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[oldsheep]

good luck Robyn. I am the world's worst sleeper married to the world's best. Very annoying. He could sleep pegged to a washing line, as a friend of mine says.

I take 400mgs magnesium in the morning. Found it made the insomnia worse if taken at night, although some people find different. Hope it helps you.

[Robyn]

Hi OS

I'm not sure if the magnesium is helping or not. I take about 400mg as well (300 in a mag tablet, plus another 117mg in my calcium tab). I take mine in the morning as well because I read that it can give an energy boost to some people. I also bought some stuff on line called "sleep minerals" which is supposed to be good, but you're supposed to take it at night, but I haven't been game to try it yet because it's magnesium and I don't want it to create more insomnia problems that I've already got.

[Astolat]

Thanks for such an encouraging message suzieQ. I'm really struggling with insomnia at the moment, fed up with feeling constantly exhausted. My GP is of the opinion that we women need to buckle up and get on with it, he's not very sympathetic at all, so it's great to read all the tips and comments in this forum.

At the moment I'm sleeping on two Chillows (but they heat up too quickly and aren't very comfortable) and using a fleece blanket that I can throw off or pull over me through the night. A large pack of baby wipes and a fan are always at hand. I still can't sleep for more than two hours at a time. On the positive side I'm getting through a lot of books and enjoying late night radio!

In a perverse way it's nice to know that I'm not the only lying awake at night!

[suzieQ]

Hi Astolat - nice to meet you and I'm glad my post helped to encourage you that this does end and normality returns eventually. Insomnia is a terrible thing and for me the worst aspect of the menopause as I always loved my bed and good sleep was something  I took for granted! I think temperature control and breathing/ relaxation are key issues and it's good you have strategies to help you. I learned all sort of breathing and relaxation techniques to help me plus I used an eye mask ( a nice soft comfy one) and lavender oil on everything. A banana and milk at bedtime are full of tryptophan which makes you drowsy. One thing I used to do was hide the clock so I didn't get stressed, and I would go on favourite walks in my head - imagining every step of the way on familiar routes from my early life. I did end up taking tiny amounts of zopiclone after I came off HRT for a year or two ( not every night but when I needed I good sleep) but managed to stop that about a year ago. Not had any trouble sleeping since! I don't beat myself up about that, I never needed more than a tiny piece of the lowest dose tablet, and when I was still working I needed to sleep! Other helpful things were a good walk every day, fresh air whenever possible and dim lights in the evening everywhere in the house. And no heavy or serious discussions at bed time! When I wake to go to the loo now I quickly pray for ALL the MM ladies lying awake or struggling with poor sleep that true rest would come back to them. Lots of love and positive vibes xx

[suzieQ]

PS late night reading and radio are great I agree! My best book recently was "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett and I download podcasts and listen on my iPod with headphones - Melvyn Bragg and Stephen Fry have the most soporific voices! Xx

[suzieQ]

Hi MP well I got on fine with it but I have lived in the USA so mayb more familiar with the dialect. I think it's easy to follow and gets easier as you tune in to the different voices". I also heard it as an audiobook with several different actresses reading the different characters and that was marvellous. One of my best books  of 2011!

[Bette]

Maybe you should ask to be referred to a sleep clinic, Susan? 
Bette x

[Taz2]

Hi Susan - do you think you actually need more sleep? I only ask because I now only need five hours. I spent ages trying to beat it and all to no avail. Eventually, once I started going to bed at 1 then five hours took me to 6 which is an ok time to get up. I have never slept well though - always woken every forty minutes to an hour for a few minutes. I remember going to bed at 11 and then having to lay there awake from 4 a.m. waiting until it was time to get up.

Taz x

[Taz2]

I have fibro too which I suppose is understandable given the sleep problems! I just came to the conclusion that it is like a lot of things during meno and during life itself. To fight it is a natural reaction but sometimes the stress caused by laying awake for hour after hour is more than the stress caused by accepting that you will be sleeping less and so going to bed later maybe to reduce those awake in bed hours.  I find that if I sleep in an extra hour at weekends I feel dreadful even though a part of me thinks I should make up for lost sleep. My body seems to be saying that five hours is what I need so that's what I am going with at the moment. My GP says this is why I have gained weight - not enough sleep and not eating enough -but maybe one day it will all even out.

Taz x

[Astolat]

Thanks for your lovely reply SuzieQ.
 I'm very lucky as I have three days off out of every seven, so on my free days if I'm home I make sure I have a snooze in the afternoon to help me to catch up. I'll try the banana and milk idea, I've also heard that milk with honey and nutmeg is good. I do walk a lot as it helps my high blood pressure too. I used to do Tai Chi and find the deep breathing exercises help me to relax and nod off at night but I'm awake again in two hours.

Fingers crossed that my GP can come up with something soon. I wouldn't mind taking sleeping tablets short term but would rather manage the insomnia some other way if possible.

Hope you're all having a good day!

[Farmer]

About 6 years ago I was prescribed Zopiclone for insomnia... and 6 years later, Im hooked on it.  I simply cannot sleep without it.  Despite taking Zopiclone, Im waking all through the night due to hot flushes and 9/10 times I cant get back to sleep for at least 2 hours.  If I do get back to sleep, Im waking ready to start the day about 5am.  Im exhausted all the time.

Im also furious at my GP for prescribing the Zopiclone in the first place.  I remember her telling me they weren't addictive... um, yeah right.  I have since changed Dr, but Im sooo tempted to write her a letter telling her what she has done to me.  I hope she has stopped prescribing them willy nilly.  Grrr stupid woman!

I said in January, my new years resolution was to get off the Zopiclone by the end of the year.  Im no where near ready to even try due to other stresses at the moment, but I would like to try in a couple of months.

Anyway, for all you ladies that have problems sleeping... I feel your pain.  Stay away from the Zopiclone though! 

[Robyn]

Hi Farmer

Yes I'm also very annoyed at doctors who perpetuate this myth that zopi isn't addictive. It is just as addictive as any other prescribed sleeping medication. You may find it difficult to withdraw by using zopi alone. The recommendation for withdrawing from any benzo or non-benzo is to transfer over to an equivalent dose of diazepam as you can get it in much smaller dosed tablets (it's available in 2mg tablets which can easily be cut into quarters), and it also has a much longer half-life, so you can wean yourself off it very slowly and in very small increments.
 
You are probably suffering from rebound insomnia, but of course you do need to be in a relaxed state of mind if you are going to try withdrawing from the zopi, and if you've got a lot of stresses going on at the moment, now's probably not the time.

What sort of dosage are you taking? You would need to talk to your doctor about what the equivalent diazepam dose is, but I think it's approx 15mg of zopi = 10mg diazepam. You might also benefit from a prescription for a sedating antidepressant to help you while you're withdrawing. I've posted this link before, but it's worth posting again.

http://www.non-benzodiazepines.org.uk/zopiclone.html

[Farmer]

Thanks Robyn and Susan.

Im only taking 1/2 tablet each night (3.25mg) at the most... I refuse to take any more than that because I just know I will eventually end up taking a full tablet... then 2 etc.  I have only ever taken 3.25mg and it hasnt stopped working yet.  Its the hot flushes thats waking me.  Ive done a bit of reading, including reading that link Robyn and yup I think Im in for some hard times re. getting off Zopiclone.  I've been so so very tired lately that I actually thought a couple of nights ago I could go to sleep with no Zopiclone.  I almost did it... until BAM a hot flush hits.  Its sooo frustrating. 

[Robyn]

Are you taking anything for the hot flushes, like HRT? I'm struggling to find an HRT that will help with my sleep problems, but at least I don't get hot flushes any more. Maybe if you can get the flushes under control you might have a better chance of reducing the zopi.

[jgr]

I struggled with night sweats and it didn't matter what i tried to do with room temp etc nothing worked until i went to the menopause clinic and was given evoril conti patches and hey presto no more night sweats.

I have so much more energy it is great and best night sleeps every night.