Everyone - I got the magnesium drink.  i think it helped me.  Even though I had to get up and go to the bathroom, once back down I fell asleep quickly.  i hate drinking that much water before bed though.  i used 5 ounces.  everything takes time so I will try this.  i used 1 tsp at first.   I too  watch tv in bed.  i tried to think of growing up without a tv in the bedroom andf alling asleep.  I just have to get use to the fact that I will not sleep 8 wonderful hours at night probably agian. 

My doctor told me the melatonin takes about 4-6 wks to kick in.  I THOUGHT WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT!!!!  she said natural things dont work as fast. 

I am 48 and I have been an insomiac since I was around 13. It helps when you work the Midnight shift for about 20 yrs. The only time I recall actually sleeping thru the night are the nights that I am sick.

the funny thing about the caffiene is when I drink a cup of coffee within 2 hours of bed, I sleep better,

I can drink 6 cups of coffee and go to sleep when I was working midnights, get up in an hour to use the restroom and head back to sleep. Some ppl caffeine is a relaxer, for some its a perk me up.

Now if I can only figure out how to stay asleep after 4 hrs.

Wow Deb you said you were 49 and it was your 49th post……

That's me, I have NO trouble getting to sleep, it's staying asleep after 4:30 a.m..  I do better when I get my two mile walk in during the day too.

:J

Hey ladies - get the peter gilliam stuff - so far so good.  i have used it 3 nights.  i drink it at 9, 1 tsp in 5 oz of water.  then i read or watch tv until 11 that is my cut off and if I am not asleep by then i turn off the TV, stop reading and close my eyes.  i sleep at least 4.5 hrs before getting up to go to the bathroom and then back down for at least 2 more.  you will dream too.  that i think means you are sleeping well.  i recommned it.  i take 1200 mg of calcium and a multi vitamin with 450 calcium so the magnesium does not deplete the calcium we need for bones.  I use to take fosamax for many years though, i have a bone density in october so I will check the osteopenia thing.  always something!!

I got into menopause right about age 46, when Mama hit it too.  I went 21 nights without falling asleep.  That's right.  21.  And yes, I was getting psychotic. 

 The only way I could sleep was with a Lunesta and I took one of those every third night for fear of getting addicted.   FINALLY…the bio-identical plant derived hormones kicked in and I started sleeping like a dead person ten hours a night! 

The only problem is I gained some weight and my boobs got huge.  Went from a B cup to Fee Fee La Boom Boom.  Was fun at first….woo hoo, mama's got cleavage…but now I'm just like 'dang these things get in the way'.  

I heard some company makes a fan you can install at the foot of the bed that blows cool air up at your feet. 

It is finally pouring down rain here and in the 60s!!!  I hope the machine works for you too.  The Peter G. stuf helps me a lot.  I can sleep 4 hrs and them up to go to the bathroom and then back down for 2-3 hrs.  I have had to calm down about this to and not get so anxious that I dont sleep well.  That helps.  It is not the same as being young though and sleeping so much better. 

I just turned 51 and am as regular as clockwork!! I am hoping to hit menopause sometime…think my mom was about this age. I prb. could not do plant hormones, as I have allergies. I don't know that I would do them anyway. They put my mother on them, in her 60's because she was having light spotting and I remember her saying her boobs hurt. LOL When she got TTP - the cancer doctor told her “no more hormones for you”. TTP made her kidneys fail…and I still think it was the HIGH dosage of Zocar they had her on. I will always believe that BOTH my parents died, due to the different drugs they took - my father's was a diabetes drug - new.

I do wake up some in the night…it doesn't last long and it's not wearing me out…I prob. sleep better because my husband gets in late and even if I do fall asleep, I wake up again…by the end of the week, I am drained. Sat. night, I went to bed at 8 PM and slept 12 hours! So, I haven't noticed anything with the sleep that is a hindrance.

Sometimes I used to be able to have coffee and sleep…but other times, I could drink a DEMITASSE cup, say around 7 and  be WIDE AWAKE the ENTIRE night. I don't do coffee now, unless it's decaf, because I found if I have it, I am awake the whole night.