Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: FlorayG on December 31, 2014, 02:00:42 PM
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I've always been one of those people who spends the day like a bear with a sore head if I don't get enough sleep so lately I'm turning into a total ogre some days.
I take Starflower Oil for the hot flushes and this works well, I only tend to get one or 2 a night when I take this and they only last a minute or two (without it I have several that last up to 20 minutes!). I don't take anything else for menopause specifically.
However I still need to address the insomnia which I can't stand, I've always been such a good sleeper. I get to sleep no problem and then wake up about 3 hours later BANG wide awake for 2 - 3 hours. Then suddenly I'm asleep again. It's definitely not insomnia due to stress as my mind isn't racing with thoughts I struggle to find something to think about! It has to be hormonal.
What coping strategies do you use? Is it actually better to sit up and read a book or should I just lie there bored out of my mind until sleep returns? I have been going to bed much earlier in order to get the right amount of total sleep, is this a good idea or not? Has any serious research been done on this specific problem and why it occurs in menopause?
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For many years I had insomnia. I was in a VERY busy job which was on the go all the while; I would either not go to sleep or would wake after a few hours - one night I thought 'Oh I'm awake again, but I didn't die last time' and didn't have problems after that.
In more recent years if I get a night when I am awake I read; listen to the radio; make a cuppa; doze. I believe that sleep should be taken when the brain requires it. 'experts' say to keep to a strict routine but I have never agreed with that. Babies sleep when they grow or when they are tired.
Humans are now kept to a strong regime of having to wake by the alarm clock, probably before we are 'ready' to wake - in order to keep our jobs, get the kids to school etc.. Instead of being able to have an afternoon kip if necessary we have to keep 'going' >:( ……. so our brains are often fighting sleep which impacts on the rest of Life.
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If I can't get back to sleep quickly I get up. Generally have a cup of warm milk and honey then go back to bed to read for a while. I also have a very relaxing wave sounds app which is great for relaxing.
I think as well as being a hormonal issue it's also an age thing. As we get older we just need less sleep but then the quality of the sleep we do get becomes an issue.
Honeyb
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I have the opposite problem - sleeping too much. I normally turn out the light between 12 and 1 and don't waken up until 10. Even going to sleep at 11 makes no difference. I can sleep for Scotland!
Bramble
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I have found I don't need as much sleep these days. I have recently gone back onto Hrt and the quality of sleep is certainly better. I do get up to pee at least twice a night and while I wasn't using HRT I couldn't get back to sleep after each bathroom visit as I would get a nasty hot flush and creeping feeling in my legs that made me wide awake - now back on HRT I can drop off again quite easily.
During my time without HRT I did rely on taking Nytol for 2 or 3 nights each week just to ensure I didn't get too over tired.
I do find that if I go to bed later(between 11- 12) I do sleep a bit better and I try to get up before 8am even if I feel as though I could sleep more. I think going to bed too early or getting up too late can make sleep issues worse.
I also practise Mindful Meditation if I'm lying awake in the middle of the night.
DG x
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Bramble - sometimes I could sleep 24 hours ::)
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I found it helped me to work out what was the minimum amount of sleep I needed to cope with the following day so that once I'd achieved that in a night I could say to myself, "Right, that's the basic amount achieved, anything else is a bonus". Lying awake telling myself that the following day was going to be awful if I hadn't had 7 hours was pointless and just ramped up the pressure. I found that I could just get through a day at work if I'd managed 3 hours - not easy but achievable.
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Freda - I was the same, for years - in a busy job and wondering how I would cope with lack of sleep the following day ……..
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Freda - if the menopause symptoms are effecting you so badly that you are lucky to get 3 hours sleep then you really need to get some help with this. Sleep is very important - please don't rule out trying HRT or some other form of medication - quality of life is vital and no one can tell us how long the meno symptoms will last. DG x
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I get episodes of poor sleeping that can last days or sometimes weeks and then rights itself. I can't pinpoint a cause as it is too random but I find going into the spare bedroom where it is cooler and quieter and I can open a window, can help.
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Dancinggirl, I am on HRT now and it's made a huge difference to my sleep. What I described above was the situation I was in when my sleep was as bad as FlorayG described in her initial request for strategies for coping with insomnia. I completely agree with you that quality of life is vital. x
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Freda - so pleased to hear you are finding HRT is helping. I've just started back on HRT after a one year break and the lack of sleep was really tough to cope with. The quality of sleep is much better when on HRT, though I still find I do don't need as much sleep as I used to. DG x