It’s definitely not fun! Right when you could use sleep the most -- due to all the physical and emotional symptoms of early menopause -- you can’t sleep. Maybe it’s night sweats keeping you up, or maybe it’s just plain old insomnia....but whatever the reason, you’re lying in bed, tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling in the dark, and wishing that you’d fall asleep.

Insomnia is one of the more typical menopausal symptoms, unfortunately. In the past, it was generally believed that insomnia was a result of night sweats. You couldn’t sleep because night sweats were waking you up.....and keeping you awake. But recent studies now have found that you can have insomnia that isn’t related to sweats. It may be connected with the drop in the brain chemical serotonin that occurs when your estrogen levels decline. Or it could simply occur due to the changes in your hormones. Whatever the reason, there’s no question that with menopause comes insomnia. It’s usual for the frequency of insomnia to double from what you used to experience when you were premenopausal. And studies have shown that women usually begin to experience restless sleep as much as five to seven years before menopause hits.

It winds up being a bit of a vicious circle. When you’re not getting enough sleep, you usually wind up getting more stressed, moodier and more irritable -- which, as we all know, are symptoms we often get when our hormone levels are dropping. The culprit is the lack of REM sleep -- the deepest, most rejuvenating sleep. Without good REM sleep, you get more stressed out....which makes you more prone to insomnia...which makes you more stressed....and so on.

So how can you stop tossing and turning and get the sleep you need? Usually getting on the right combo of hormone replacement can banish insomnia, since it will stabilize your hormone levels. Similarly, herbs, vitamins and phytoestrogens that help with menopausal symptoms often can make a difference. In addition, disturbed sleep patterns typically level off after a few years. But, since you probably don’t want to wait a few years for a good night’s sleep, there are other things that can help. Here are some ideas on what you can do right now to help you sleep....and some ideas for long term improvement.

What Can You Do RIGHT NOW To Get Some Sleep?

• Drink a cup of chamomile tea. It’s calming, soothing and just might help you get a little shut-eye.

• Try a cup of warm milk. It’s one of those tried-and-true remedies....and it can help a great deal! Warm milk has the amino acid tryptophan in it -- which acts as a mild tranquilizer. It’s even more effective if you have some carbos (toast or crackers, for example) with your milk.

• Keep the bedroom cool. Cooler rooms help you to sleep -- plus, if you’re suffering from night sweats, it’ll feel great!

• Put some socks on. I know, this sounds a little strange, particularly if you’re awake due to night sweats....but cold feet can keep you awake. And often your extremities are still cold even when you’re in the midst of flashes or night sweats.

• Try to breathe deeply and rhythmically. Even try breathing to a count -- inhale, 2, 3; hold, 2, 3, exhale 2, 3 and so on.

• Tense and release the muscles in your body, one by one. Often when you’re suffering with insomnia, you tighten your muscles -- which makes you feel more tense and less relaxed. Go through the muscles in your body one by one -- and focus on tightening them, then releasing them. This can help you get the stress out.

• If you have herbs in the house, pop a couple of valerian capsules. Valerian is a natural sedative, and it has been shown to help promote better sleep. (One note, though: Studies show that valerian is most effective in regulating sleep patterns over a period of time.)

• Or try some kava kava. It’s an herb that works as an anti-anxiety agent -- which can help you to sleep. In fact, some doctors feel that it’s even more effective than valerian for bad cases of insomnia.

What Can You Do Over the Longer Term to Improve Your Sleep?

• Keep a regular schedule. If you go to bed -- and wake up -- at roughly the same time every day, it will help regulate your body....which can help you sleep.

• Give yourself some "wind-down" time before you go to bed. Try not to go to be stressed. Instead take a half-hour or so before bedtime and relax! Watch television (nothing too engrossing!), read a book, take a bath.....anything that will calm you down before you hit the sack.

• Exercise every day. Just thirty minutes of exercise daily can help your body de-stress.

• BUT don’t exercise just before bedtime. And, for that matter, avoid any activity (mental or physical) that’s too strenuous. Strenuous activity up to three hours before bedtime will put your body in a "wake-up" mode -- and interfere with your attempts to fall asleep.

• Steer clear of stimulants like caffeine or nicotine for up to four hours before bedtime. These will rev you up -- and interfere with your body’s sleep mode.

• Also recognize that an alcoholic "nightcap" might hurt more than it will help. Alcohol might make you feel drowsy, but it can interfere with your ability to sleep soundly.

• Avoid certain hard-to-digest foods within four hours of bedtime. Foods like onions, beans, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, protein and spicy foods might keep you up.

• Take a warm shower or bath 90 minutes before bedtime. This causes your body temperature to first rise, then go back down to normal, which can help make you sleepy.

• Try meditation or relaxation exercises every night before you go to bed. Just a few minutes can make the stress of the day roll off of you....making you more able to sleep.

• Finally, if all else fails, turn on the light or get up. Instead of tossing and turning, try to relax in another way. Read for a little while; get up and go into the living room....anything that calms you. Sometimes the best way to finally get some sleep is to not try for a little while.