Sleepless Nights

Part of my insommnia was due to the fibro.Waking up at 3 every morning,laying there obsessing about every LITTLE thing.That was due to OCD.I tried meditation,Yoga,hot bath before bed,cammomile tea,soothing music and no light from a TV at bedtime.A prescription for Paxil relieved the OCD.The best thing I did,other than all mentioned above,was to address the stress in my life and symptoms have been gradually subsiding.

Every time around "that time" I cannot sleep. Soooo, I go on the computer. I take melatonin or some kind of PM. That seems to help, but not always. I must discipline myself to go to bed or the cycle continues. We need to remember to clear our heads while we sleep!

I'm almost certain that my problems with sleeping are not caused by menopause but part of my fibro. In fact, I just wrote about that today. My sleeping problems with fibro.

It must be a pretty big problem with women in menopause, though. I was asked to be part of a consumer panel for women between 40 and 60 in our area who have trouble sleeping. When they make those invitations, they always ask more than they need, figuring some won't show up. But this time everyone they invited showed up. There were too many of us, so three of us got paid for just showing up. But as we sat around talking as we gathered, I learned that each one had tried supplements and herbal remedies, then progressed to prescription drugs. Like me, some still had trouble sleeping even with medication.

I had a hysterectomy in 2001. I was on estrogen until a year ago. I was on the lowest dose and then split the pill in half. So I was taking a low dose. About 6 months ago I started the restless nights. I've always been a night owl. However, if I go to bed at midnight I toss and turn until 2 or 3. If I go to bed and actually fall asleep right away I usually wake up at 2 or 3 and can't get back to sleep. I normally lay there resting and trying to clear my mind so I'm not thinking about every little thing I could be doing if I got up. I'm not one to get up at 3 or 4 in the morning if I don't have to.

One doctor says it is normal and another wants me back on estrogen. Not happening. The doctor that says it is normal also wants to prescribe me a mild sleep aid. I don't know about that. We'll see. It's gotten worse in the past couple months and I'm tempted to try the sleep aid. I just am not fond of taking any kind of pill if I can avoid it.

I was using the PM meds but they stopped working. So, I tried Melatonin. Yippee! A good night's sleep. Now I take it every evening at about 9 and I'm soundly sleeping by 11. Hooray!

I've struggled with sleep problems all of my life, so much so that my husband used to joke that I lead an entire second life at night. I'm finally doing better and have a routine.

Before bedtime, for an hour or so, I relax and wind down. No TV in the bedroom. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime: it helps you get to sleep, but prevents you from staying asleep. I don't shower at night because it stimulates and wakes me up. A bath is better, showers are for morning. Once in bed, some nice, soft music. If I wake up and can't get back to sleep, after about 10 minutes, I get up: no TV or computer, I read a book, whihc slows me down and gets me sleepy in a pleasant way.

Exercise during the day, (for me it is cycling, since I have some physical issues) no caffeine after 3 PM and practicing yoga help tremendously.

Manage tension and pamper yourself. Your family will thank you.

P.S. In extreme cases, self-hypnosis is incredible. I saw a docotr to learn how to do this and it is amazing.

Eating carbs like pasta, rice, potatoes, and bread for dinner and having an evening snack such as oatmeal, fat free cookies, or even some sorbet can help relax you so you can fall asleep. The reason is that carbs allow your brain to make serotonin and serotonin can take away stress; it can also help balance your mood and take away cravings so carbs can help weight loss particularly in menopause when serotonin levels are naturally lower. Serotonin levels are also naturally lower in the later parts of the day which is why carbs at night are helpful. Eat protein at breakfast and lunch to sustain you and keep you mentally focused. This way of eating is based on the groundbreaking research of Judith Wurtman, PhD and her husband Richard Wurtman, MD at MIT. Give yourself serotonin power and it can help the quality of your sleep.
- Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD

While fibro is part of my sleep problems, they have gotten much worse with menopause. I often cannot sleep even with meds. When I can't sleep , I tend to get up and work on the computer or read.

I have never heard about carbs helping sleep, but I wonder if that coincides with the periods of time that I do get a decent night's rest.

I also have fibro, but it wasn't until after my heart surgery that I would sleep til near 3 am then lie awake obsessing every night. Now I am just about finished with menopause, yet if I don't take 2mg of Ativan before bed every night, I will get NO sleep after 3 am.

I used to take Paxil, and it was great for emotional happiness, but for me, the sexual side effects kept me from climaxing. So, for someone that didn't want sex,(NOT ME lol) it would make you want it, but then you couldn't reach physical release. And NO ONE told me you can't just quickly take yourself off of it. And no one tells you they are looking at it in terms of fetal heart problems! I saw a commerical on tv that talked about this drug affecting your unborn child. It made me wonder if it helped cause my heart being blocked. I wish my doctor at the time had been honest with me!

Well I am on Meds for not sleeping well first of all. I too have childhood RA, on set adult RA with Fibermolagy, PAIN LEVEL HIGH. My list is long, my meds are a long list. But the med sometimes work but less rather good. My pillow is always wet with sweat, my hair is like I just got out f a bath, I wake at least every two hour's sometimes I can go back to sleep, sometimes it is due to my Diabetic dry mouth , need a drink or use the bathroom. I find if I get up & read for a short period of time I can get my eyes to a state so I can go back to sleep, or I turn on the TV in living room & put it on something boring . That way I won't want to keep watching, or I do jumping jack's. Thanks for this question, it is always a pleasure to come here & know we are not alone. This is a great group. The information is of the most important for the folks who can't get the info. Or for those who maybe in pre or post. Great article, thanks again. God Bless you all
10*

Sleep? What is that? ;)
Seriously, I never realized that menopause could affect sleep as drastically as it did with me. I went from someone who always slept through the night to a person who frequently wakes up in the middle of the night, goes to Gather (where else?) or tries to get back to sleep, often unsuccessfully. I WISH I'd had the ability to get by on so little sleep when I still had young kids. But no, back then I craved LOTS more sleep. Now I can get by on 5-6 hours, easily.

I don't stress about it, just try to work around it, eat right, get exercise and try to find options. I don't use meds unless I HAVE to be functional or at work the next day, but that is pretty infrequently as I generally have a work schedule that is flexible.

Insomnia has been a part of my life for so long, I don't really remember ever not having trouble sleeping. Now, I deal with insomnia by taking Ambien. I wish I could just sleep, but I can't. The worst is when I can't keep my eyes open while watching TV in the evening and then getting up to bed and not being able to close them at all. Then there are the nights I am falling asleep over my book, turn out the light and then I'm awake again.

I get by on 5-6 hours a sleep a day, too, but it isn't easy. I'm always tired.

There are a few choices - I can try to sleep on the sofa.
I can get on the internet and get some work/play/communication done.
I can turn on the channel to some show I can listen to and not pay visual attention - I drop to sleep usually.
I try to avoid eating, showering or having anything (except water) to drink.

I allow myself to go to that pleasant place in-between sleep and wakefulness. It is a place of creativity and in its own strange way, a kind of productive state. I relax and if I'm lucky enough to dream, I am able to remember the dreams. I then marvel at the mind's imagination and abilities to create what it does in this mysterious state of dreams.

And then.....if I'm lucky....I take a short afternoon nap!

I am so glad to find out that I am not the only one suffering with this problem. It seems like it has been almost ten years since I have had a night that I slept straight thru. I will fall alseep early in the evening no matter what I do to try not too. And every night as if their was some type of silent alarm in my body I wake up around 3:00 am. Then I will lay there and try and watch television but I will be so restless that I have to get up. I do alot of my writing on gather during these hours I am unable to sleep. I have tried everything from excercise to medication to try and help with this problem. The doctor just last month gave me a prescription for a sleep medication Ambien CR to take as needed. But I don't like taking it because of the way that it makes me feel the next day. The other day my husband surpised me when he voiced his concerns about my lack of being able to sleep through the night. I am going to make a appointment with my doctor and see if I might have fibro tumor's like some of the other ladies. I am 56 and I thought that I was finished with the hot flashes or private summer's as I call them. But just in the past couple of weeks they have returned and seem to even be worst. Has anyone else thought that they had completed their menopause, just to have all of the symptoms return at a later date?

breathe deeply, like yoga meditation and do EFT tapping on whatever thoughts go through my head. If I don't go to sleep, I am at least relaxing my body and mind.

I would like to caution everyone that not being able to sleep soundly throughout the night, may be numerous things. I had trouble and it turned out to be sleep apnea. I had surgery. That worked, but 1 year ago I found out that I simply traded it for Narcolepsy.
I think that all of these tips are great! Just be sure of the source of the problem. Oh, and does anyone know how to tell if it is a hot flash or not when it is 94 degrees? Generally heat does not bother me in the least. If that fact matters and I am guessing that it would.

I am very lucky. I sleep well. IF I wake up and can't get back to sleep I read in bed. I will fall asleep very quickly. I read once. That if you wake up and can't get back to sleep don't try. Read or watch TV. The more you try to sleep the harder it gets.

Play on Gathe when I can not sleep

I have problems sleeping because of my fibro but I was doing ok until I had to stop the HR. Now I feel like I dont sleep at all. Flushing is not too too bad, I just get the feeling that I am hot from the inside out. I keep the house very cool to take care of that. However, because I am such a light sleeper, I often need to abandon my husband in the middle of the night because he makes little snoring sounds...lol. He cant help it and I wont ruin his sleep. This summer I got the best nights sleep I have had in 10 years. I spent the day at the beach and the sun and water just did me in. How I wish I could repeat that. If I truly cant get back to sleep, I find a very quiet place and read. I wish I could continue the HR. I am not the same without it.

It's so encouraging to hear that so many of you are struggling with weird sleep patterns. Like many of you, I have had my bouts with sleep related issues since way back and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue back in '97 but suspect that I may have fibromyalgia. I do hope to address these issues with a new doctor next month as I moved to CA from NY two years ago and haven't actively sought out a doctor for numerous reasons but the lack of sleep is driving me and my husband nuts.

My bladder seems overactive (another old issue) and even if I sleep, it's almost I guarantee I have to urinate.

I will sleep for about an hour to two hours then wake up for about another hour then sleep again. Melantonin doesn't work all the time, I will Reiki myself or do some peaceful relaxation technique but doesn't allow me the freedom of a "solid" sleep.

Sometimes, I will read or write to distract myself but regret it because then it activates my overactive mind and sleep goes away again.

HELP!!!!

I think I have a triple whammy...or worse. About 14 years ago they found out I have obstructive sleep apnea. That wasn't so bad. The C-pap machine really helps. But then a couple of years later I discovered I have bipolar (manic depression). I thought a couple of years recovering from sleep apnea was a bit too long, and thought being depressed was lasting longer than I expected. When I'm manic, there is no sleep for me...C-pap machine or not. My brain just won't shut up! Now, I'm in menopause. What a combination! Sometimes I don't sleep for a couple days (48 hours or more), and sometimes I sleep an entire week through, 20 hours or so at a time. What a joke. Since I can't really tell which diagnosis contributes to the problem, the doctors don't seem to be able to either. None of them want to give me any more meds than I already have. So, when I can't sleep, I read or come to the computer and get online and talk to someone. Needless to say, I don't have a job! Or a life, for that matter!

My problem is four fold. I have depression, anxiety and panic attacks, as well as menopause. The Dr said that anyone of these problems could cause the lack of sleep. He has had me on three different meds for it but none have worked. I just started a new one last night. I think it is going to work well for me. The problem is that most of these prescription drugs are addictive. That is the part that i do not like.

I am glad to see that I am not alone in this area though. I see that there are many women in the same situation as me.

I write! It seems when I'm tired but I can't sleep the poetry side of me spurts out some good things. Then if I know I have to get up and be moving at a certain time I put in a movie or turn on our PBS station and hope there is something on I'm really interested in. Everytime I get excited about watching a show I fall asleep! Odd huh?

I've had years of broken sleep, but I've tried many prescription medications, for anxiety, depression, nerve pain, everything but prescription sleep medication. I have
chronic depression/anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue immune deficiency, thyroid problems and other physical problems that really don't apply to my disturbed sleep.

After a sleep study it was determined that restless leg syndrom was my major sleep problem, physically. I take muscule relaxers now. I take them about one half hour before bed and still have trouble getting to sleep. I also have begun awakening after
about four and a half to five hours after going to bed. I'm supposed to take two more
muscule relaxers then and go back to bed, but sometimes I forget and result to my old
coping methods of reading or working on the computer until I fall asleep again.

I tried herbal sleep remedies and melatonin but they did not work for me.

My doctors here, military, say that I cannot be having peri-menopause on and off for the last 6 years. I did have fibroids but opted for the hysterectomy. that was in June of 2005.

They had me on birth control pills for 6 months, and a blood test told them my still there ovaries were beginning to work again. All tests since have said the same thing.

I tried herbal and OTC sleep remedies but stay awake well past midnight. Some nights my eyes are closed and I feel as if I am asleep but I am still awake.

The only things that did work for me, and a friend, was the PMS formula from GNC, and the 2 walks a day we were taking. 6 miles total but the two hours was well spent.

Since moving overseas and having nothing but mountains to climb, I have not done as much for myself. I have tried reflexology and the lady hit the nail on the head with all of my problems.

Sorry for Rambling.

i had no idea that menopause, combined with the terrible thing called stress..[which i have been dealing with ALOT these days]..can mess with my sleeping habits...especially since this month my 'womanly time' was two weeks late in coming..but apparently it can..
so i have gone back to listening to soothing classical music..[for which my hubby has no idea as to WHY i listen to such 'boring' music]..and i have re-taken up the enjoyment of reading a book...but i go get those really thick books that look like they would boring and it seems to help somewhat...my current read at the moment is the bio of lord byron...'child of passion..fool of fame'

I first try several remedies. "Moon Drops" homeopathic lozenges, Bach flower remedies (White Chestnut is good if you're worrying over things), taking Melatonin Extended Release before you go to bed helps. I also go to the couch and sleep. For some reason when I'm in a different location it seems to help. (I also can't hear my husband snore) :-)

P.S. I also take natural progesterone at night before I go to bed as well as two calcium/magnesium capsules. Progesterone can make you drowsy and magnesium helps to relax you. Those with muscle aches, etc. should really be on high doses of magnesium.

Sounds like I am a lot like a couple of you with fibromyalgia and post-menopausal. I take sleeping pills and other meds for pain, but I am still often up till 2 or 3 in the morning. Once in a while, I have to catch up with a nap during the day, but generally, I run on about 6 hours sleep a night.

My current anxiety problems are being treated with Effexor. If I take it past noon, I am awake but my eyes are closed and I should be asleep. so, I take in the am, do just fine all day, and now have no excuse to be awake. Sometimes it still happens. Between peri-menopause and fibromyalgia, i winder which is worse. LOL

Don't count sheep. Think of the Shepherd.

( in reference to anne g. 's comment)

..Amen to that...and if all else fails..read the bible.

I have always had trouble sleeping, the only difference now is, I am sweating to go along with it. The other night after 5 weeks of horrific nights, I almost fell asleep driving home from work. I never even ate dinner, I laid down on the bed and slept through till morning. Never woke up once.

With all this sweating you would think I would be losing a ton of weight.

Thanks for sharing your personal stories. It's gratifying to know that I'm not the only one struggling with these issues.

When my insomnia is driving me nuts, I go online and Gather or play games.