Restless nights-what exactly?

Women's health
1

Dear ladies, restless nights are a frequent topic here, and I suffer from bad sleep to. Can we discuss what exactly it is?

I was always a great sleeper, and a good sleep was my solution for everything.

In peri, namely last two years I felt very sleepy. I was asleep during the day, went to bed early. Not a pleasant thing, but I SLEPT.

But this year my sleep pattern changed, and not for good.

First strange dreams appeared. Very realistic, and I woke up in confusion where I am exactly.

I woke- very unusually for me- early morning, energetic, ready for the day.

Then my periods began to change... and my sleep too.

Since summer I wake up low, depressed, anxious. Still early morning, in the dark. I need coffee and shower to get ready for the day. Sometimes low mood and anxiety due to my dreams persist until afternoon.

My dreams are not real nightmare, but very realistic- about travels, strange cities, me being in a strange land, in a war zone, etc.

The worst came during fall.

When falling asleep I have every night, only the intensity differ, the scary whoosh feeling/sound in my head. Sometimes also around my upper torso or abdomen. It wakes me up, I am scared, heart beating, palms sweating. Feel like headache is coming. This repeats 3-4 times, usually lessens in intensity, then I finally sleep. Sometimes it goes with jerks in my legs.

Not finished yet:

I awake up 3-4times at night. Again I wake up with a jerk and whoosh feeling. As if my body and mind could not decide between sleep and waking.

And a night grand finale, night sweats! It comes very early morning. My bedroom is 15°C now, at night even less, but I wake up hot, burning, sweating over my body, face and scalp. Terrible anxiety, fears, panick, heart palpitations follow. I try to fall asleep, and if I am lucky I wake up with a jerk and doom and gloom feeling that lifts later, if I am not, my day is spoiled with terrible anxiety.

I do not take hrt or other pills. I take iron, and I started with very moderate magnesium, C, B supplements. I walk, do sports, started with meditations last week.

And I am really fed up with my bad sleep.

2

I sympathise entirely. Since entering this peri hell I have unbelievably freaky and intense dreams. Im woken from sleep by them. Ive woken up crying with heart racing and upset. I too start most days feeling awful and anxious . Some days it lifts and others it doesnt. I dont get the sweats too often although Im one of tbese people that wraps tge covers around me when I get into bed and then immediately sticks my legs out as Im too hot! You arent alone in this trusg me x

3

Welcome to the club, you finally made it! Be forewarned that this can last a few years, unless you decide you can't go on like this and prefer some sort of medical intervention otherwise tough it out with hopes you're strong enough to get through it. Some women have been experiencing exactly what you described for about 10 years, with diminishing returns, until it calms down but never completely. The ones who use some sort of intervention seem to be the happiest and get through it with little discomfort to completely comfortable, this was me, after taking a low dose bcp.

Since you sound as if you prefer to tough it out, good luck!

4

Hi Lena. Totally relate, am a bit further down the line now.

HRT didn't work for me. I take Clonidine Hydrochloride, relieves the hot flushes, it's a blood pressure tablet. Also Sertraline, helps with anxiety & hot flushes.

Both work really well for me & I'm a happier, more chilled out person these days.

Big hugs x

5

Your are not alone a good example I had a Dream was pretty livid or real and I woke up with heart racing/ pumping fast it woke me up now as i am writting and is just try to breath in and out to calm down. This is terrible.  I hope we get over this soon. I have  the prolactin hormone high and I want to make sure Is ok  and this is all peri menopause. 

6

Me too Lena, fed up but what can we do, it's plain ground my stomach and the nerves keep me a wake at night so awful hope you feel better soon.

7

I have anxiety and nightmares too. Waking up from a bad dream with beating heart.  I hate it!!!!  I used (earlier in peri) to wake up with what I call the hormonal hang over.  I wake up with a headache and feeling low.  By the next AM its gone.   fluctuating hormones.  

8

I take a lot of magnesium, calcium.  Sometimes I soak my feet in epsom salt for a topical application of magnesium. No caffeine.  I also take B vitamins in the form of Brewer's yeast.  I have taken DIM.  A little red wine.  

9

I have strange odd dreams as well and I just thought I was getting good sleep but maybe it is due to hormones.  Last week I drempt that my teeth were falling out and I actually spit my teeth out on the table and then they came out one by one..  That did scare me and I woke up!   I do find myself tossing and turning a lot more also.  My dentist recommended a night guard for my teeth grinding but he also claims that he gets the best sleep because he has one as well.  I'm hoping he is right!!  I don't have any trouble falling asleep but not quite sure I get the rested sleep that you need. There are days were I nap and then go to bed at my usual time for more sleep.  Then other days I'm OK.

10

Last night was really trying... and morning I discovered some spotting.

"Hormonal hang-over", it is funny but precise. I suffered with migraines for 5 or so years, then mingraines ceased, but sometimes I wake up with a light headache, and it lifts after a couple of hours, or a low dose of aspirin helps.

I belived it is due to my neck, bad pillows, etc., but it can be also hormonal.

11

Sochima, how long does it usually take the bcp to kick in? Did it help with anxiety and worry? How long did you take it for? Thanks

12

Hi 2ch, I felt an almost immediate calmness, I'd say it took 2 weeks before i was completely back to normal. and yes, every symptom was gone. But I've never suffered from anxiety, just emotional crying and heat. But as I said, I went off too early, after a year, and my symptoms came back 100x worse along with new ones that are so strange that to date I still haven't seen anyone mention them.

13

Thanks sochima. I will keep that in mind.