To Age and not to sleep
Ageing and sleeping. The eternal quest for a good night’s sleep after hitting the fabulous 50’s (or menopause whichever comes first.
Now, some lucky souls can just sip on a cozy cup of tea and drift off into dreamland. Others, well, they’re convinced a shot of whisky is the magical potion to kick insomnia to the curb. Valerian drops are also in the sleep arsenal, CBD is another one. It’s a long an personal journal.
Lack of sleep is such a challenge for women over 50, perimenopausal women and menopausal women. I have talked to many women and compared notes on how to deal with lack of sleep.
I have tried lots of different things to help me sleep and nothing seems to work for very long.I tweak my routines, read and research a lot. Insomnia has become a hobby.
Below are some of the things that I have tried.
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There are two types of insomnia: short-term insomnia (acute) and long-term (chronic).
Acute insomnia may happen for a few days. It could be due to something specific like stress or trauma due to an event in your life.
Chronic insomnia may last for years. It could be the result of perimenopause, menopause or some specific medical issues.
Photo by Kinga Howard
Insomnia can be detrimental to your life.
Foggy brain.
Depression.
Anxiety.
Stress.
Inability to make decisions.
Feeling nervous and reacting too quickly.
Lack of focus.
Memory loss.
Lack of motivation.
Negative thoughts.
Insomnia can cause mental health issues and will worsen existing mental health issues.
It’s essential to detect the side effects of insomnia and to get help as soon as you can.
Foggy brain is a real thing.
Many people find it challenging to focus on anything when they don’t sleep and it’s difficult to do any kind of work.
Insomnia can cause you to isolate yourself. Extreme isolation can cause depression, irritability with people around you and anxiety.
Insomnia symptoms make you mentally and physically vulnerable.
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A medical professional will do an assessment of your lifestyle, your state of mind, physical activities, family situation, family history and, medical history.
You may need to sleep at a lab for them to study your sleep pattern.
In some cases the doctor may ask you to wear an electronic machine that records your sleep at home.
The data will help doctors understand what is going on with you and decide upon what actions to take to help you.
Be patient with yourself and your situation while you are undergoing tests!
When I lived in Miami, my doctor tested me for Apnea. I slept (tried to sleep) with a whole bunch of wires on my head and body. The wires were connected to a machine that recorded everything. It turned out I did not have apnea.
When I moved to Portugal, I went to a “sleep specialist” and he had me go home with a whole bunch of wires on my head connected to a portable machine.
The results: There was nothing wrong with me physically.
The doctor gave me liquid melatonin along with prescribed medication. The idea was to get off the prescribed medication slowly and let the melatonin do its job. It did not work.
None of the doctors researched to see if the insomnia was connected to menopause and hormones.
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash.
Sleep studies, or polysomnography as they are sometimes called, examine an individual’s sleep patterns and identify any abnormalities that may cause insomnia. The data gathered from these investigations can guide medical professionals toward finding appropriate treatments.
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While in Miami, I regularly attended a successful brain training clinic for insomnia treatment. Over two months, I underwent interviews with the doctor, who then applied numerous wires to my head. The machine made various noises while recording my brain waves.
I had to stay calm and relax during certain irritating noises. I had to control my thoughts and practice deep breathing during the process.
The crazy machine helped me learn self-control in difficult situations. It did not cure my sleeping disorders.
Brain training alleviated my pre-sleep anxiety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a great option for treating people suffering from chronic insomnia, tackling anxiety, and improving sleep habits. It’s challenging and difficult but it may help.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, or DBT-I, teaches you to control your sleeping habits. A therapist may also give you meditation techniques that will relieve your anxiety before sleep.
Cognitive behaviour may take up to five or six weeks. You will see the therapist weekly and they will give you homework and instructions for the week. This can be very challenging so hang in there!
Certain medications, like non-benzodiazepine receptor agonists, benzodiazepine receptor agonists, or tricyclic antidepressants, may help temporarily.
*Note: I believe these are good, helpful practices, but I still have much more work and research to do to deal with my chronic insomnia.
Consult your doctor before testing out alternative herbs and medications because they may not mix well with your meds.
For example, a few holistic practitioners suggested that I take Ashwagandha for insomnia, but my oncologist suggested I stay away from it due to the type of breast cancer I had.
Do your best to maintain your good sense of humor while dealing with all this. 🙂 It’s all about trial and error.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Melatonin is a hormone. It’s not a sleeping pill, and it may help you sleep. Take small doses.
Melatonin is not for everyone. Some people have side effects like dizziness or daytime sleepiness, so if that is your case, you will need to change your dose or try something else.
Valerian tea or capsules: Take Valerian about three hours before sleeping. It can help you feel relaxed and help you sleep.
GABA, or Gamma-aminobutyric acid, (a neurotransmitter) promotes relaxation. The doctor at the brain training lab incorporated GABA pills into my training program after a month, and they worked wonders for my sleep. I alternate the GABA with Melatonin nowadays.
Check with your doctor before taking Gaba.
Aromatherapy:
Lavender is soothing and a few drops on your pillow will make you feel relaxed.
Essential oils on your skin or in an infuser are fantastic for creating a soothing atmosphere..
Buy high-grade essential oils so that you can use them for inhaling and putting them on your skin.
CBD oil: Please be attentive because some countries do not allow CBD!
This is not for everyone, but I have spoken to many people who have had great success with CBD oil.
*Note: I recently found out that you can do a genetic test to find out which CBD oil is best for you. The test is being done in Brazil, and I don’t know if they do it elsewhere.
Supplements
My fabulous trainer, Eduardo Schultz, gave me the name of three supplements to take before bedtime:
I take those three supplements with ten drops of Melatonin. Read more about the combination of the three supplements here: Sleeping better.
Acupuncture:
I love acupuncture and it helps me relax. I usually sleep very well on the day I do it.
HT or hormone therapy can help menopausal women. I was not a candidate for this due to having had breast cancer.
Exercises:
Any exercise, body movement, swimming – anything that makes you move will help your body and mind!
Photo by Abbas Tehrani on Unsplash
Music: Listen to soothing music for ten or twenty minutes before sleeping.
Relaxation or meditation with deep breathing exercises.
Listen to a story: I love books on tape and listen to stories or meditations.
Calm
Headspace
White Noise Light
Sleep Sounds (Google)
Stellar Sleep
This article was revised and rewritten in January 2024
Resources:
Inositol and Sleep: Does it really help?
Main picture: Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash
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Updated June 2025
Marguerite Beaty, Blogger, Photographer & Artist
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