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[Donna69]

Hi I am suffering terrible menopause insomnia been awake since 2.30am again and aren’t coping at all to get myself for work.feel like I’m in a vicious circle at the minute as now spending a lot of time stressing about going to bed and not sleeping.has anyone been through the same,would love to hear any tips for coping.I aren’t on hrt came off it last year due to bleeding/thickened lining and tests which has scared me so don’t really want to go back down that route.but any natural remedies/coping techniques I would appreciate to hear about

[joziel]

There are not really effective natural remedies for menopause-created insomnia. I have only just started to sleep properly, getting my HRT up to a decent level.

If you had a thickened lining it might be a good idea to get a Mirena coil fitted which will keep the lining thin and also provide a progestin for your HRT at the same time. Then you just need estrogen.

Stopping HRT due to that alone, isn't a great idea for your future health. Estrogen reduces the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, dementia and bowel cancer.

Believe me, I tried melatonin, apigenin, taurine, magnesium of all kinds, many herbal things - none of it did anything.

[Penguin]

Hi I am suffering terrible menopause insomnia been awake since 2.30am again and aren’t coping at all to get myself for work.feel like I’m in a vicious circle at the minute as now spending a lot of time stressing about going to bed and not sleeping.has anyone been through the same,would love to hear any tips for coping.I aren’t on hrt came off it last year due to bleeding/thickened lining and tests which has scared me so don’t really want to go back down that route.but any natural remedies/coping techniques I would appreciate to hear about

Valerian supplement helps me sleep at night (I use one called valdrian) as does Michael sealey sleep hypnosis on YouTube. You could make a stack with magnesium glycinate (nutri advanced is a good brand) and 5htp (if you're not on an antidepressant).

[MrsMitch]

Hello Donna, I too have sleep problems. I've also had a thickened womb lining but after investigation it seems the cause was my progesterone dose not being high enough. I stopped the HRT whilst waiting for a hysteroscopy but my symptoms came back so badly I decided my quality of life without HRT was so bad, I just had to restart it. I'm having problems with symptoms returning due to the new shape bottles of oestrogel and the first thing I noticed was poor sleep. I only sleep for 45 mins at a time all through the night so it doesn't give me a good rest. I also do a manual job and working does make it extra hard. I had my first good night last night because I've started upping my dose.
I tried everything as others on here have, in the past. Nothing except the correct dose of HRT worked, I'm afraid. I wish I could tell you about something amazing, but I can't. I've read on here about ladies who get their other symptoms under control even with HRT, but their sleep still remain poor.
I coped by going through all the things that were positive I did have, instead of focusing on what I didn't have - but that isn't easy to do when you're shattered and it doesn't remove the problem.
Are you certain HRT isn't for you anymore? Because the health risks, never mind physical dangers of being constantly tired are very real too.
I feel for you, I really do. It's just awful being awake in the dark when everyone else is sleeping. Your mind is a battlefield at times like that. Sending you hugs.

[Donna69]

Hi Penguin can I just ask what is 5htp as I aren’t on any antidepressants.I know what everyone is saying re hrt but I had 7 weeks of bleeding last year with hrt then scans,hysteroscopy and biopsy which was an awful 3 mths of anxiety over it been something sinister it has really scared me re hrt I now worry about breast/womb cancer.My scan also found several fibroids so I just daren’t risk hrt again

[Penguin]

Hi Penguin can I just ask what is 5htp as I aren’t on any antidepressants.I know what everyone is saying re hrt but I had 7 weeks of bleeding last year with hrt then scans,hysteroscopy and biopsy which was an awful 3 mths of anxiety over it been something sinister it has really scared me re hrt I now worry about breast/womb cancer.My scan also found several fibroids so I just daren’t risk hrt again

It is the pre cursor to serotonin, very relaxing if taken at bedtime. Try 50mg, with about 200mg mag glycinate from the brand I suggested above. You may then not need the valerian but you could have a sleepy tea as well. Look on The Natural Dispensary as they have good brands on there. I can't take 5-htp anymore as I am on an ssri.
Also look at bedtime snacks that contain tryptophan or help the body produce it: oats or oatcakes, bananas, sliced turkey.
When is your biggest issue, going to sleep or staying asleep? I'd really recommend you try the sleep hypnosis too xx

[Nas]

Hi Donna69,
Insomnia is brutal and I absolutely sympathise.

If are not keen on re visiting HRT, would you consider something like amitriptyline? I take a low dose, primarily for nerve pain, but soon discovered it assists with sleep also.

It can give a dry mouth initially, but for me, a small price to pay for a few hours sleep. If you take it early enough in the evening, you shouldn’t feel groggy the next day.

Other wise, it’s down to experimenting with different “ sleep products” which may or may not work.

Bananas I find are sleep inducing. Also peanut butter! A milky drink? Pukka valerian tea? Clary sage essential oil a bath or diffuser? Listening to a really boring podcast?

As joziel said, the mirena is excellent at keeping the womb lining thin and then you could use oestrogen alone ( there are many to choose from). You may then find once you are at a suitable dose, you start to sleep for longer.

Hope you can find a solution soon.

[jillydoll]

Hi Donna

Sorry you’re struggling at the mo, life’s soooo better after a good sleep isn’t it.
If you really don’t want to go back on hrt, then you could try an antihistamine.
I normally take Benadryl, helps my anxiety too, knocks me out really well and I get a good nights sleep.
I find it breaks the cycle of the insomnia. So I don’t need to take everyday.
Xx

[Donna69]

Thank you everyone have a few things to try and explore,hopefully I will find something that helps.thanks for taking the time out to reply

[K45]

Hi I am suffering terrible menopause insomnia been awake since 2.30am again and aren’t coping at all to get myself for work.feel like I’m in a vicious circle at the minute as now spending a lot of time stressing about going to bed and not sleeping.has anyone been through the same,would love to hear any tips for coping.I aren’t on hrt came off it last year due to bleeding/thickened lining and tests which has scared me so don’t really want to go back down that route.but any natural remedies/coping techniques I would appreciate to hear about

I'm struggling a lot with this and have found Calm tea and promethazine (old type of antihistamine) are the 2 things that can help.

[Peach8]

Not much has worked for me either unfortunately including hrt. I'm currently on promethazine, it gives me 1-2 hours extra a night, not much but it's the difference between functioning and not functioning during the day.

[K45]

I really feel for you as 1-2 hrs is just not sustainable   This week I have tried to get into a new routine of 9pm no TV and calm tea, then 930 estrogel and 9.45 start getting ready for bed as up at 6 weekdays. Actually slept 8 hrs for 2 nights so hoping my brain will remember it actually needs sleep again! Hope you are able to get some rest over Easter.

[joziel]

Folks, if you are on HRT and are still experiencing insomnia, then consider testing during your period to see what estrogen you're getting from HRT and based on those results, increasing your estrogen dose. I only started to sleep when I hit 8 pumps of gel. Now on 9 and it's even better. My serum estradiol is around 430pmol. I have only been able to try these doses via the Newson Clinic. Before that, I had my GP telling me everything should be lovely when my result was around 200pmol....

[AngelaH]

Insomnia comes with hormones imbalances, sometimes is not easy to work out which hormone and how much should be lifted. In peri I had insomnia because I was estrogen dominant, so adding just progesterone made me sleep like a baby again. In post meno insomnia came back, it went away itself when both hormones went to their bottom level, very low but seems to be in right balance because hot flashes and night sweats are gone as well the same time and I sleep like a baby again.

Everybody is unique when it comes to function of sex hormones, learning your own body is the best way to find the right treatment.

In early stages of peri I took sage, it stopped hot flashes and improved my sleep, but it stopped working for me in late stages. Sage is good when the symptoms are still mild, but not severe.

[Mary G]

Insomnia is a massive problem at menopause but unfortunately it doesn't get much air time.

My mother was crippled with insomnia for nearly 40 years and it had a horrendous effect on her health.  For some women it's a difficult one to get right but it's often caused by low progesterone as well as low oestrogen.

If hormone manipulation doesn't work, melatonin and/or a low dose of amitriptyline is very effective.