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[wenbird75]

Hi, I’m almost 48 and I’ve been in perimenopause for 5 years.  I’ve been naturally managing minor symptoms over the past 5 years (light depression, hair thinning, anxiety/panic, night sweats, lower libido, palpitations).  Two months ago, I began having much worse interrupted sleep.   Sleeping an average of 2-3 hours until waking and then unable to fall asleep!!!  Sometimes I get another couple hours of very fragmented sleep - waking up so often.  Are any of you ladies experiencing 3 - 4 hours of sleep per night?  And if so, how do you survive!!!!!  Feel like a shell of myself yet still pushing daily to be well, work, exercise, care for home and my young adult kids and do all the things!!!

[Booroo]

Welcome that was me a short while ago and I had to start hrt as just couldn’t function I am 9-10 mo this in now and better ,get blips but can take that just about x

[Penguin]

I am on hrt and have this every month on the progrsterone part. I am in a cycle of going to bed at 9pm now just so that I get enough hours in, otherwise I am a wreck the next day. I try and front load my day so I do more stuff in the morning when I am running on coffee/ adrenalin and then relax in the afternoon. I have given up making plans in the evening during those 10-12 days. Sorry no solutions, just ways of lessening impact. It is horrible, you have my full sympathy. Not everyone has problems with peogrsterone, so perhaps hrt would solve it for you!

[sheila99]

Insomnia and anxiety were my worst symptoms. I can sympathise, you just can't function normally without adequate sleep. HRT cured mine.

[CLKD]

Penguin the regime is working for you?

Also when the brain gets into the habit of 'will I sleep tonight' it is more alert.  I had 7 years of broken sleep due to the job I was in, I decided 1 night that not sleeping well hadn't caused any disasters, from that night I slept better.  Hormone fluctuations can certainly break sleep patterns, as can vaginal atrophy, sending us to the bathroom to P several times!

Occasionally I took an anti-sea sickness tablet or anti-histamine to make sure that I got a good night's sleep.  Not the non-drowsy ones!

How much exercise do you manage each week as brisk walking can raise endorphins which help us overall.  Also switching off gadgets at least 1 hour B4 bed will help as blue light activates our brains to thinking that it's still day time.

[CLKD]

U will survive and if your brain shuts off in the evenings, then sleep.  Have a blanket on the settee so that you can cuddle up and not wake cold.  U may find that you go through the night once you have dropped off.  I can sleep in the afternoons or evenings and still get a good night, despite what the so-called sleep 'experts' suggest.

[Penguin]

Penguin the regime is working for you?

Also when the brain gets into the habit of 'will I sleep tonight' it is more alert.  I had 7 years of broken sleep due to the job I was in, I decided 1 night that not sleeping well hadn't caused any disasters, from that night I slept better.  Hormone fluctuations can certainly break sleep patterns, as can vaginal atrophy, sending us to the bathroom to P several times!

Occasionally I took an anti-sea sickness tablet or anti-histamine to make sure that I got a good night's sleep.  Not the non-drowsy ones!

How much exercise do you manage each week as brisk walking can raise endorphins which help us overall.  Also switching off gadgets at least 1 hour B4 bed will help as blue light activates our brains to thinking that it's still day time.

No it's not really, I am going to see about reducing the dose and having annual scans. Saying that, the good days are still better than my pre hrt days so I can't go back to that!

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on y'all .......

[AngelaH]

I had all those symptoms from the age of 46 to 48, then they became to be extremely severe and when I managed to have a couple of hours sleep I had nightmares only, my periods became light and stopped for 3 months, then came again and I started bleeding very heavily.

Eventually a small drop of synthetic progesterone to my body took away all those symptoms completely.

Normally in peri the body doesn’t need a high level of HRT like GPs prescribe here, it makes things only worse.

[CLKD]

Interesting AngelaH 

I had forgotten about my very busy, deep, involved dreams: some mornings I wake feeling knackered  it's due to the mix of meds that I take 

[wenbird75]

Thank you ladies I do agree that part of the problem is I am so frustrated that I can’t sleep, and that contributes to even less sleep. I am trying to learn to, except that I will survive, but the anxiety is very tough to deal with along with no sleep.

I finally caved and went to the doctor and have received an estrogen patch. I have had it for two weeks. She did not give me progesterone saying I did not need it because I still have my period. Do you ladies think adding progesterone might help with the sleep?

[Bandango42]

I'm no doctor but I was under the impression that if you have a womb, you need progesterone as part of the hrt, to help shed the womb lining.

I think taking unopposed oestrogen over long periods of time can cause the womb lining to thicken which increases the risk of endometrial or uterine cancer.

I would double check that prescription, I'm pretty sure you need progesterone too x

[Booroo]

Def need progesterone if still have womb

[Penguin]

Thank you ladies I do agree that part of the problem is I am so frustrated that I can’t sleep, and that contributes to even less sleep. I am trying to learn to, except that I will survive, but the anxiety is very tough to deal with along with no sleep.

I finally caved and went to the doctor and have received an estrogen patch. I have had it for two weeks. She did not give me progesterone saying I did not need it because I still have my period. Do you ladies think adding progesterone might help with the sleep?

What patch have you got? Are you sure it isn't one that has combined estrogen and progesterone for part of the month? I agree with others, you must have progrsterone if you still have a womb so I'd go back to the doctors and check! Omg if only we didn't need it, I'd definitely lower or give up the progrsterone but just not allowed!

[CLKD]

Which patch has been prescribed?  U can put the name into the search box on here to read threads about it. 

It is known that once we get insomnia our brain keeps waking or remains awake because the scenario replays itself.