Well done Dana for remaining strong and overcoming the sleeping tablets dependency, it sounded like you went through hell.
Thank you all for sharing your stories and will definitely be back to my GP with your suggestions!