Well, isn't THIS a lovely aspect of being 47...

[livetoread]

Most helpful for me were (in order of importance)

 

Regular exercise

Gentle stretching before bed and when I woke up during the night

No screen time close to bedtime

Room completely dark and cool

 

And who knows how this fits in but getting older and a few years past menopause seems to have settled the worst of it down. Insomnia was my biggest menopause symptom, but it has gotten better now.

[Reefgazer]

All of this! I am 52 and noticed this middle-of-the-night sleeplessness a few years ago.  I get up and am productive in that hour and about 2 hours later, I'm tired enough to sleep.  I shifted my bedtime about an hour later each night and that has worked really well; I think I just don't need as much sleep as when I was younger.  This system seems to work for me; when I hit the sack an hour or so later, I don't wake up in the middle of the night anymore.  I also nap/rest quietly during the day, and that is nice, but I understand that doesn't work out for everyone. Be kind to yourself and rest when you are tired, whenever that may be. 

You learn to roll with it. I check my internet sites (I have found no benefit to avoiding screens). I read. I clean the kitchen because I really dislike cleaning it at night because people just keep messing it up afterwards. I pay bills. I avoid running the vacuum because dh would not appreciate it. I read. Generally, I am ready for bed after two hours of wakefulness. I do nap during the day. Days that I nap, I will usually sleep a little better at night.

 

[Guest]

You're only 47, huh little girl?

 

Hun, you might be in for a loooooooooong ride.

 

I highly, highly recommend that you get some sort of an estrogen supplement. You could probably still get BCP if they won't give you HRT.

 

Lie if you have to.

 

I don't want to scare you, but they won't let me have it and look how I turned out.

[texasmama]

I'm 48 so we are on the same track.  Hello perimenopause.  :)

 

Melatonin can help some.  It goes in cycles for me - not monthly cycles but more like every six months I go through a nonsleeping period of time lasting up to a week.  Sometimes it is that I cannot get to sleep initially, but this mostly only happens when I need to wake up early.  The night before our family vacation, I did not sleep at all because I was stressed and knew I had to get up at 5 am.  Nice.  Made for an awesome day at the waterpark.  #thingsyoudoforyourkids

 

I have Hive-posted during my sleepless episodes.  Someone is always up here.  :)

[texasmama]

Great Expectations. 

 

I have the librivox audio book on a very old mp3 player.  The player half died 3 years ago and I cannot put any new books on it.  So I'm stuck with the best book ever written, read by the best reader in history. :thumbup1:   So when I can't sleep (which is many nights), I put it in my ears and listen.  I fall asleep, and when I wake up, I'm chapters ahead.  Did I mention that the rewind button is also broken?

 

So I have listened to Great Expectations for 3+ years, out of order.  Some nights, it is quite exciting because I hit a section that I have not heard in 2 years.  Other nights, it's a section that I know and love, and I listen with new found respect.  But regardless, it works a charm.  I fall asleep to Dickens every night and have since 2011.

 

Ruth in NZ

Scientist extraordinaire, but feeling very literary right now!

This is hysterical!

[KungFuPanda]

Ah man . . . I didn't need THAT crystal ball.

 

Suddenly the timing of the last thread-lock makes sense :-)

[kewb]

Complete darkness. My dh sometimes forgets to turn the hall light off and I will wake up in the middle of the night because my body thinks the sun is up. I am fortunate that I can turn off the light and go back to bed.

Any light anywhere in the room will wake me up. My alarm clock is turned away. Blinds are shut tight.

If my dh is having one of his bouts of insomnia I move to the couch.

[gardenmom5]

my dh swears by terry pratchet. (specifically, thief of time).

 

I need complete silence, and darkness. 

[Alicia64]

Two things I do to sleep better or go back to sleep:

 

1) I listen to a podcast of two hilarious guys whom I really love, yet somehow their blah-blah-blah (turned down low) coaxes me back to sleep. Every time. I bought "pajama" headphones for this very thing: http://www.sleepphones.com/.

 

2) This will sound new agey, but it works: a lemon balm tea. A friend of mine is into herbs and recommended it when she heard I was having trouble waking up at night. Take a teaspoonful of the dried herb, steep in 6 oz. of water -- and don't drive anywhere. Head for bed.

 

I did a ton of research on it: it's safe for newborns and they give it to Alzheimer patients in the late afternoon for "sundowners syndrome" -- they get cranky and it helps their mood.

 

These two things really work.

 

Alley

[chiguirre]

Like Reefgazer and Lolly, I've found that about 6 or 6.5 hours at night plus a nap work best for me. Even a short nap revitalizes me and gets me through the rest of the day.

[elegantlion]

Oh yes, how could I forget about naps. They are priceless.  :thumbup1:

[texasmama]

One other thing is keeping the room cool.  Our bodies sleep best in cooler temps.  Fortunately, my dh is a furnace so he wants to blast me out with the air conditioning all night, and I think this really helps us both to sleep better.

[redsquirrel]

I've never been a good sleeper, but am the same age and am having the same issue. Here is what works for me:

 

 

Starting in my early 40s:

I take melatonin every night. Start with 3mg and see how it works for you.  I take a lot more, but I am dealing with a life long sleep disorder.

I take valarian every night. I take a pill from Nature's Way.

Someone here told me "Melatonin helps you fall asleep, valarian helps you stay asleep."  Some people say that melatonin gives them crazy dreams, and I might have had one or two nights of that when I started taking it, but it soon stopped and now I just fall asleep like a normal person. And that means that I fall asleep at 1am and not 4 am. I need the melatonin or I lie there in the dark for hours and don't fall asleep no matter how tired I am.

 

 

Now that I am older and have started waking up to early I added:

An excellent sleep mask. I like this one.

 

http://smile.amazon.com/Sleep-Master-smblu01-Mask/dp/B0015NZ6FK/ref=sr_1_11?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1440260706&sr=8-11&keywords=sleep+mask

 

And..yes, I have started using progesterone cream. I find that Emerita works just fine for me. I use 1/4 tsp twice a day on days 8-20 of my cycle and 1/2 a tsp twice a day on days 21-28 (or whenever my period starts). This was HUGE for me. I sleep through the night like I did before I had kids. It gets a bit wonky just before my period, but like the two days before, not half the month like it did before. I find I sleep better and sounder than I have in years. I keep it next to the coffee maker and it has it's own measuring spoon. I use it first thing in the morning and just before I got to bed. I guess I could keep it next to my bed.....

 

http://smile.amazon.com/Emerita-Pro-Gest-Cream-tube-PACKAGING/dp/B000IMQE5U/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1440260886&sr=8-1&keywords=emerita

 

 

Hormonal insomnia is no joke. My aunt had a very bad case of it and I think it contributed to what were then treated as mental health issues. It caused her trouble at work, in her relationships etc. She had car accidents. Now that I look back, I find myself wondering if the extreme insomnia she said started 'around the time of the change" wasn't a major contributing factor.  Anyway, when my sleep issues got worse, and for all that I have trouble falling asleep I had NEVER woken up after 2 hours unable to go back to sleep, I took it seriously. I found that adding the progesterone cream and the big stupid (but very effective) eye mask to my supplements made all the difference. Umm... I even sometimes use those soft foam ear plugs if I really, really need to stay asleep.  What can I say? I am apparently a delicate little hothouse flower and I need to be coddled and cossetted to get my beauty rest.

[MysteryJen]

I am 45 and this has been going on for me for a few years. I have a book light and I read for a while. Or if it after 4 am, I read for a bit and just get up.

 

The one thing that helped was changing taking my bp meds before bed. I did it in response to an article that said it prevented early morning heart attacks, but it did help my sleep.

 

Mostly I read, limit caffeine after lunch, and try not to have stressful conversations in the evening.

[Susan Wise Bauer]

You guys are amazing, as always.

 

Now I have a coping-list....

 

swb

 

[Pronghorn]

I had severe insomnia and took Ambien for years. I don't recommend it except as a very last resort. It left me groggy during the day.

 

I solved my problem and got off Ambien by controlling light exposure so that my body would make natural melatonin. The important spectrum of light here is blue light, which is, of course, a component of all white light. So, I bought sunglasses that filter out the blue light, and I wear those for two hours before bed. You can also buy special night lights, light bulbs, screen filters, etc. (See lowbluelights.com.) These products can emit amber or red light without impacting your melatonin production. I also wear a sleep mask because my bedroom is not dark enough.

 

I also wake up the same time every morning to keep those circadian rhythms strong.

 

With these measures I have gone from being a lifelong light sleeper and insomniac to sleeping through storms and almost anything. It is wonderful to sleep so deeply! I know my recommendations may sound a little flaky, but they are based on science and they do work.

[KatieJ]

I have been waking up during the night for years.  (Started when my kids became teens and I have wondered if there was a connection.   :huh: )

My issues are complicated by Sleep Apnea and PILM ( sister condition to restless leg syndrome, but mine happens when I am asleep)

 

I fall asleep like a rock, but wake up later.  Time release melatonin is what has helped me the most.  You have to play with the dosage.  Start out small, 3 mg or so, give it a few days and then adjust from there.  Most of the time 5 mg is enough for me, but when I hit a rough spell I can take up to double that.  

 

I also need the room cool and in the summer a fan running.  DH has adjusted.  He gets an extra blanket if he needs one. 

 

So sorry, it's no fun.

[redsquirrel]

I had severe insomnia and took Ambien for years. I don't recommend it except as a very last resort. It left me groggy during the day.

 

I solved my problem and got off Ambien by controlling light exposure so that my body would make natural melatonin. The important spectrum of light here is blue light, which is, of course, a component of all white light. So, I bought sunglasses that filter out the blue light, and I wear those for two hours before bed. You can also buy special night lights, light bulbs, screen filters, etc. (See lowbluelights.com.) These products can emit amber or red light without impacting your melatonin production. I also wear a sleep mask because my bedroom is not dark enough.

 

I also wake up the same time every morning to keep those circadian rhythms strong.

 

With these measures I have gone from being a lifelong light sleeper and insomniac to sleeping through storms and almost anything. It is wonderful to sleep so deeply! I know my recommendations may sound a little flaky, but they are based on science and they do work.

 

I am so glad that worked for you...and a little jealous. My son and I both have the very attractive orange glasses, but they don't do a thing for me :(  But, they work like a charm for ds and he won't be without them in the evening. He loves them!  He wears them while he does his homework in the evening and then he has no trouble falling asleep on time.

 

So, yes, to anyone who is even just thinking about it, give them a try because they might help. We got them on Amazon for not much.  it is totally worth the risk

 

http://smile.amazon.com/Uvex-S1933X-Eyewear-SCT-Orange-Anti-Fog/dp/B000USRG90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440263860&sr=8-1&keywords=orange+glasses

 

They were 5$ when I bought them, but they are still less than 10$, and on prime. 

 

I saw one article that seemed to show that they might work better for younger people, and that has certainly played out in this house.  DH says I am just stubborn, and he might be right, lol. Or maybe it is that I seem to have an issue with my own melotonin production so the glasses just don't make enough of a difference.

[Liz CA]

A little extra progesterone helped me.

[EKS]

47 here too with the same problem.  I find that it is cyclic and the it is worst right before my period.  

 

Also, I know the suggestions for using alcohol have been mostly in jest, but in all seriousness, alcohol will help you fall asleep, but it will actually *cause* middle of the night wakefulness.

[plansrme]

Just chiming in to say that all of the cool kids are 47. 😎

 

And also, melatonin gummies. Available at Target and my BFF Amazon.

[Debbi in Texas]

I need benadryl nightly to help keep allergies under control, so that helps me sleep most of the time.

[Orthodox6]

I need benadryl nightly to help keep allergies under control, so that helps me sleep most of the time.

 

Within recent months there have been medical news articles published about the dangers of extended use of anticholingergic drugs, of which Benadryl is an example.

[Seasider]

I'll tell you what my sleep doctor would say. If you wake up and are awake in bed for more than 10 minutes, get up, change locations, and read a boring book (no screens). As soon as you feel tired again, go back to bed. Your mind needs to be trained that bed= sleep again.

 

Granted this is from someone who was awake at 4 and is laying in bed on her phone, so it is easier said than done. I did have some success with a sleep podcast. It is a story teller that tells intentionally boring stories in a monotone voice that gradual gets softer as the story goes on. The podcast is called Sleep With Me.

I agree with the book and avoid the screen. If I am physically restless (rather than just an unquiet mind), I'll get up and move to a new location to read. A podcast often helps, but it requires that I pick up a screen to do it.

[Doodlebug]

Dare I say it? 

 

Peri menopause. 

 

Sorry!

 

The age is right.  And the early morning waking thing is one of the lesser known symptoms.  Chart your symptoms, and you'll likely see some connections if this is hormonal.  

 

Sometimes, I found that the waking, accompanied by restlessness, eventually led to racing thoughts/anxiety.  And there was no way I was going back to sleep then.  

 

I've found I'm more sensitive to stimulants than I used to be, so I've found it helpful to avoid caffeine and alcohol at the times this impacts me most.

 

Cool room at night, exercise, and low key chill time an hour prior to bed (no screens) all help.

 

  

[mumto2]

I have read many books on my Kindle during the night over the past few years.

 

If I don't exercise during the day I am up at 4 am. Just walking a half hour helps greatly.

 

My new kindle trick is I dim the brightness down to a really low level and set it up on my night stand and read laying on my side without holding the book. I seem to be falling to sleeep while reading in this position fairly quickly. Maybe a dozen pages.

[Luckymama]

I am 49.

 

My worst period of insomnia occured during the years I was 42-45. During that time my mother was ill, she died, my father died unexpectedly, and I was executrix of their estate. Fun times. I believe my symptoms during that time, like insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes, and panic attacks, were all related to the stress I was experiencing.

 

I cut out caffeine, with the exception of chocolate because life necessity. I cut out all sodas. I started to exercise regularly, 30+ minutes to being very sweaty and out of breath. I made an effort to brew and enjoy tEa with dh. After the house sold and I closed the estate, my symptoms all disappeared.

 

Since that time, my cycles have become wonky (4-17 weeks!). The two nights before my period starts I wake multiple times at night. I can get back to sleep by listening to a travel or book podcast on my ipod. I have no other symptoms of perimenopause (knocks wood).

 

I work with a personal trainer at the gym. We joined a gym for the first time ever this past January. I decided I needed the accountability of working with the trainer twice a week. I can lift heavy weights now :D I lift three times a week and do a minimum of five hours of cardio a week (machines at the gym, hiking with dh on the weekends when possible). The money is well-spent. I feel strong and confident.

 

I am nervous of hormonal supplementation as that is what most likely contributed to my mother's ovarian cancer. Other people are different :)

[Guest]

 

Within recent months there have been medical news articles published about the dangers of extended use of anticholingergic drugs, of which Benadryl is an example.

 

 

^^^^This

 

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-increased-dementia-risk-201501287667

 

Silver lining: The second grade gaining reading fluency stage was torture in my 30s. Having somebody little read "Henry and Mudge", "Little Bear", "Mr. Putter and Tabby", "Frog and Toad" etc. to me before bed in my 50s is HEAVEN!!!!!!

 

Perhaps listening to little kids' audio books might help someone who doesn't have actual little kids. :)

[rose]

I'm still young but if I find myself awake at night and unable to sleep I wake my dh up and ask for some "tea." He's usually happy to help and it works like a charm. ;)

[Mergath]

If staying away from your computer all evening/night isn't an option, there's a program you can install called f.lux. (Yes, with the period in the middle of the word.) It changes the tint of your computer screen based on the time of day. Since blue light keeps you awake, during the evening and night hours your computer will have a reddish tint, and blue in the morning/afternoon hours. It's a bit weird at first, but after a couple of hours I didn't even notice it on mine. And it really helps if you have to spend a lot of time in front of screens.

 

It's free, which is nice. And I can vouch that it's completely legit.

 

https://justgetflux.com/

[StaceyinLA]

This is something that happened to me as I started going through menopause. I have no idea if that could even be an issue for you, but I never had sleep issues before and suddenly I couldn't get a good night's sleep to save my life.

 

A single Benadryl has helped me when I was just in desperate need of getting some sound sleep. I'm quite a lightweight with Benadryl.

[Luckymama]

If staying away from your computer all evening/night isn't an option, there's a program you can install called f.lux. (Yes, with the period in the middle of the word.) It changes the tint of your computer screen based on the time of day. Since blue light keeps you awake, during the evening and night hours your computer will have a reddish tint, and blue in the morning/afternoon hours. It's a bit weird at first, but after a couple of hours I didn't even notice it on mine. And it really helps if you have to spend a lot of time in front of screens.

 

It's free, which is nice. And I can vouch that it's completely legit.

 

https://justgetflux.com/

My college kids have used/still use flux. I'm trying to convince dd15 to install it.

[redsquirrel]

I had the computer blue light screen program, but we use our computers as our television.  All our movie watching happens on a laptop or a device.  We had to take the program off the computer because it distorted colours of movies too much to really work for us.  I think maybe you could turn it on or off, I don't remember, but we decided to just delete it

[Bluegoat]

I'm still young but if I find myself awake at night and unable to sleep I wake my dh up and ask for some "tea." He's usually happy to help and it works like a charm. ;)

 

I agree this is helpful, but unfortunatly many husbands begin to wear out around the same time menopausal insomnia becomes a problem.  One is required to take care not to overtax one's resources.

 

[lewelma]

I'm curious who 'the best reader in history' is? Mark Smith, Simpsonville, South Carolina?

 

Yes!  You guessed him on the first try! He is awesome!   :001_wub:

 

 

I have the audiobook really soft, just enough to hear if I concentrate. If I wake up, I focus on the book, then I soon drift off. No more waking myself up further by switching on lights or (arrgh!) backlit electronics. No more stressing about being awake and how-long-will-it-be-until-I-fall-back-asleep. I also play the same book (actually 3 of a series) every night, and don't worry about the order as I know the stories well - they're light, amusing, YA steampunk with a pleasant reader.

 

This is exactly what I do. I have it in my ears all night playing really softly like a murmur, but if I concentrate I can understand it.  The reason I use my old mp3 player is because it is not backlit.  And just like you, by listening to a book I already know, I don't have to worry about the order.  

 

I'm glad to know that I am not the only nut with this approach, because it works a charm and has for years and years.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Mergath]

I had the computer blue light screen program, but we use our computers as our television.  All our movie watching happens on a laptop or a device.  We had to take the program off the computer because it distorted colours of movies too much to really work for us.  I think maybe you could turn it on or off, I don't remember, but we decided to just delete it

 

Yup, you can turn it off for a couple hours if you're going to watch a movie. You can also set it to have less red tint so it isn't as noticeable. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

I've been doing that for years and hitting 40 recently hasn't helped, only made it worse. I feel like it's such a waste to just lay there so I get up.  I'll often go do something quick, like unload/load the dishwasher.  I'll take a book or tablet back to bed with me and read or browse (okay, I really just play games) for another 1/2 hour and then I'm ready to go back to sleep.  This works about 1/2 the time, the other half is a lost cause and just means I go to bed earlier that night. The warm milk thing  :ack2: . Sleepytime herbal tea with honey is good.

[Cafdog]

I've been struggling with insomnia for four years (thanks, Middle Age!).  I gave up caffeine, increased my exercise, etc, etc.  Nothing worked.  I got a Lunesta prescription a few years ago, and it saved my sleep and sanity.  Great stuff - and it never leaves me fuzzy or sleepy in the morning.  

 

Wishing you a solution...and a restful night's sleep!

 

[Dicentra]

Well... crud.  I'm only 43 and this has been happening for about a year.  Is anyone else waking up AND finding that they're... ummmm... perspiring in very unladylike quantities? :leaving:   My DH told me if I turn the air conditioning down anymore, he's going to freeze to death in his sleep.  In August.  And I live in Canada!  CANADA, people!!!  Sigh...

[Junie]

...The thing where you wake up at 2:30 AM and don't. go. back. to. sleep.

 

This is driving me batty. I've always been an unconscious-when-head-hits-pillow sleeper, never used to wake up before 6 AM or so. And now...not.

 

Come on, Hive, I know SOME of you have lived through this. What did you do? I'm thinking maybe I should just give up and get up and work (or moderate the forums), but I'm really not loving that as a long term solution. Hot milk? Boring book? Warm bath? Ambien? Single-malt scotch??

 

SWB

 

At least you're falling asleep and then waking up in the middle of the night.  I have the problem that I am still awake at 2:30 a.m.

 

I do want to thank you for creating the forum to give me something to do when I can't sleep.   :)

 

 

Ambien? :huh:   Have you read the other thread?  And the thread within the thread -- with the clippers?  Please. I would be afraid for your sheep. 

[Leav97]

I had insomnia for a couple of years.  A little different cause but here's what helped.

 

Consistent bed time

consistent wake up time

working out every day

evening walk

 

If I still woke up in the middle of the night I would get up, use the bathroom, and go for a short walk on the treadmill. If that didn't help I woke up DH.  :)

 

[Debbi in Texas]

Within recent months there have been medical news articles published about the dangers of extended use of anticholingergic drugs, of which Benadryl is an example.

 

Thanks, I will check into it.

[Another Lynn]

...The thing where you wake up at 2:30 AM and don't. go. back. to. sleep.

 

This is driving me batty. I've always been an unconscious-when-head-hits-pillow sleeper, never used to wake up before 6 AM or so. And now...not.

 

Come on, Hive, I know SOME of you have lived through this. What did you do? I'm thinking maybe I should just give up and get up and work (or moderate the forums), but I'm really not loving that as a long term solution. Hot milk? Boring book? Warm bath? Ambien? Single-malt scotch??

 

SWB

 

That would be Moby Dick, right? 

 

Best wishes for a good night's sleep!

[Junie]

That would be Moby Dick, right? 

 

Best wishes for a good night's sleep!

 

My first thought was Don Quixote.  I have probably spent more time trying to read that book than Cervantes spent writing it.  

[kewb]

A friend of mine who has the middle of the night waking tried acupuncture. She said it helped. She went from 4 hours of sleep to six sometimes six and a half.

[TranquilMind]

...The thing where you wake up at 2:30 AM and don't. go. back. to. sleep.

 

This is driving me batty. I've always been an unconscious-when-head-hits-pillow sleeper, never used to wake up before 6 AM or so. And now...not.

 

Come on, Hive, I know SOME of you have lived through this. What did you do? I'm thinking maybe I should just give up and get up and work (or moderate the forums), but I'm really not loving that as a long term solution. Hot milk? Boring book? Warm bath? Ambien? Single-malt scotch??

 

SWB

Welcome to menopause (or the beginning).  I had periods of inability to sleep but it always ended.  Now I sleep almost all of the time, having come out on the other side. 

 

Turn off your devices, and no matter what, do NOT eat chocolate or drink coffee or tea (if you are sensitive like me) anytime after say, 4 p.m.   That always does it for me.    Just try to not think in words when you are falling asleep.  I can think in pictures, but it's over the moment I start thinking, "I better remember to buy that item, and oh yeah, I need to tell my husband to (fill in the blank), and did I pay that Verizon bill yesterday.....?". 

[mom2scouts]

You can call me and we can talk.  I wake up around that time and my mind is racing with so many thoughts that I can't go back to sleep either.

[Mergath]

 

Ambien? :huh:   Have you read the other thread?  And the thread within the thread -- with the clippers?  Please. I would be afraid for your sheep. 

 

I don't know if I commented on that other thread or not, but Ambien made my dh pee in the fridge. True story.

[creekland]

Just chiming in to say that all of the cool kids are 47. 😎

 

Ok, this was nice, but I've only one hour left of being 47, so your range needs to expand.  Sooner or later the rest of you 47s will join me...

 

(And I'm only up now due to having been at a friend's house for most of the evening - enjoying catching up.  No chance of sleeping in tomorrow either - birthday or not.  My body will see no reason to making an exception to the time it gets up in the morning.  I'll get through tomorrow with either a nap or caffeine!)

[iamonlyone]

Progesterone cream works well for me too. We also use GABA-Centered Px at our house when anyone is having trouble sleeping—especially when our brains are going too fast at night.