Period question - sleep-related

Do you have trouble sleeping when your period is coming or when you're on your period? Do you know why this happens and what do you do to try and get over it?
Please help, I can't sleep...

Wed. Aug 23, 1:35am

Off the top of my head, I know that one's body temperature rises a degree or two when Aunt Flo comes to visit. It makes a lot of people feel colder than usual (sort of like a fever can make you feel chilled) and feeling cold can make it hard to sleep.

Personally, my cramps always wake me up. But I'm guessing that's not what you're asking about.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 7:10 AM

How timely! My period's coming in a few days and I've had trouble sleeping- but it's the first time I've noticed. I think I normally take a soaking bath right before bed around that time, and I usually sleep like a baby. Try bath salts with chamomile, and some sleepytime tea with honey. Both of them are really comforting.
Good luck to both of us tonight! :)

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 8:23 AM

I get this problem with sleeping too.
I just take a very hot shower, use nice rlaxing lotion ( Warm vanilla ) and go to bed with the A/C on.
good sleeping!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 10:30 AM

I absolutely find it harder to sleep right before my period. I don't know what the cause is, although I'm sure you could find it in a search. I also (not to be gross) find my bowels a bit looser right before my period(tipped uterus), and of course all the other unpleasant symptoms like snappiness. None of this was a problem when I was younger and on the pill or pregnant for so many years. Now that I'm 39 I feel like a teenager again when PAT comes to town. (my daugher calls it Pat, code for Pads and Tampons!)

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 10:32 AM

A restful night sleep is hard for me when the flow is coming to town. It's from the spike in estrogen. I also find it hard to sleep because my lower back hurts, like clockwork, it aches in the middle of the night and finding a comfortable position is impossible. What's worse is my mom tells me that menopause is like this all the time. Ughhhh!
Isn’t being a woman fun?

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 10:45 AM

i think the sleep problems have something to do with survival instincts kicking in-you know, ultra-sensitive to your enviroment, extra awareness of noises and potential dangers...just a hypothesis. as to relieving these symptoms, i usually place a pillow under the small of my back and listen to some ocean sounds until i fall asleep. and i also experience a lot of intestinal "release" during the week prior to the onset of hell...

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 11:14 AM

OP here...

...I just find that I have a lot of energy and too much on my mind. I wish that I could just turn my brain off! I feel like I have enough energy that I could get up and run or do something physical but then the thought of actually doing it usually turns me off the idea and I just lay there with my thoughts racing.
Anyone experience that?!?

Thanks for all the tips and assistance so far though!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 5:05 PM

OMG OP

I feel the same same way! Like, I'm tired, but I also feel like I need to run around the block a bunch of times! -sigh-

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 9:51 PM

Tylenol PM works wonders for me!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 10:27 PM

I'm 45 and I've noticed an increase in difficulty sleeping just before my period, in addition to the other PMS symptoms. Interesting to hear it is a spike in estrogen, I figured some harmone was at work. Can anyone else confirm that that's what it is? Warm bath just doesn't do the trick for me. I've also noticed increased insomnia around the full moon. No, it's not the light, the room is blacked out. For a really bad time, combine full moon with PMS! Enough to make me howl!

Thursday, August 24, 2006, 4:59 AM

I read that before modern electricity, most women cycled with the moon, so maybe your howling isn't all that off-base! :)

Thursday, August 24, 2006, 8:52 AM

Your estrogen level actually drops significantly immediately before your period (it spikes before you ovulate and then drops off from there) - I don't know if that's related to the sleeplessness, but it could certainly be related to feeling too cold or too hot (I generally get really hot around 3 am and wake up sweaty.

Friday, August 25, 2006, 10:34 AM

I was flicking through the new Shape Magazine the other day and I'm sure I saw an article that said women sleep longer (or need more sleep?) during their period... Does anyone have the magazine, and care to clarify???

Friday, August 25, 2006, 12:24 PM

yup

I need (and tend to get) more sleep DURING my period, but just before, I get restless and get less sleep. I also tend to "nest" before my period- I clean (or at least, want to clean!) my house thoroughly and generally like doing homey things.

Friday, August 25, 2006, 7:34 PM

I ditto the nesting syndrome. Things always seem to get really clean right around my period! =) And my mom does the same thing!!

Sunday, August 27, 2006, 12:52 AM

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