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[Peroxideblader]

Janice68...will you let me know what the doctor says if you find anything new as you seem to have been in exactly the same boat as me it's just terrible it ruins your life..good luck please keep in touch thanks

[CLKD]

Sorry that you feel judged. 

As I stated previously, if you are awake hours after taking a 'sleeping' tablet then the medication simply isn't working because you maybe expect it to work sooner + then brain being over-active = not sleeping.

As I stated maybe begin the bedroom hygiene routine again - what have you to lose?  If you aren't able to sleep then finding something to fill that gap i.e. relaxation therapy every night, low background music every night may well help now; it is 'now' that we are dealing with.

I too have had deep depression and high levels of anxiety which have kept me awake or caused me to wake suddenly in the early hours.  Cortisol levels are highest in the early hours, that is how the body is designed.  Hence early morning anxiety surges >sigh<.

If I am sleepy before bedtime then I sleep.  After years of bad nights I now listen to my body and if I need sleep, then that's what I do.  I have a blanket beside the settee which I pull over my body so that I don't wake cold.  It was about re-adjusting my needs and not bothering what others in the family thought about me sleeping when I was able to !

You could of course ring the Sleep Clinic and discuss if there are any cancellations - you could then have a case ready packed and go the day that they let you know!  There must be people who don't turn up 

[Janice68]

Hi Peroxideblader, I can relate to what you are saying but don't rule out hormones altogether my love they cause so so many  debilitating problems and I have experience on that. Anyway do what you can do!!!  I'm also looking into Aromatherapy and herbal teas so who knows eh!

Get plenty of fresh air too and some light walking if you  can  if you have any energy?   
By the sounds of it  your doing the rite things. I know it's hard but take one day at a time and draw your focus elsewhere. I do the best I can with it now and don't worry about it as you no it makes it worse!! We all know what happens when we are so tired we don't function properly anyway. Maybe speak to your doc about Hrt but that's your choice nobodys elses . We are all different what works for one person does not mean it will work for another.
Take care I will let you  know what doc says but I too have tried things also trying new things but more leaning the natural way to do things now. Anyway do what you can and let me know how you are getting on please. I would be very interested to no. Be kind to yourself! Xx

[Peroxideblader]

I am prescribed 2 zopiclone tablets which I don't take so when I say I stay awake that's on a quarter dose half a 3.75 mg and it means I'm usually asleep by 2 o'clock rather than 4am if I take one full 3.75 8m asleep within the hour...it's just I want to take the minimum dose that helps which help is the word..I can't sleep during the day or I would but once I'm asleep I could sleep for hours. I wake every hour or so to wee but always go back to sleep..if I could sleep til 1 or 2 pm from 4an then I wouldn't be sleep deprived but I keep to the same bed time ish when I feel tired around midnight and set alarm for 8 plus I have work a family and a dog so no lie ins....I do lie in til around 10 on a Sunday day as it's my partners lie in but apart from that it's strict morning get up times...seems most peri women are the opposite they can get to sleep but wake up early hours..I wake up soaking wet every night but just go back to sleep covered in a damp towel...my partner moved to the spare room 2 years ago so he wasn't getting wet through and woken...I have been offered hrt but I want to start in October after a long awaited weeks holiday..in case I get bad side effects and weight gain that will spoil our first break together in 6 years..I'm doing all the research I can then I'll give femoston a try in October 😊

[Janice68]

You never no hrt might really help you then!! You don't know till you have tried!!

[CLKD]

Don't deprive your kidneys of liquid or they will work harder = waking through the night.  I found this out years ago …… thought if I didn't drink after 8.00 p.m. I wouldn't need to get out of bed, however, if I drink lots through the day I don't get woken as often; and usually I can return to sleep ……… unless my brain starts   

[dazned]

Well I had chronic insomnia a couple of years back it was truely aweful so I do empathize with you. I took zopiclone each nighht for about 6 months and I was fine ,everyone is different ,so please don't feel judged. They cant walk in your shoes. When I felt the time was right I took them every other night and it wasnt a problem to me. Perhaps in that time my body clock had readjusted,who knows,but I was then sleeping ok. I still have a small stash and if I have a rare spell of insomnia I take one ,we all have to find our own way through and you need to do what you need to do. You're a grown woman who make you're own decision. 

[Janice68]

Well I had chronic insomnia a couple of years back it was truely aweful so I do empathize with you. I took zopiclone each nighht for about 6 months and I was fine ,everyone is different ,so please don't feel judged. They cant walk in your shoes. When I felt the time was right I took them every other night and it wasnt a problem to me. Perhaps in that time my body clock had readjusted,who knows,but I was then sleeping ok. I still have a small stash and if I have a rare spell of insomnia I take one ,we all have to find our own way through and you need to do what you need to do. You're a grown woman who make you're own decision. 

Good post dazned!!!

[Dana]

I won't post much more on here as I think my problems don't come into any categories on here and are much deeper than usual occasional insomnia...nothing works and I don't like being judged being on zopiclone..if you knew how I'll I've been depressed and panic attacks all caused by sleep deprivation I wouldn't be judged so harshly...I'd rather be addicted and get 5 hours sleep than die soon from ill health caused by no sleep..thanks everyone though for your advice

I honestly don't know why you keep saying you are being judged. No one is judging you, least of all me, because I've been in exactly the same situation you are in, so if I'm judging you I would be judging myself too.  I'm just trying to offer you some experience and information, and a warning, because I've seen so many people desperately resort to taking these sleep medications and the end result is that they are often worse off. Sure some people have no problems with them, but just because someone says to you they had no problems doesn't mean that you may not have problems. Roughly 30% of the population has a severe sensitivity to these meds and if you fall into that category, trust me, becoming dependent is no picnic, and neither is weaning yourself off it. There's nothing wrong with taking these meds occasionally. Just don't take them every day.

I know you feel your problems are unique, but they really aren't. IMO what you are suffering from won't be helped by all the apps, CBT, sleep studies or "sleep hygiene" in the world. I think what you are suffering from is hormonal insomnia, which is exactly what I had, and the only way of fixing that is with hormone supplements. Once again, IMO, I wouldn't be waiting until October to try the HRT. You might be surprised by the outcome.

I honestly wish I had someone telling me all this when I was going through it. However, I won't make anymore comments because I don't want to upset you. All I'm asking is that you think about what I'm telling you. These drugs may not adversely affect you at all, or they might. You won't know if they will affect you until it's too late, and trust me you do not want to become addicted. It's not a fun experience.

[Peroxideblader]

Dazned it's great to hear from someone who took zopiclone for 6 months I'm the same I take quarter of the prescribed dose and I'll take it every other day when I feel the time is right then stop. I know I won't sleep when I come off it but I didn't sleep before...and to everyone else I wasn't being nasty saying I felt judged you all have your own opinions it's just I wanted you to know I know the risks the complications too but when all else was tried tested and failed it was my only resort with it causing my health to decline so much...I am still too scared to try hrt til after my holidays my fiancé doesn't want any more grief from me poor thing ..😊

[elsie001]

Hi Peroxidebladder - it does sound like hormonal insomnia to me too - have you had your hormone levels checked?  I know the tests aren't 100% accurate because during peri our hormones change constantly but it should at least show if any of your hormones are on the low side, in which case, by taking hrt you would only be replacing what your body is no longer able to produce. 

I wouldn't worry too much about weight gain - if you do gain weight, it won't be instant, and I don't know about you, but when my insomnia was at it's worst, I really craved sugar, so you might find you eat more healthily by finally getting some sleep.

Night Nurse tablets are good for a cold and have the added benefit of knocking you out....but definitely don't take Zopliclone at same time or drive too early the following morning as, unlike Zopliclone, they can make you feel really groggy until at least lunchtime!

Good luck and I hope you feel able to continue posting here - so many of us are in the same boat and it's reassuring to know we're not suffering alone.

[Peroxideblader]

Thanks Elsie sadly I can't take night nurse as the sedative antihistamine in it makes my restless legs go through the roof...I do worry about weight gain as I have to diet and exercise more at my age anyway yet I'm putting on weight already without the hrt..my neighbour didn't put on anything but she's naturally skinny but my step mum came off hrt due to the weight gain..saying that if I felt better and actually slept on hrt I'd starve rather than stop it..x

[dangermouse]

I just posted this on another thread in case the tips are of use here:

Sleep can obviously be affected by our hormones, it's a very common symptom of menopause and peri.

However, it's also very open to habitual patterns that can set in once you've had sleepless nights for a while and where you start to focus too much on trying to force sleep. This will never work as sleep is a natural state that is triggered by relaxation, darkness, a calm mind etc.

If you have insomnia but can fall asleep in front of the TV then this will show you it is possible with the right mind state. Watching something not too overstmilulating on a bedroom TV, reading or slowing down your inner dialogue to a boring and dull rhythm are ways to distract you from a lively mind and to get you into the hypnogogic state (very similar to hypnosis) where you naturally drift off.

Another tip is to lie there with your eyes open and not allow them to blink for around 20 secs, then close for 20 secs, open for 19, close for 19 etc. whilst counting slowly down on every out breath. You will start to really feel the relief each time they close until your eyes and brain find it too exhausting and naturally switch off.

Making the bedroom too 'sleep clean' without a TV etc. can focus you too much on 'trying to sleep'. The distraction can be so much more helpful than the pressure of silence that can allow your mind to fill up with thoughts. If you have a partner then you could go to bed earlier than them or watch your last programme together in bed.

Another option is a pillow speaker to listen to sleep hypnosis recordings. You can also do this if you wake in the night and find your mind is too active to drop back off. You don't need to do these things forever, just to reprogramme your old habits.

Even if hormones and adrenal rushes are keeping you too tense, these will still all help and give you back some control.