Perimenopause & Insomnia

An Insidious Demon during Perimenopause

Sleep. Sleeeeeeep. Such a soothing word.

Yeah, right.

Not when you're tossing and turning at 3 am.

The Merriam Webster Online Dictionary defines insomnia as the "prolonged and usually abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep." Women who have slept soundly their whole lives may find that fluctuating hormone levels wreak havoc with their sleep cycle.
Fitful sleep is just one aspect of this disorder.

More likely, when sleep is affected during perimenopause, you can fall asleep just fine. But somewhere around 2 or 3 am, you are up and rarin' to go ... until about 6 am, when you could collapse from exhaustion.

And, of course, this lack of deep, meaningful sleep makes you even more moody and irritable, have difficulty concentrating, and become prone to getting sick.

Do Your Hot Flashes Wake You Up?

Think your hot flashes are waking you up? It's more likely that the hormonal changes taking place in your brain before the flash is nudging you out of a sound sleep.

Decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone affect the circulatory system. Unstable blood vessels may generate hot flashes and temperature fluctuations. While there are no definitive answers, hot flashes seem to originate in the hypothalamus. So when you're sound asleep, you may be awakened by night sweats as well.

Furthermore, declining estrogen levels can contribute to changes in the urinary tract, which then leads to the bathroom at midnight ... and 2 am ... and 4 am.

And of course, the anxiety of moving through this time of flux can keep you up nights as well. We are most likely taking stock of our lives and where we are going. Trying to juggle kids and parents. Coming to terms with what we have achieved or not yet accomplished. Watching our bodies change in ways that may not please us.

Be sure to check out other causes for your insomnia before assuming it's related to your hormones. There can be a myriad of reasons you are suffering from insomnia, including:

• Asthma
• Congestive heart failure
  
• Reflux
  
• Migraine
  
• Some antihypertensives
  
• Decongestents
• Panax Ginseng
  

Caffeine and Nicotine Sure Don't Help

Both caffeine and nicotine are stimulants. Not only do they keep you from falling asleep, but alcohol, in particular, contributes to waking up in the middle of the night.

A Caution about Melatonin

There are mixed reports about melatonin. The Cancer.gov web site noted, with regard to sleep disorders, "Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland during the hours of darkness, plays a major role in the sleep/wake cycle. While further study is indicated, melatonin may play an important role in the treatment of certain types of chronic sleep disorders.

However, according to a study conducted in Mexico, "There were no significant differences in sleep EEG, the amount or subjective quality of sleep or side effects between the placebo, 0.3-mg melatonin or 1.0-mg melatonin treatments."

A second study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on melatonin as a treatment for age-related insomnia found: "Although control subjects, like insomniacs, had low melatonin levels, their sleep was unaffected by any melatonin dose."

Still, there is so much anecdotal evidence about the positive results obtained through taking melatonin, that one cannot ignore the subject. You may want to try melatonin for your insomnia. You'll know within a day or two if it works for you.

Sleep Aids aren't Always Bad

There are now many medications out there that can help you sleep without making you a dope-fiend. Talk to your doctor about the best medication for your needs. Drugs such as Ambien and Xanax have gotten bad press. However, they have helped many people sleep more soundly without side effects. Before making a judgment, find out more information about these medications and others. Remember, you must find a way to get the sleep you need to maintain your health. It is as vital as exercise and proper nutrition.

A Personal Experience

"For about two years, I didn't have more than a few hours of fitful sleep a night. Nothing helped. Well, I suppose I didn't give exercise a good shot. But my body ached. I became incredibly weak. It was terrifying. I had test after test after test ... all negative. But resorting to medication was unacceptable. I was afraid of being addicted. And what people would think.

"Finally, I saw a holistic chiropractor briefly. I'll always be grateful to her for one thing she told me. That was that if I didn't get sleep, I'll never get better. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with medication to treat a condition that is treatable. There is no shame in accepting pharmaceutical help.

"After discussing it with my doctor, I started taking a tiny dose of medication at night (half the recommended dose). My health has improved enormously. While I still have the occasional difficult night, for the most part, I can fall asleep and stay asleep, waking refreshed.

"Of course, I would prefer taking a more natural approach. In fact, I tried Melatonin, because I'd had friends who took it succesesfully. For me, however, I woke groggy. But it has been a lifesaver for many people.

"Now, I'm convinced that getting a good night's sleep is vital to getting through perimenopause with some measure of peace."

Natural Tips for Beating Insomnia

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