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[choc57]

I'm just wondering whether my sleep patterns will ever return to normal.
I started having hot flushes 8 years ago and I had my last period 6 years ago, then went on hrt and came off 4 years ago, no more periods since. The night sweats are much better than they were ( before hrt they were around every half hour day and night and driving me absolutely crazy). The reason I came off hrt was that I lost my husband very suddenly and my body was sent into shock which I think is the reason why the hrt stopped having any effect. I imagine my dose should have been increased but my GP wanted me to come off it and so I did. I now feel after four years that I'm getting through the menopause  and feeling so much better in lots of ways.
However I'm still not sleeping. I go to bed when I'm very tired and fall asleep almost instantly but then wake up within an hour. Usually I drift off again without too much trouble but only to wake every 1-2 hours, sometimes lying awake for a couple of hours. When I wake I'm still getting the feeling coming over me starting at my toes and rising up which precedes a sweat, usually nowadays I just feel hot and so am constantly throwing off the duvet.
 I'm reluctant to see my GP re going back on hrt but wonder how long this will continue for and will I ever sleep properly again?
Has anyone managed to successfully deal with this?. Thank you.

[CLKD]

Firstly, being in shock when your husband died so suddenly takes it's toll!     I don't know how anyone copes after 

You will sleep again.  If you sleep well then wake, then intermittently drop off in the night - how do you feel on waking?  Do you think that you should be getting more sleep than you are doing?  My Paternal Gran would be up at 5.00 a.m., do the housework then have the day with us.  As we get older sometimes we don't need as much sleep.  She would go to bed about 10.30 p.m.

If you feel hung over etc. on waking, maybe to get a routine, try an anti-histamine for 3 nights.  Some are non-drowsy though.  Or ask the GP for a medication for short-term use.  I have used anti-sea-sick tablets in the past to good effect.

[choc57]

Thanks for your reply and your advice CLKD. When I add up the hours that I sleep I probably get about 6 hours on a good night (when I haven't been lying wide awake for a couple of hours during the night) and 4 on those nights. I definitely don't feel I'm getting enough sleep as I feel tired a lot of the time.
This started before I lost my husband (night sweats waking me) and got much worse when he died but now almost 5 years on it's still the sweats which are waking me (or the feeling that one is coming on). It's not as if I'm worrying about anything these days either.
I've got some anti sea-sick tablets so I'll give them a try. I find if I drink a few glasses of wine I sleep much better but I know this isn't good quality sleep and not really the thing to do! Well not every night anyway!

[CLKD]

Some find that alcohol upsets them at this time of Life  and it's a depressant and can aggravate the bladder which isn't useful 

6 hours is good if 1 wakes feeling rested.  There was an article yesterday on the net about how we don't 'catch up' if we sleep in at weekends, couldn't be bothered to read it as I have since early childhood - caught up!  Otherwise babies wouldn't sleep as much as they do  and when my body needs sleep, it sleeps.

Yesterday I slept for 2 hours then 3 hours.  I slept all night.  I don't dream in the day time so get better quality sleep than in the night. 

Maybe get your VitD levels checked by blood test?

[choc57]

Thank you both of you for all your advice it is greatly appreciated. I'll look into adaptogens Birdy ( I've not heard of them).
I've cut out caffeine completely and I feel that's helped somewhat and make myself turn off screens around 3 hours before bedtime.
I too wake within an hour, feel I've had a really good sleep then turn to look at the clock in disbelief. I usually go straight back off again and wake around 2 which is when I'm lying awake for a couple of hours sometimes.
You hear scare stories about the health risks of not getting enough sleep and I long to sleep all night like I used to x

[choc57]

Hi Anna, glad you're sleeping better. I slept really well (I think...it's so long ago now) until the hot flushes and they didn't start until a couple of years before my periods stopped. I feel so much more on an even keel now (more back to normal....I suffered with feeling down a lot and gained weight) than before perimenopause began and if I can just rid myself of the flushes I might just start to sleep again.
I'll definitely try magnesium Birdy x

[CLKD]

Beware that some magnesium can affect the bowels 

[Hurdity]

Have you really ruled out restarting a low dose HRT in addition to the suggestions the others have made? I don't know how old you are but might be a possibility and could take the edge off the sweats. I know mine started to return even when I reduced my patch from 50 mcg to 37.5 mcg. Regular wine-drinking is a definite no-no as you have said - HRT would be so much better for your health!

Not sure what an adaptogen is  . Haven't come across this term in my explorations of the scientific literature..... but maybe not the subject for this thread!

Hurdity x

[choc57]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm 61 Hurdity. I've considered going back on hrt but have this thought that I'll just be putting the night sweats on hold only for them to return when I come off. I know a lady who's 75 who recently came off hrt after many years only to find that the sweats returned and so she's gone back on hrt.
I'm going to try some of the alternatives, magnesium first (in a small dose!) and see if things improve. If not I'll see my GP and possibly try hrt again.
I'm not always wakened by a hot flush, sometimes I just wake for no apparent reason. Maybe it's sleeping in a house on my own after all these years. When my husband was away overnight I found it very difficult to sleep as I was scared to be in the house at night alone. When he died I was surprised at how brave I'd become and wasn't worried at all. Maybe subconsciously this is bothering me after all. It must sound pathetic but the thought occurred to me last night that this could be the cause.
Anyway I slept slightly better I think last night. I hid my clock so wouldn't be tempted to clock watch and I think it helped.

[CLKD]

So choc57 - why worry if you are postponing symptoms?  After all, that bus might be along ....... why suffer if there is medication that may help?  OK so you have to stop in a few years to find out where you are ......... in the mean-time, you have less symptoms.  Simples   

Beware the magnesium  ........ I use it for cough reflex.  Occasionally.  On days when I'm not expected anywhere 

I too look at the clock every time I wake but I can't always read the time 

[choc57]

Right I'll be careful with the magnesium! I took one yesterday and seem to be fine. I'm not going anywhere tomorrow so I'll try another today.
I might just do that....go back on hrt, if my GP will let me. Last night I was waking and sweating again aagghh! My mum incidentally had no menopause symptoms (she's still around so we chat about it) but my sister is doing...weird isn't it....and very annoying! Men don't know they're born! x

[CLKD]

 

how was your sleep pattern over the weekend choc57?

[choc57]

Mm, no success as yet with the magnesium....no leg cramps either though so it's worth continuing with it for that reason.
I'm taking it around 6pm with my meal...should I be waiting until bedtime?
 As usual I fell asleep straightaway when I got into bed but woke just over half an hour later. I fell asleep again but then woke in the early hours. I'm still hiding my clock but at 3.15 I couldn't resist a peek as I'd been lying awake for ages.  I find that by 7 I just want to stay in bed and sleep but can hear my cats wanting their breakfast!
I don't think I was being woken by hot sweats last night. Maybe my body's just got used to waking a lot and breaking the habit is going to be hard.
I'll book a visit to my GP and see what she suggests 

[CLKD]

You may be waking up to see if you've been asleep  - I did that a lot 

[choc57]

Ha ha that sounds about right