Night Sweats and Insomnia Are a Nightmare

I have a preferred temperature range for my bedroom. My bedroom must be below a certain temperature for me to sleep at all. If it is too warm, I cannot sleep. The ideal temperature I need is much lower than normal people, and I am thankful my husband prefers to sleep in a cold room. Since we are in agreement on temperature, there should be no issue. There is an issue.

I keep a thermometer in my bedroom so I can check the temperature at a glance because recent issues have caused a problem. My bedroom should be below 64 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. I prefer it to be closer to 60 degrees. It has stayed below the temperature required for sleeping, but I am still struggling to sleep.

Hormones, hot nights, and insomnia do not mix

Now that I am getting older, hormonal issues are coming into play. The biggest annoyance is the endless nights of baking in my bed. No matter what the thermometer says, I am burning up and cannot sleep. Night sweats are keeping me up night after night, and I am struggling to maintain my sanity.

Insomnia on its own is a big problem. Add in night sweats that keep me awake and it is a nightmare. I am getting less and less sleep, and turning the thermostat down even further does not help. I think I would still be burning up if I slept inside a freezer.

Perimenopause is keeping me awake

Many people I know think I am exaggerating when I say I keep my bedroom around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but it is not an exaggeration at all. My thermometer confirms it is indeed that temperature. However, my body feels like I am standing in direct sunlight in the middle of the desert. I expect to open my eyes during an episode and spot cacti growing around me.

Perimenopause is not for the faint of heart. Over the years, I heard plenty of people say it causes insomnia. I laughed because I have suffered with insomnia for too many years to count now. The joke was on me because I was not prepared for additional sleep loss. In fact, I did not expect any change in sleeping patterns. I am no longer laughing.

Dealing with hormonal imbalances without HRT

I have had more than a handful of people suggest hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to deal with this and other issues. That is not an option for me. There is a history of breast cancer in my family, and the risk is too great for me to consider. I am riding this wagon until the wheels fall off. I expected a few bumps along the way, but bumpy would be a drastic improvement.

When I first heard about night sweats, I expected them to be short-lived. I did not expect them to go on for hours at a time. I truly expected it would be a short spell and then things would return to normal. That is not the case for me. I seem to be lucky like that.

Desperately seeking sleep

My nights are filled with hours on end of feeling like I am in a sauna. I feel like I am baking from the inside out and no matter how cold the temperature is in my room, I still feel hot. It is impossible to sleep. By the time an episode ends, I am generally exhausted. That is when insomnia kicks in and relieves me of any ability to sleep. The 2 combined are really kicking my behind.

At this point, I am at the mercy of a hormonal rollercoaster that wants me to experience sleep deprivation on a regular basis. If you see a cartoon rabbit with a hammer, send him my way. Maybe he can help me get some sleep.

How do you deal with night sweats? Has perimenopause affected your sleep patterns?