The halcyon days of my simply getting into bed, plonking my head on the pillow and falling asleep without incident felt like a distant memory. Insomnia in perimenopause crept up on me – and made me utterly miserable.

It started with moderate tossing and turning. Then the itchy skin started. And geyser-like boob sweats. I was overheating so much that even sleeping naked on top of the duvet with the fan on and windows open wasn’t helping.

Before long, I was waking up at 3am every morning with humid knockers, feral hair, and anxiety. My brain chose that hour to relive teenage embarrassments, stuff I had to do for work, assorted family dramas, friendships that needed work, WhatsApp messages I’d forgotten to reply to…

Honestly, enough already!

So, I tried out a few solutions for a better night’s sleep, especially as the warm nights weren’t helping with my general overheating. Yay climate change. Rather than reaching for the sleeping tablets, I sought out drug-free options, with varying degrees of success.

Let’s start with pillows

Martian Dreams Hybrid Bamboo Pillow (£44.99)

Being way too warm has been my biggest obstacle to getting a decent night’s sleep, so what better place to start than with a cooling pillow? The excellently named Martian Dreams Hybrid Bamboo Pillow was a hit from the first night.

I was delighted to ditch my lumpy old pillow and put my head down on this firm but forgiving alternative. As well as genuinely feeling temperate against my fiery face all night, the memory foam is really supportive and I haven’t woken up with a cricked neck since making the pillow switch.

M-Club Restful Nights Pillow Spray (£7.50)

Moving more toward products specifically designed for the menopause, I followed my nose to M-Club Restful Nights Pillow Spray. Scented with lavender and chamomile, I’ve taken to drenching my pillow with it every night and now I don’t like to go to sleep without it. The combination of the spray’s scent and the cooling pillow has worked wonders.

The only drawback is the essential oils mean I have to wash my hair more than usual, lest I start looking like unctuous Aidan from And Just Like That. I’m not digging his return to Carrie Bradshaw’s life. But I digress…

Cooling serum

With my head feeling much cooler, it was time to see what I could do about everything from the neck down. A company called Lansinoh was recommended to me. When I checked them out online, I was unsure whether this was appropriate, as it appeared to be a festival of products for pregnant women and new mothers. As someone who has well and truly missed the baby boat, I was sceptical.

But it turns out there are products that work just as well on overheating, perimenopausal women as they do on those at the other end of their reproductive life. The Cooling Serum, which I slathered liberally on my decolletage, arms and thighs before bed, felt lovely and helped me fall asleep quickly. It’s not just for baby bumps. For an extra frisson of chilliness, I blasted myself with the fan after application.

A range of scented concepts…

I then veered into aromatherapy territory. It’s something I’ve never been particularly convinced by, but Lansinoh’s Calming Bedtime Butter was like going to sleep in a lovely, fragrant hug. Scented with lavender and chamomile, it’s a super-rich shea butter-based concoction that lulled me to sleep, alleviated the itchy skin. And left me with incredibly soft arms and legs.

M-Club Restful Nights Pulse Point Roller Oil (£7.50)

M-Club’s Restful Nights Pulse Point Roller Oil made me think of something you’d put on the wheels of your skates before a roller derby. This one didn’t seem to have much impact on my sleep, but it is a nice thing to roll on your wrists when you’re feeling a bit stressed, so that one is going to live on my desk rather than in my bedroom.

M-Club Restful Nights Oral Spray (£15)

Similarly, I wasn’t convinced by M-Club’s Restful Sleep Oral Supplement Spray. It’s allegedly peppermint-flavoured, but I just found it gave me weird morning breath. It was akin to when the price of Listerine inflates to £5, so you buy the supermarket’s own brand for £1.20 instead – and regret it pretty quickly.

Let’s look at patches

Menopeace Balancing Topical Patches (£14.69)

Moving swiftly on, I decided to add further patches to my life. Despite my ravaged sleep patterns, I’ve been enjoying the benefits of HRT patches, such as no more excruciatingly sore boobs and a significant reduction in wild mood swings. Menopeace Balancing Topical Patches come with the warning that its claim to “help balance and comfort menopausal symptoms … have not been evaluated by the FDA”. Pah! Surely I’ve ingested far worse things in my time, I thought, and put myself to bed with an eight-hour patch.

It would seem that patches infused with black cohosh (isn’t that a banned weapon?), gotu kola (isn’t that one of those Coke alternatives you find on holiday?), damiana, valerian, skull cap (I’m sure I saw them open for Iron Maiden back in the day…) and oatseed do indeed help with a good night’s sleep.

The patches don’t entirely eliminate the 3am wakey-wakeys. But I wasn’t waking up and obsessing about the time my oboe reed broke right before a performance assessment in 1991. Or wondering if I should just call that person to ask why they unfriended me on Facebook. Instead, it was more of a quick glance at the time, a “Fucksake, I don’t need to be up for hours!” and a swift return to the land of nod.

But the wildest result of my great sleep experiment…

Femallay Sage Woman Tea (£11.02)

…came as a mug of herbal tea. Femally Sage Womanis a loose-leaf tea and naturally, I don’t have a teapot. So, I infused two generous teaspoons of the stuff in a mug. It was the first cup of tea I’ve ever drunk that required a toothpick at the end. My husband asked me if this brew would just cause me to go to the loo all night.

It turned out that I didn’t need to worry about wearing out the carpet between the bedroom and the bathroom. I slept like the dead. Right through the night. For about 10 hours. Around 8:30am, my eyelids creaked open like forgotten loft hatches. I wandered downstairs in a daze and have no memory of mainlining my usual morning vat of Earl Grey. My husband seemed concerned for me.

I was concerned for me. Around 9:30am, we ventured out for a walk and a coffee. It was a genuine effort to do a walk I do most days without even thinking about it. When we made it to one of our usual cafes, I had a strong coffee, which helped a bit. But for the rest of the day, I was slow off the mark. Which was a bummer, as I had a lot to do.

It was nice to have a solid block of uninterrupted sleep without boob sweats, anxiety or itchy skin, but I think I’ll save the tea for the next time I either fancy a serious weekend lie-in or I’m jetlagged and need to force myself to sleep my way back to local time.

I have no idea whether it was the red raspberry leaf, sage, lemon balm, verbena, vitex berries (what berries?!), spearmint, lemon peel or liquoriceroot that sent me into a stratospheric sleep.

So now I am armed with an anti-insomnia arsenal

I have soothing, calming, fragrant patches and potions – and a truly excellent pillow – that whilst not completely eliminating the sleep issues, have certainly made me stop dreading bedtime. And I have tea that will knock me into the Land of Nod whenever I really need it. Most of all, sleeping better has improved my mood, productivity, and anxiety, all without resorting to drugs.

That’s definitely a result.

Georgia Lewis

In a career that has spanned Australia, the Middle East and the UK, Georgia has written about all sorts of things, including sex, cars, food, oil and gas, insurance, fashion, travel, workplace safety, health, religious affairs, glass and glazing… When she’s not writing words for fun and profit, she can usually be found with a glass of something French and red in her hand.

The post Tried and tested: Remedies for insomnia in perimenopause appeared first on Silver Magazine.

At the age of five I had my first migraine, though I didn’t know it then. All I knew is that I’d had an orange flavour sweet. Within the hour I was vomiting, unable to see, with a numbness in my arms and legs, and a feeling as though I’d been punched in the head.  

Of course, the initial thought was that I’d caught a horrible sickness bug. It came and went. Within 24 hours I could see again, another 24 and I felt normal. 

These attacks continued to happen. Unpredictably and sporadically throughout my childhood and teen years, I’d have to stop what I was doing and dash to the nearest dark room, desperate to stop the car crash of symptoms. It rarely worked.

What’s the trigger? 

As these migraines continued to spoil school days, trips and dinners, I began to form a link between certain foods: 

• Mint – both in savoury food and sweets 
• Orange flavouring  
• Tuna  
• Specific cheeses – including the one used in my school canteen  

Not too bad right? Well, some people also experience migraines when they consume chocolate, wine, processed meats and coffee. It’s a minefield. 

That’s not all   

Food and drink aren’t the only triggers. By far the most disruptive trigger for me is the sun. Inescapable and, in Britain, completely unpredictable. Ever looked at a bright light, only to look away with spots on your eyes? They normally fade quickly, right? For some migraine sufferers that’s not the case. For me the sunspots grow, until I’m unable to see at all. This can happen in the space of a minute, until suddenly I’m feeling my way down the hall. 

Read more: When to trust your instincts in the face of medical gaslighting

Much more than a headache 

The reality for migraine sufferers is that they often need to spend their lives in a constant state of risk assessment. Solo travelling? What if you have an attack and need to navigate – you can’t see your phone screen. You’re in an unfamiliar place. You can’t drive because you can’t feel your arms and legs or see the road.  

Dismissed at the GP 

When the attacks ramped up in my twenties – sometimes multiple times a month – I finally went to my GP, desperate for answers. I’d quit a job over harsh office lighting. I wore sunglasses at night to avoid LED triggers. I was ready to investigate; blood tests, MRIs, allergy exams – anything to get answers. 

I entered the practice, sat down, waited for the inevitable questions. My GP glanced at my notes and simply asked if I wanted a preventative medication you take every day, or a responsive medication for when you’re experiencing an attack? 

When I explained that I was hoping for answers, an idea as to why by body was reacting like this. I was waved off.  

This dismissal over health concerns is not unique to me. In a 2021 government survey it was found that, out of nearly 100,000 women, 84 per cent expressed that there have been times where they weren’t listened to by a healthcare professional. 

The pill problem 

Whilst medication can be helpful, the idea of taking a daily pill for the rest of my life was certainly not something I wanted to do. Opting for the responsive medication I took a peek at the side effects, and it was extensive. From fainting to seizures. You can’t take the pills if you’re on any other medication, or if you’ve got a history of strokes, heart issues, high blood pressure, liver issues, the list was endless. Yet, nobody was willing discuss these risks. They handed me the pills, and I was on my way.

The bigger picture 

Women statistically are between 2-3 times more likely to suffer from migraines, than men. I can’t help feeling that this experience is an example of dismissal of women’s health issues. I was offered no consultation, no discussion of options, causation and the implications of taking medication. 

Taking matters into my own hands  

Frustrated, I dove into the research. Forums, medical journals, specialist blogs – you name it. Eventually, I found what doctors never told me: 

I have hemiplegic migraines – a rare type affecting just 0.01% of people. They mimic strokes, cause vision loss, numbness, even temporary paralysis. They’re genetic, tied to mutations in specific genes like CACNA1A and ATP1A2. Oh, and they carry a higher risk of actual strokes.

Next steps 

Understanding the disorder certainly elevated some of my stress surrounding it. Migraines, of all varieties, are rarely fatal. My research also revealed that sodium high foods, stress and dehydration can also exacerbate symptoms. So, concentrating on those elements can help to stop a migraine before it starts. 

In the future, when I have any health concerns, I’m going to make sure to advocate for research and clarity. My GP knew that I was experiencing stroke-like symptoms and decided against investigation. If you’re experiencing debilitating issues, and feel it has a potential to be something more sinister, advocate for yourself. The issue of negligence towards women in medical settings is disgraceful. We need to be loud about it! 

Help is out there  

Charities like The Migraine Trust and The Brain Charity provide helpful information, both around the causes and variations of migraines. They also point migraine sufferers towards helpful resources for prevention and mitigation.  

If your migraines are impacting your ability to work, drive or care for yourself, you may be entitled to help from the Government – see here. 

For more resources surrounding medical discrimination towards women see: Elly Charity, a charity committed to protecting and promoting women’s health through research, education and application.  

Additionally, take a look at the government’s ‘Women’s health – Let’s talk about it’ survey. 

What you can do to prevent yourself having a migraine – today

• Drink water: Adults should drink 1.2-1.6 litres of water a day. That’s equivalent to 6-8 glasses. Keep count to ensure you’re not dehydrated.
• Practice mindfulness: It’s no secret that high stress levels can cause headaches and migraines. Try to do at least one activity a day to bring you a sense of calm. For example, yoga or a walk.
• Keep quick fixes on hand – Whatever helps, keep it with you. Be that triptans, anti inflammatories or cold compresses. If you suffer an attack whilst out of the home this could be the difference between an inconvenience and disaster.
• Identify triggers – It’s helpful to keep a food and activity diary when you suffer attacks. That way, you can better identify triggers to avoid in the future.

Disclaimer : I am not a medic. If you’re experiencing health issues please contact a medical professional.

Emma Cruickshank

Emma is a literature, TV, and film enthusiast. When she’s not writing, she can normally be found out in the Sussex countryside, walking her dog Herbie, or in a restaurant drinking an overpriced cocktail and dreaming up ideas for her next literary endeavour.

The post I learned how to stop my own migraines appeared first on Silver Magazine.