I just want a good night's sleep!!!!

Ever since my surgically induced menopause 5 years ago my sleep has been wacky! For the first 2 years the problem was falling asleep...I was often up roaming the house, playing on the computer (where oh where was this group then!) til 3 or 4 am. Somehow that changed and things got a lot better-fell asleep and had a good nights rest. But now in the past 6 months or so, while I usually fall asleep pretty quickly-now I can't stay asleep!! I wake up at 2am, 3:30 am, 5 am....sometimes I fall back asleep pretty quickly, othertimes I don't. Is this my age (48) a side effect of the menopause??? I don't do coffee-just green tea in the am. I am so @#*%#@ frustrated, not to mention tired. Help! Any suggestions for this sleepy mama!

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Permalink Reply by marla on April 3, 2008 at 11:03am: hi firefly,

i'm in the EXACT same boat, at first i think it was anxiety from my diagnosis, then discomfort while recovering from surgeries, but now it's just insane. . . and now there's all this news about lights at night being a factor in causing cancer. . . i hope someone has the answer!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Whole_Body_Healer on April 3, 2008 at 11:27am: Hi there. Melatonin is something that comes to mind that might be helpful, but not sure if there are any caveats in it's usage relative to your specific health conditions. Perhaps something to explore with a naturopath?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sabrina on April 3, 2008 at 12:47pm: I second this! Melatonin is naturally (endogenous) secreted about 2-3 hours before we fall asleep.

Information Provided By: Mayo Clinic

Melatonin is a neurohormone produced in the brain by the pineal gland, from the amino acid tryptophan. The synthesis and release of melatonin are stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light, suggesting the involvement of melatonin in circadian rhythm and regulation of diverse body functions. Levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior to bedtime.

Synthetic melatonin supplements have been used for a variety of medical conditions, most notably for disorders related to sleep.

Cancer Treatment:
There are several early-phase and controlled human trials of melatonin in patients with various advanced stage malignancies, including brain, breast, colorectal, gastric, liver, lung, pancreatic, and testicular cancer, as well as lymphoma, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and soft-tissue sarcoma (89; 90; 91; 92; 93; 94; 95; 96; 97; 98; 99; 100; 101; 102; 103; 104; 105; 106; 107; 108; 109; 110; 111; 112; 113; 114; 115; 116; 117). The same research group has conducted many of these studies. In this research, melatonin has been combined with other types of treatment, including radiation therapy (107), chemotherapies (such as cisplatin, etoposide, or irinotecan) (92; 118; 118; 113; 119; 120; 110; 121; 122), hormonal treatments (such as tamoxifen) (123; 106; 124), or immune therapies such as interferon (125), Interleukin-2 (126; 127; 128; 129; 130; 131; 132; 102; 133; 134; 135; 136; 137; 138; 139; 140; 141; 142; 143; 144), or tumor necrosis factor (145; 135; 146). Most of these trials have been published by the same research group, and have involved giving melatonin orally, intravenously, or injected into muscle. Results have been mixed, with some patients stabilizing and others progressing. There are some promising reported results, including small significant improvements in the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer given oral melatonin with chemotherapy (cisplatin and etoposide). However, the design and results of this research are not sufficient to provide definitive evidence in favor of safe/effective use of melatonin in cancer patients. High-quality follow-up trials are necessary to confirm these preliminary results. It has been proposed that melatonin may benefit cancer patients through antioxidant, immune-enhancing, hormonal, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, apoptotic, or direct cytotoxic (cancer cell-killing) effects, and there are many ongoing laboratory and animal studies in these areas. Some experts believe that antioxidants can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs and reduce side effects, while others suggest that antioxidants may actually interfere with the effectiveness of chemotherapies. Currently, no clear conclusion can be drawn in this area. There is not enough definitive scientific evidence to discern if melatonin is beneficial against any type of cancer, whether it increases (or decreases) the effectiveness of other cancer therapies, or if it safely reduces chemotherapy side effects.

Chemotherapy Side Effects:
Severalhuman trials have examined the effects of melatonin on side effects associated with various cancer chemotherapies (such as carboplatin, cisplatin, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, etoposide, 5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, and mitoxantrone) (92; 118; 113; 119; 120; 110; 121; 122; 104; 108). Most of these studies are published by the same research group, and involve giving melatonin through the veins or injected into muscle. Studies have included patients with advanced lung, breast, gastrointestinal, prostate, and head/neck cancers, as well as lymphoma. Promising early results include reductions in nerve injury (neuropathy), mouth sores (stomatitis), wasting (cachexia), and platelet count drops (thrombocytopenia) with various chemotherapy agents. Animal studies note reduced severity of heart damage from anthrocycline drugs (147; 148; 149; 150; 151) or lung damage from bleomycin (152; 153). Some researchers attribute these reported benefits to antioxidant properties of melatonin. Overall, it remains controversial whether antioxidants increase effectiveness and reduce side effects of chemotherapies, or whether antioxidants actually reduce effectiveness of chemotherapies. Increased platelet counts after melatonin use have been observed in patients with decreased platelets due to cancer therapies (several studies reported by the same author) (115; 113; 120; 121; 122; 130; 131), and stimulation of platelet production (thrombopoeisis) has been suggested but not clearly demonstrated. Although these early reported benefits are promising, high-quality controlled trials are necessary before a clear conclusion can be reached in this area. It remains unclear if melatonin safely reduces side effects of various chemotherapies without altering effectiveness.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Carole on April 3, 2008 at 11:40am: I'm also having problems sleeping. Tried different sleeping pills, prescribed by a doctor, but one of them was having me wake up in the middle of the night and sleep eat! I.E., I'd wake up by the fridge, with food in hand. I am also curious about melatonin as it sounds a bit more natural than sleeping pill but I will check with a pharmacist to discuss possible side effects. Anyone with info on melatonin? Meanwhile, I found that having a hot bath relaxes me and can lull me back to sleep -- or, if all else fails, I am glad I have a portable DVD player with earphones so I can go to the loft in our appartment and watch a movie.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Whole_Body_Healer on April 3, 2008 at 11:55am: I can tell you my experience. I used it for a bit initially & it worked great...almost too great. It didn't take much & completely zonked me...had a heaviness in waking, which I didn't like, but if you're not getting sleep, this might be welcomed for a time. Then I found out that the research on it relative to ovarian cancer goes both ways & may be contra-indicated. I'm not taking it any more. I have seen it recommended with breast cancer, but it is wise with all supplements to research it's use relative to your specific concerns/health conditions.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by the glitter kid on April 3, 2008 at 12:06pm: I have used sublingual melatonin off and on for a while now and I also get totally knocked out and have a hard time waking up. It works but I rarely take it because of this feeling.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by jennfirst on April 3, 2008 at 1:19pm: Oh Carole, I know what you are talking about. I had the same thing happen to me. Other times I'd wake up the next morning to find a dirty bowl or 1/2 eaten bag of chips laying by the bed, or worse in the bed. GROSS. I talked to my Dr about it and they are now saying it is a side effect of one of the well known/prescribed sleeping pills. I'm trying to do more meditation, relaxing, and breathing techniques. It works some nights! Jenn; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by heather on April 3, 2008 at 12:08pm: Hey firefly - same as WBH says, check with a naturopath for any caveats specific to your health condition, but I've been using Calms Forte, an over the counter herbal sleep remedy I get at WF. For me, I experience no morning after side effects, and it simply helps me turn off at the end of the day. I take it about 30 minutes before going to sleep and I'm out like a light and sleep deeply. Not sure if any one else has used this, but it works for me! Good luck with your search for sleep. *heather*; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sabrina on April 3, 2008 at 12:56pm: There are a number of herbal remedies for sleep disturbances. I found some information about various ones here at About.com. The ones that rang a familiar bell are St. John's Wort, Valerian Root, & Ginseng.

Have you ever tried any herbal teas? I love "Sleepy Time Tea"!! A cup of hot tea with organic honey is MMM MMM delicious!!

Sleepytime®

The comforting aroma and flavor of spearmint from the Pacific Northwest blends with soothing Egyptian chamomile to make this the perfect cup of tea for bedtime. The ingredients come from all over the world—and all over the world, generations of folks have wound down their day with this classic blend. With herbal ingredients that have been soothing for centuries, Sleepytime helps you relax by blending the best of nature. There’s no time like Sleepytime!

About the Tea:
100% Natural
Gluten Free
This product contains all-natural herbs and flavors, and no artificial colors or preservatives.
This product contains zero calories.

View nutritional information.

Ingredients: Chamomile, spearmint, West Indian lemongrass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn berries and rosebuds.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by the glitter kid on April 3, 2008 at 12:59pm: sleepytime is awesome! I would definitely recommend it to everyone!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sabrina on April 3, 2008 at 1:07pm: Hellz Yeah!! ;); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sweetfightgirl on April 4, 2008 at 3:31pm: I love sleepy time tea too...works great! I have horriblw sleep problems due to too much production of cortisol (Cushing's disease) but it makes me relax to a degree, other than the meds form the doc I use the tea, baths, iPod with classical or calming music that I don't usually listen too, and a good book, sometimes a bad one if the good one is too good to put down! :-); ▶ Reply to This