I know I am perimenopausal. I am 53 and I've had 3 periods this year. The last one in late July. I have hotness that comes over me. Not really like flashes, just like being in a hot room all the sudden. This I can work with. The other night I woke up at 4:30 am almost sweaty, but not quite. OK, I can deal with that. But all the sudden in the last 4 nights I can't get to sleep. I toss and turn, I can't get comfortable, my pillow feels hard and I wind up getting up and taking a sleeping pill. I am trying to get much more exercise, even riding my new bike. But I wind up still with problems. I had one day last week where I thought to take an afternoon nap. I do sometimes, but not every day. I got to where I was just about to fall asleep then suddenly wide awake. Not due to any thoughts or any noises waking me, but I was just wide awake. I've had more energy here lately. So what I can I do to fall asleep without pills? I hate to take them. I used to fall asleep almost anywhere. Help!
I hear you! I get maybe a few hours a night. There is a new natural sleep aid made by Nature Made Vitamins. It has L-Theanine and Melatonin in it. I haven't tried it yet, but will let you know if it helps. I do take the L-Theanine daily for stress and it really works.
Johands333: I was just watching this on Dr. Oz yesterday and he had someone on there talking about the melatonin. It's a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland and when we're going through menopause it's not being made as much, and then we get the insomnia. They also recommmended drinking warm milk before bed because it's got tryptophan in it and also Dark Cherry juice ( I think). Look it up to be sure. Good luck.
Thanks to both of you. I have actually had 2 nights where I got to sleep on my own. Last night I was almost asleep but not quite and after tossing and turning, decided to take 1/2 of a sleeping pill. It's sporadic. Different pillows helped some. I also sleep with wrist splints for my carpal tunnel, and they have made me feel hot on my arms. But that's nothing new.
I found out since posting this that you can boost your seratonin by drinking milk or eating cheese and whole wheat or whole grain products 2 hours before you plan on sleeping. I've been out of town, but I put this to the test and it seems to work most nights. No OTC meds, just a small bowl (and I mean small) of shredded wheat with milk can help. Let's see how I do now that I'm back home. I have tried the cherry juice and it helped a little.
Last edited by Johands333; 09-29-2010 at 04:48 PM.
