I hear you.

For me bioidentical progesterone was helpful. I sleep now, at least.

Compounded progesterone cream has helped me to sleep about 6.5 to 7 hours a night when before I was averaging about 5, but stress and peeing in the middle of the night can still make it more like 6 some nights. According to my bodymedia, I'm averaging right at 6.5 a night, tho.

I'm very perimenopausal and suffer from sleep deprivation. I either can't sleep at all or doze off for about an hour then wake up and can't get back to sleep. Does anyone else have this prob. I read it was a hormone thing. Any strategies besides taking pills, which I would like to avoid.

Becoming sleep deprived is very frustrating, I've been sleep deprived ever since I've been in and past menopause. I have about 4-5 hours of good sleep and after that, its awfull! There are time I have a glass of red wine or camomille tea, they both work great. Taking a hot bath and doing relaxing exercises helps.

Sleep deprived? OMG yes!!! In fact, it's my worst menopausal issue by far... hot flashes are nothing by comparison. I've tried just about every natural therapy known to mankind (including wine) and nothing has helped much.

Interestingly, I just started taking SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine), a naturally-occurring substance that's supposed to treat mild depression caused by long. cold winters and dark days. ANYWAY, a very unexpected "side effect" seems to be that it's helped with my insomnia!!! From what I've read, this effect is not typical but this has been my experience.

If you do decide to try it, make sure you take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes before you eat breakfast. Also, start at a low dose (200 mg) and increase from there as required.

GOOD LUCK!

I have always been a good sleeper. But the last couple of weeks I have been waking up at night hot. I keep the house cool at night and normally sleep with warm blankets. Is this the sign of things to come? I'll sleep about 4 hours and wake up and throw the blankets off and just keep the sheet. Eventually I fall back asleep and then I get cold and have to reach for the blankets again.

Can you sleep during the day? Some people have success with bi-phasic sleep as they get older. I gave it a try last winter due to schedule issues (school during the day and work at night) splitting my sleeps into two phases-- four hours at night and four hours (ish) during the day.

It was frustrating to feel so tired twice a day instead of just at night, but I was able to continue to work and still managed straight A's in school.

I am now working 8-5 M-F so I can't do that kind of sleep schedule anymore. Now I use melatonin supplements, but find my natural circadian rhythms are slightly later in the day than my work schedule allows. Melatonin helps me fall asleep earlier, so I can wake early enough to get to work on time. But I'm still only able to get 6 hours or so a night due to being a natural night owl.

You can try L-tryptophan which is an herb and if you get desperate take 1 Benadryl. It won't do anything but clear up your nose!

Also Dr. Oz has a segment on sleep. When you figure out which one you are, you can eat the right foods!

You can try L-tryptophan which is an herb and if you get desperate take 1 Benadryl. It won't do anything but clear up your nose!

Also Dr. Oz has a segment on sleep. When you figure out which one you are, you can eat the right foods!

Yup. I've used the benadryl. Have a big bottle of costco benadryl for just those nights.

For me four nights straight before my supposed period (which sometimes comes and sometimes doesn't) I lie and grit my teeth, sweat, and clench my muscles all night.

And then 2-3 nights every week, I fall asleep, wake up at 1 or 2 and then lie there for a few hours.

Good times.

The progesterone has helped.

I have no good non-medication answer for you, other than falling into bed exhausted every night.


But, on to the most important part of this thread:


I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE GETTING UP TO PEE EVERY NIGHT!!


Oh joy, I'm skipping through a field of poppies....




Oh hey! Opium would help us all sleep...




So, the answer is opium! :bigsmile:

I use compounded progesterone too, every night. Great stuff, best help overall for me. But if that's not an option, there are other things to try. As far as pills, I've tried Benadryl and it works, but it leaves me feeling a little hung over and gives me a dry mouth. The generic form, diphenhydramine, is in lots of over the counter sleep products. I've also tried melatonin, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Then there's valerian; it works, but oh my gosh it smells so bad, like a dirty tennis shoe!! It is an herb. One I haven't tried is L-tryptophan. I saw it called an "herb" on here and thought I should correct that:
From WebMD:
"L-tryptophan is an amino acid, a protein building block that can be found in many plant and animal proteins. L-tryptophan is called an “essential” amino acid because the body can’t make it. It must be acquired from food...L-tryptophan is used for insomnia, sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, facial pain, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), smoking cessation, grinding teeth during sleep (bruxism), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette's syndrome, and to improve athletic performance."

It sounds like its worth trying, especially if it also helps athletic performance!

My husband suggests Crown Royal. Hehehe. It helps him! But he sleeps like a rock anyway.

Exercise helps me too, indirectly, especially if its done outside in the daylight. Getting outside in sunlight helps "reset" something in your brain through your eyes (optic nerve) response to sunlight. It helps you respond to the daylight/darkness cycle and get you ready to sleep when it gets dark. So the exercise is helping to tire you and then the darkness comes and you are naturally ready to go to sleep. This might work if nothing else is wrong... so would be good to rule out any other possible health problems.

Best of luck to you in finding a solution!

On a good night I might sleep 4 hours but good nights are a rarity....I've tried all the sleep aids the most effective combo for me is 1 unisom, 4 tablets of Valerian root and 40 mg of melatonin ....but night sweats and the insomnia are killing me, I just read an article that says Spinach has lots of trytophan so I thought I might try adding to a nighttime smoothie and see if that helps.

I second the Valerian root... I just started drinking a herbal tea that has chamomile (which I'm convinced doesn't work for me), other herbs and Valerian. I have been sleeping like a rock through the night since starting that tea only a week ago.

I started taking vitamin D drops and 1 Holy Basil capsule right before bed - so far that's helping me out quite a bit.

i am taking Thyroid Energy made by NOW and after learning i was vit D deficient ( # 22 ) i started taking prescription D2 and supplement with D3 - new D level is # 56 - after one month of supplementing. Energy very good and sleep is much better. i do go to bed early around 8: 8:30 and get up at 4:45. Supplemented with 150,000 units a week of vit D. to get my level up. The difference in my over all well being is awesome.

I had "unrecordable" vit D levels a few years ago. The new epidemic. I did high dose supplements, and now do 1000 mg a day and have been able to keep mine up! Hasn't helped my sleep, or who knows maybe it would have been even worse!

I use Melatonin which helps me sleep.
I will have to try the Valerian root.
I appreciate everyone sharing!

Maybe try Alteril. It has melatonin, valerian, and tryptophan. Helps me GET to sleep, but not stay asleep, but I'm hoping I can re-train my brain.