1. Community
  2. Women's health
  3. Menopause

insomnia

Posted , 10 users are following.

NonnieDD
NonnieDD

Hi ladies. Do anyone of you suffers from insomnia and what natural remedies do you use for it. I used sleeping pills my gp prescribed for me and I was almost out off my mind straggling with all the bad side effects.

Barbara, I made that juice you mentioned and it is delicious.

Thanks

Nonnie

0 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

Prev
  • belle52746
    belle52746 NonnieDD

    Posted

    I had terrible trouble sleeping during first couple of years going through menopause. Now I try not to drink any caffeinated drinks, wine or most alcohol, before going to bed.  I use a lavender pillow spray (this smells lovely).  Don't do anything to get youself alert before bed, exercise, accounts, anything that will get you alert.  Have a warm bath with a large mug of Epsom salts disolved in it, make sure to clean you teeth before so you can go straight from the bath to bed and it makes me just doze off in a lovely relaxed state.

    Good luck.

  • Chrisy
    Chrisy NonnieDD

    Posted

    A pshycologist once told me that the trick to overcoming insomnia is to tell yourself "I can sleep" and to keep repeating it.  Most insomniacs think "I can't sleep"  this emphasises and exasperates the problem.  I tried it and it worked after only about a week.  I was amazed.  I gave myself permission to go to sleep. magic good luck
    • tbird29466
      tbird29466 Chrisy

      Posted

      That comes off as pretty insensitive to those who truly suffer from insomnia. . Believe me,  repeating to myself that I can sleep would be very frustrating. . That diminishes actual physical and chemical reasons for insomnia, and is in a sense saying that it is all in your head that you can't sleep. 

    • Bamby
      Bamby Chrisy

      Posted

      This may work if your only problem is worrying about not sleeping but a chronic insomniac won't be cured by this in my view. I really don't worry about not sleeping, I cope with being tired every day and have tried many remedies but truly believe it is a complex matter and there are many parts of the jigsaw puzzle which need to be pieced together to work....just takes a long time to find them all so forums like this are great as we can take each piece and see if it fits our puzzle
    • Chrisy
      Chrisy Bamby

      Posted

      Sorry no offence meant I was saying what helped me after 18 years of only getting 3 hours sleep a night at most.  I did not mean to be insensitive to anyone.  I did say I was seeing a pshyciatrist so there were other things it was just this point that triggered something that helped me to change my sleep patterns, I thought it might help someone else who had trouble sleeping.  I agree it is more complex but I do however take exception also to the assumption that I was not an insomniac having spent 18 years not sleeping well, if at all, just because I found a solution for me.  I was probably a bit simplistic in my explanation of my treatment. 
    • jayneejay
      jayneejay tbird29466

      Posted

      Hi tbird

      i been an insomniac for about 20 years... and even worse through my 10 years of peri.. its a common symptom of peri... 

      i have no other things bothering me... and its not all in my head... 

      and a cup of sage tea or counting sheep or telling myself to go to sleep doesng cut it for me either, 

      its hard work not sleeping but i do take Zopiclone occasionaly to recharge my batteries... as and when i am totally shattered as its addictive, always been a light sleeper aswell ...

      tried the melatonin which does work, but gives me vivid weird dreams..

      i know what your saying ..... and its awful going to bed and watching the clock turn very slowly ... 😩... Jay 

  • gillmm
    gillmm NonnieDD

    Posted

    Colin Espie's Book as recommended by emma below is excellent. The book helped me to understand that by getting 4 hours or so at the beginning of the night I was probably getting all the 'deep' sleep I need, and the fact that I sleep very lightly for the rest of the night, often waking up, is 'normal' for my age.

    I have had insomnia for years, I still have insomnia but don't worry about it so much after reading this book.

    Insomnia has got worse in menopause, and I have found the multivitamin "Menopace Night "or the boots equivalent very helpful. I think it is the tryptophan in this which helps, but it could be any of the ingredients as I'm generally feeling much better and less anxious when I take it - which helps to relax even when I am awake in the night.

    The book explains that there are many things you can do to improve your sleep, most natural. I have a book of sudoku by the bed, if my mind is racing so I can't get back to sleep, this helps. Also relax for an hour before going to bed, only go to bed when you feel sleepy, don't fall asleep on the sofa (sleep 'hygeine'), don't have telly or computer in bedroom, don't eat late in the evening, keep your bedroom cool and de-cluttered, keep a sleep diary to see how much sleep you are getting on average, then only stay on bed for long enough to get this amount of sleep, your body knows how much sleep you need, don't lie in at the weekends,  etc etc. In other words there are loads of things to do before resorting to pills!

     

     

Back to top
Prev

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.