Restful Sleep

The older I get and the more peri-menopausal I get (I'm 46) the worse my sleep seems to be. I fall asleep in a second but I don't stay in a deep sleep. I would say the first two or three hours are very restful sleep but then I see the clock around 1am and sleep very lightly until I get up around 6:30am. I will see the clock 4 or 5 times in between 1am and 6:30am. And then, of course, I'm tired all day.

What have you ladies tried with respect to getting better sleep?

I take 400mg of magnesium at bedtime. I also have used magnesium cream on my feet and very lightly spritzed lavender oil on my pillow.

I will confess that there were nights I just got up and ended up going back to bed and sleeping deeply after being up 2-3 hours. I realize that not everyone has thus option.

I've tried everything, including Lunesta, during the early years of peri-menopause. Nothing has ever worked for me except HRT.

Insomnia has been my worst perimenopausal symptom since my mid-forties. I'm 61 now and still considered peri-menopausal. I have tried to go off HRT more than once. Every time I do the insomnia comes back.

The last time I tried going off HRT I was off it for 7 months. I was so sleep deprived that after those 7 months I went back on it.

All that being said, I'm on a very low dose of both estradiol and progesterone.It helps with the insomnia and other symptoms while my hormone levels are very low in the post-menopause range.

No alcohol for me at all - it does not serve me well for other reasons, but my sleep is always impacted by it.

Caffeine sensitivity is a new one for me, but I now find that I can't have any after about 1:00 PM or it impacts my sleep.

I do find magnesium taken in the evening is helpful, but to be honest, a few times a week I resort to a benadryl capsule because I need restful sleep to function and to recover from exercise and workday stress. Even after doing this for a few years it has not stopped working for me (no tolerance has built up). To me if feels safer than any prescription medication.

I already take magnesium, have been doing so for years. I used to do the lavendar pillow spray. Maybe I'll try that again. I actually have some in my drawer.

I've thought about melatonin but I am worried about feeling like I have a sleep hangover the next morning when the alarm goes off.

ONTARIO wrote:I already take magnesium, have been doing so for years. I used to do the lavendar pillow spray. Maybe I'll try that again. I actually have some in my drawer.

I've thought about melatonin but I am worried about feeling like I have a sleep hangover the next morning when the alarm goes off.

Well, FWIW, I take Zenwise Sleep Support all the time and I don't feel any worse in the mornings after I take it than I do any other morning. The Zenwise has 6mg of melatonin, among other things.

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Sleeping-Aid-Nighttime-Supplement/dp/B00YVTAOES/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1515098664&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=zenwise+sleep+support&psc=1

Oh, I can relate to this topic. Fitful sleep has been THE most difficult part of aging (menopause) for me. At least I've outgrown the hot flashes and waking up in alternating hot/cold sweats, but still...I really miss the days of easy, deep sleep.

My workaround in the past few months is to use marijuana extract via an e-pen (or whatever they are called). I may not sleep better or longer, but I at least get to enjoy letting my mind drift and my body relax.

Sleep dep is the pits...

I was on HRT for about a year, primarily due to insomnia, and it was helpful for that.

keto wrote:Oh, I can relate to this topic.  Fitful sleep has been THE most difficult part of aging (menopause) for me.  At least I've outgrown the hot flashes and waking up in alternating hot/cold sweats, but still...I really miss the days of easy, deep sleep.

My workaround in the past few months is to use marijuana extract via an e-pen (or whatever they are called).  I may not sleep better or longer, but I at least get to enjoy letting my mind drift and my body relax.

Sleep dep is the pits...

I was on HRT for about a year, primarily due to insomnia, and it was helpful for that.

Interesting that you're using marijuana for sleep. I finally got my ID card for medical cannabis yesterday after waiting for 3 months. I originally wanted it/was approved because I was having so much trouble sleeping, but my sleep has gotten much better lately. I'm not even sure if I should get the cannabis anymore, but I probably will eventually. What type are you using to help with sleep?

nikita, I'm so glad to hear that your sleep is improving. That's such a huge quality-of-life thing.

I've been using a strain ridiculously named Girl Scout Cookies, in extract form. I keep the little pen-thing next to my bed, and take a few puffs when I'm already under the covers. It is strong stuff.

I think the main benefit is that it redirects my ruminations to more relaxing flights-of-fancy, and I don't spiral into "OMG I'm not getting to sleep, I'm going to be a wreck tomorrow" thoughts.

keto wrote:nikita, I'm so glad to hear that your sleep is improving.  That's such a huge quality-of-life thing.

I've been using a strain ridiculously named Girl Scout Cookies, in extract form.  I keep the little pen-thing next to my bed, and take a few puffs when I'm already under the covers.  It is strong stuff.  

I think the main benefit is that it redirects my ruminations to more relaxing flights-of-fancy, and I don't spiral into "OMG I'm not getting to sleep, I'm going to be a wreck tomorrow" thoughts.

Yes! Good sleep makes life so much better! In August 2017 I basically had a mental breakdown after going such a long time with bad/no sleep. I had a similar experience when my daughter was 4 months old; I hadn't had a single good night of sleep in over 6 months by then and it was just hell. I'm so so so happy my daughter sleeps through the night now. She doesn't even wake up early in the mornings now. Life is much better.

Anyway, I'm going to ask about that strain of cannabis because racing thoughts are occasionally an issue for me. I have a business with 16 employees, so it's basically like having 16 extra children at times. There's always something I am anxious about.