HollyDay Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Okay, here the deal......I'm falling asleep okay. It takes me longer than dh to fall asleep, but I'm drifting off nicely and sleeping soundly. Until I have to get up to go to the bathroom sometime between 2 and 5:00 AM. Then, I get up and it all starts...... First I have a hot flash. Then I get back in bed and the tossing and turning starts. I get comfy in one position and I just HAVE to flop to another position. And I have ANOTHER hot flash. And I flop around some more. Last night I had 4 hot flashes. FINALLY, I get into a really nice solid deep sleep. BUT, if all this starts closer to 5 and lasts until 6 or so, then I'm falling hard asleep shortly before the alarm goes off!! And I wake up groggy, feeling yucky and stumbling around. My caffeine intake is cut way back. Instead of a cup (or 2) a day, I'm having 2 or 3 cups a week. I have tried having an evening snack. I've tried not eating anything after dinner. I've tried taking a walk to relax. I've tried not walking. I've turned off the TV after dinner and I've watched a show before bed. Whatever, it is always the same. I'm open to new ideas.....anyone else have any solutions?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Let me know if you find a solution, hormones can make me really insomniac and I'm prone to it, anyway. For me, though, not being able to turn my brain off and stop mental dialog is the biggest culprit. So I practice deep breathing and blanking my mind out to a white room. It has helped a lot. Also, relaxing from toes to head is very helpful. Beginning with the bottom of my body and consciously relaxing each part, until I get to the top of my head. When I'm startled awake and can't fall back asleep that goes a long way. Have you considered taking melatonin or valerian root? Those can also be big aids, but I find they leave me groggier than when I don't take them and they're really only helpful if my insomnia is upon laying down, not in the middle of the night. I can fall asleep. Going to bed is a very peaceful time for me. I enjoy the process of drifting off. It is that 2nd part that is a BEAR!! So, no, I don't want to take something at 2 AM. Dh has suggested if it starts around 5 to just get up. My body wants me up, so get up and start my day. I'm not sure I'm awake enough for that, but I'm too awake to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 You could try low dose sublingual melatonin when you get up and can't fall back to sleep. I use this brand and after years of not sleeping well (not able to fall asleep and stay asleep) and trying everything natural have found that melatonin sublingual + melatonin time release + benadryl works wonderfully. Yay sleep! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 oops, this brand: http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals-Melatonin-Peppermint-Flavored-Sublingual-1-mg-300-Tablets/1306 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 I take 2 t of children's Benadryl before bed and it helps me sleep so much better. I probably do this 3 or 4 times/week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Have you tried cutting back on evening drinking? It may be that you are forgetting to drink during the day and then making up for it after the kids go to bed, then you have to get up to use the bathroom. Also, are suffering with fibroids? Sometimes they will push on your bladder, making it smaller, and you'll need to go more frequently. I'm concentrating on the bathroom trip because that is what seems to start it. Maybe if you could cut that out, the other stuff wouldn't start. If it happens at 5, I would get up for a while, even if you went back to bed mid morning (if you have that option). Okay, here the deal......I'm falling asleep okay. It takes me longer than dh to fall asleep, but I'm drifting off nicely and sleeping soundly. Until I have to get up to go to the bathroom sometime between 2 and 5:00 AM. Then, I get up and it all starts...... First I have a hot flash. Then I get back in bed and the tossing and turning starts. I get comfy in one position and I just HAVE to flop to another position. And I have ANOTHER hot flash. And I flop around some more. Last night I had 4 hot flashes. FINALLY, I get into a really nice solid deep sleep. BUT, if all this starts closer to 5 and lasts until 6 or so, then I'm falling hard asleep shortly before the alarm goes off!! And I wake up groggy, feeling yucky and stumbling around. My caffeine intake is cut way back. Instead of a cup (or 2) a day, I'm having 2 or 3 cups a week. I have tried having an evening snack. I've tried not eating anything after dinner. I've tried taking a walk to relax. I've tried not walking. I've turned off the TV after dinner and I've watched a show before bed. Whatever, it is always the same. I'm open to new ideas.....anyone else have any solutions?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cakes Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 What time are you going to bed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 A cold bedroom with a fan close by helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Do you use any artificial sweetners? Aspartame triggers hot flashes for me. Do you use Stevia? I have heard it is a hormone disrupter. Don't know if it can make hot flashes worse or not. Maybe watch the drinking in the evening and sugar intake, also (sugar holds water, can release at night). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 This morning I just went ahead and got up. It was 5 AM anyway. And I actually felt quite good today. I had more energy than usual, less foggy, and generally felt better all around. I'm hoping that trend will continue :) I will just have to wait and see what tonight/tomorrow brings....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Ariel Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I have had trouble with middle of the night waking for a long time (perimenopause/menopause). Previously I used 5-HTP and that worked fine for a while. Now I take L-theanine (Source Naturals brand, 200 mg) and that seems to help a lot. Usually one works but if it is not enough I take another. I have a hard time shutting off my brain and this seems to work. http://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-L-Theanine-200mg-Capsules/dp/B001G7R3M4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1404786214&sr=8-7&keywords=l+theanine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 For this, I put on medieval music sung in Latin, very quietly. I can't understand the words, so it doesn't fill my brain with thoughts, and yet I am compelled to listen to human voices. Because I'm listening, my brain is doing that ONE thing, instead of swimming around the 2 million things that I tend to think about. . I have a hard time shutting off my brain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 last night was better in some ways. The dog needed out at 1:30 which I wasn't too thrilled with. But, she came back in quickly and I was able to get back to sleep fairly well. Woke up on my own about 7:30 with some mild tossing and turning when dh got up. So, why was last night different than any other night? I had coffee yesterday. I exercised. I had a carb snack about 8 pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 last night was better in some ways. The dog needed out at 1:30 which I wasn't too thrilled with. But, she came back in quickly and I was able to get back to sleep fairly well. Woke up on my own about 7:30 with some mild tossing and turning when dh got up. So, why was last night different than any other night? I had coffee yesterday. I exercised. I had a carb snack about 8 pm. Exercise is proven to help you sleep better, so that makes sense. When did you have the coffee? I'm not sure how that would help (though it wouldn't hurt if you had it early enough). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cakes Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Hot flashes are the problem correct? You are waking up in the night to use the restroom and then hot flashes keep you awake. If that is the case as was originally written, then the best thing that you can do is adjust your diet a bit. With the fluctuating hormones of menopause, the liver can get stressed trying to detox the excess hormone releases. Hormones are released to do a specific job and then must be removed by the liver. The best thing that you can do right now is to adopt a liver friendly diet to decrease the burden placed on it. It would be very helpful to avoid all exogenous estrogens ( commercially raised beef, soy of any kind), and to regulate blood sugar by avoiding blood sugar spikes. >Avoid sugar >Drink plenty of water >Include a small amount of protein (preferably organic) or beans with each meal >Limit commercial red meat and soy >Increase use of healthy fats, olive oil, coconut oil, pastured butter >Avoid hydrogenated oils (and really most processed foods) > Avoid caffeine, chocolate and alcohol >Enjoy lots of fresh fruits and veggies especially dark greens, cooked and raw Support healthy liver function by including some therapeutic foods into your daily diet: garlic, onions, legumes, kelp, beets, carrots, apples, any fresh green juice, cucumber, artichoke, lemon water. Take a brisk 20-30 min walk daily, use a sauna when you are able, give yoga a try if you don't already. If you work on this list, it will help your liver to clear out the excess hormones quickly (linked to hot flashes) and should help you to work thru this more easily. Changes can be hard, so I also suggest that you keep a food journal for a few weeks and include notes on how you sleep. This will help you to really identify what is working and what is aggravating the problem. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Something similar happened to me and progesterone took care of it. There is a bio-identical version. Also, just progesterone without estrogen does not carry some of the risks that people are afraid of when they hear HRT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cakes Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Something similar happened to me and progesterone took care of it. There is a bio-identical version. Also, just progesterone without estrogen does not carry some of the risks that people are afraid of when they hear HRT. The endocrine system operates in a very delicate balance with hormones acting as messengers that are sent to deliver a specific message and then eliminated. Adding a steady input of a hormone is not optimal and should be avoided if possible as it can disrupt the entire system. Often some simple dietary adjustments can make all the difference in the world. Sometimes not though and then hormone replacement would probably be advisable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 The endocrine system operates in a very delicate balance with hormones acting as messengers that are sent to deliver a specific message and then eliminated. Adding a steady input of a hormone is not optimal and should be avoided if possible as it can disrupt the entire system. Often some simple dietary adjustments can make all the difference in the world. Sometimes not though and then hormone replacement would probably be advisable. This. I did BCPs for 18 months. Then the doc transitioned me to hrt for 2 years. It was never supposed to be long term. I was experiencing some awful perimenopause symptoms (migraines, miserable terrible awful heavy close together cycles) and had no choice but to use hormones. It worked and we were glad for it. But, I need to go into menopause now. I need my body to naturally slide into it. One concern we had was the affect of continuing to put hormones into my body artificially (even bio-identicals are not my own natural hormones and cannot be naturally regulated). Was that prolonging perimenopause at that point? I don't know. I'm glad to be off estrogen, I do feel better (and sleep better) for it. I just don't want to go down the progesterone road again if I can avoid it. How much? How long? How often? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Melatonin, unisom, Calm magnesium are my go-to sleep helpers. Exercise like walking and yoga help a lot. I sometimes take Enzymatic Therapy's Revitalizing sleep formula:http://www.amazon.com/Enzymatic-Fatigued-Fantastic-Revitalizing-Capsules/dp/B00009M8II/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1404853113&sr=8-3&keywords=from+fatigued+to+fantastic+sleep Switching between the different things seems to keep me from getting accustomed to any one of them. I get the hot flashes too, sometimes 5-10 per night. Ugh. :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 OP, here is the article I read years ago that got me on track to sleeping well again, and there are lots of practical tips in it that may help. I don't mess around with insomnia anymore, but for years I just didn't sleep because I only wanted to go naturally. There is a host of health problems that can come from lack of sleep and lack of sleep only makes existing health problems much worse. I tried so many combinations of things and doses before finding what worked for me. Everyone is different, so I do hope you find what works for you! By the way, I've been taking the melatonin + Benadrly (or Nytol - same active ingredient) combo. for years and I've never needed to switch. I've tried to just take one or the other, but, nope, I have to take both! Sleep is Vital for Good Health Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emilycarter Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 thanks for these informations, I have the same problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckens Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 This is a gift. This time to yourself in the middle of the night is a gift. If you are awake in bed for longer than an hour, then it is time to get up and use this gift. You can read. You can clean the house. You can watch movies on Netflix. This is time to yourself, and this is a gift. I have had insomnia my entire life, including longer than I can remember in childhood. (My mom tells of me being awake at 10pm or later as a small child. I stayed in bed. I was quiet. But I was awake.) My elementary years were filled with being awake in the middle of the night, but not being allowed to read or get out of bed. I have tried all the solutions offered here and more. Nothing has made enough of a difference. You might also try a sleep study through your local hospital. Talk to your general practitioner about it; he/she will refer you. I had one, and the results were inconclusive and unhelpful, but I know of others that have been helped immensely. My doctor has since recommended a "Pulse-Ox" test. This is less intrusive than the hospital sleep study. I don't have to spend a night away from my family (and the nursing little one). Loverboy doesn't have to take a morning off of work if I return late from the hospital. I just take home a medical device and put it on my finger as I sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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