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[Suew84]

I am new to the forum and in desperate need of some advice. I’m suffering with insomnia and struggling to cope. A seven day course of a low dose sleeping tablet hadn’t helped either. I wake multiple times with hot flushes and feel so weepy due to tiredness.
I can get to sleep fine but cannot sustain it. I’ve made changes in that I’ve ditched pyjamas, sleeping nude doesn’t help so I got pure cotton nighties. That in itself made me sob as I’m resembling my mother. Nice woman but Christ, not yet!
It’s 530 am in a Saturday and I’m writing this when I’d rather be in bed. But why lie there listening to my husband snoring his head off.
So I’ve turned to you all to help. Any advice would be very welcome.

[Dotty]

Hi HRT solved my insomnia and lots of other awful symptoms of menopause .

Can you give us more info about yourself ? How old are you? Where are you in menopause ? That will help us with our answers . X

[sheila99]

HRT sorted out my insomnia too. I was similar to you, no problem getting to sleep but woke at 2 or 3am and couldn't get back to sleep again. Sleeping pills didn't help me either, I felt so groggy the next day it was no better than lack of sleep.

[Gnatty]

Sheila, which part of the HRT package do you think sorted the insomnia? And did it only improve on increasing the dose?

[sheila99]

I was peri so on a sequi regime. It was the oestrogen that did it for me though the progesterone seems to help some people. I find progesterone makes me dozy in the day but doesn't help at night. I was on 50mg evorel to start with and that was the right dose for me at the time. I've increased twice since as my ovaries have produced less and symptoms returned, now on 4 pumps gel and late peri. Are you on HRT? If you are and you're still getting flushes you need a higher dose. My insomnia and anxiety took 3 months to go.

[befuddled]

I started the oestrogen and progesterone on the same day, so not sure which one it was that helped, but really made a big difference.  I'm often slow to get to sleep, but rarely wake in the night now (unless something hurts, hips usually). 

I got caught up in a bit of a vicious circle before i started hrt.  Getting wound up and frustrated about being awake, which made it even more unlikely that i'd fall asleep.  And the sheer boredom of it.  So i got a few cheap secondhand mp3's from ebay, kept them down beside the bed.  I had one for relaxing music, one for comedy podcasts, one for audio short stories and one for bits and pieces (late night woman's hour, meno podcasts).  Obviously doesn't solve the problem, but it did help a lot, stopped me focusing on being awake, stopped me clock-watching, and made the time pass quicker.  And it  helps to muffle the sounds of a snoring husband.

[Gnatty]

I am peri but was put on a continuous regime because of heavy periods/ fibroid. I have just recently gone to 3 pumps but still seem to wake up in the night. My flushes have mostly gone apart from just before a period. Am hoping this regime will eventually stop my periods. Definitely getting lighter.

To help me sleep I have the complete Sherlock Holmes on Audible read by Stephen Fry. His voice is so calming - only trouble is I never hear the end of the story!

[Suew84]

I’m 50 and more likely to be peri menopausal as I’ve had a period in the last 12 months. Sadly HRT isn’t possible for me due to medical issues that run in females in my family.
One night I can wake twice and get a half decent sleep, albeit broken. Then another is horrendous and I’m awake for than asleep.
If I get a half decent sleep it seems to make me more dozy during the day and I could easily nod off.
I don’t relish the idea of going through this for years, it’s really getting me down.

[jaypo]

Hi Sue, I used to use 5-HTP 50mg,think you can get them on Amazon,they're herbal and used to work for me,or if not that,maybe valerian?