Posted by ZoeKenzMom on June 25, 2008 at 15:40:43:In Reply to: Re: can't believe it's starting again!! posted by tiredmom on June 25, 2008 at 06:35:30:
Just wanted to chime in as another 40+ mom going through this. I'm pressed for time so please don't take my brevity for rudeness. :-) Just some thoughts here as I've been brainstorming and researching the heck out of this to try to get it resolved for myself. Some of these you may already be doing.
*I just started taking Valerian and it's working well for me. They call it the Valium of the herb world and I'd recommend trying it if you haven't already.
*Speaking of benzos.... when I'm desperate I take one at bedtime (if I've had a few rough nights prior). I don't want to take them regularly or long-term but they are good to have in a pinch.
*I agree with everyone else.... try not to get too freaked out about one or a few bad nights. BTW, the benzos help a lot with the overall anxiety in addition to the not being able to fall or stay asleep. So, again, having some on hand "just in case" is helpful. Not only can you take one if needed, but KNOWING you have them is like a safety net for me. I know if things get BAD I've got options. That in and of itself helps with the anxiety about sleep.
*Interesting thing I've run across and am exploring for myself. Peri-menopause can begin as early as 10 years before the real thing. AND... insomnia is HUGE with both peri and the real "pause" (more so with the real thing, but it CAN begin during peri). So.... there are lots of different herbs to try to help with peri/the real thing IF that might be an issue for you. Do a search on symptoms of perimenopause and see if you have more than just the insomnia. I had 12 out of a list of 35! Because I am still BF my baby I can't do those particular herbs right now (black cohash, evening primose oil), but I CAN do a low-dose b/c pill. Any of those "treatments" for peri might help if the insomnia is from hormone fluctuation. There is a STRONG tie between hormone fluctuation (e.g. being out a balance) and sleep disturbance. Check into it, just in case. (I'm really hoping this helps me! I'm just waiting for the doc to call in the RX. I've tolerated b/c pills very well in the past, so fingers crossed!!)
*If you haven't made the lifestyle changes yet (which you probably have since you've been down this road before), consider them. Things like same bed/wake time (even on weekends), no caffeine after a certain point in the day (varies by person), no heavy sugary/heavy fat treats after a certain time of the evening, exercise to the extent possible, no heavy activity an hour before bed, read/relax, etc. Those have all helped me even if they haven't solved it completely.
I really do think that "solving" this is a multi-pronged approach. Things are better for me (sleeping about 6 hours straight, so I'm getting close to my goal of 7!!), but I think it can be an ongoing process. We just need to have the tools in our bucket and be armed to attack the problem when/if it resurfaces.
Hope this help! Good luck!
Jill
- Re: can't believe it's starting again!! pedro59 05:21 6/27/08 (2)
- Re: can't believe it's starting again!! tiredmom 05:57 6/27/08 (1)
- Re: can't believe it's starting again!! pedro59 04:17 6/30/08 (0)