Hot Flashes/Insomnia/Estrogen Level, etc.

February 13, 2002

Hot Flashes & Insomnia:

I’ve had a few hot flashes on and off for years (perimenopause) – for me

they are very much tied to low estrogen – they especially come the week or

10 days before my period and during my period – especially the first few

days. They have never been linked to insomnia, but they do come in the

night and I almost always wake up BEFORE they start. I know other women who

also say they always wake up BEFORE the flashes begin. So, I think, there

is something that precedes my hot flashes that wakes me up & maybe whatever

that is could KEEP you awake too. Could that be a clue to the insomnia???

Another interesting thing is that when I’m having hot flashes, my fibroids

give me little trouble – when I’m not having hot flashes the fibroids can be

very uncomfortable. I wrote the following about my flashes the other day –

I may be the only woman in the world who is happy to have them -- wasn’t

really intending to post it, but since the subject has come up, I will:

ON HOT FLASHES:

Hot flashes are really nice. They are like little news bulletins: “Things

are going to be good for at least the next 24 hours.” When I’m having hot

flashes, my fibroids are not such a big problem. So hot flashes are very

welcome.

Of course it helps that my flashes are pretty mild and mostly come in the

night. Probably the fact that my diet includes some “plant estrogens” helps

keep them fun and trippy rather than more severe and a pain in the butt.

Like other women I’ve talked to, I wake up right before they begin. I don’t

know what wakes me up. I like to just lie there and concentrate on them

totally – feeling the wave of heat pass slowly over my body until I am

completely enveloped in warmth – which is quite a secure feeling. It is

interesting the way the heat travels through my body.

Hot flashes remind me of my mummy sleeping bag. The first couple of times I

used that thing, I thought I’d never adjust to it. Now, I look forward to

sleeping in the mummy bag because it has a “being snuggled” feeling about

it. --- I suppose another reason I like hot flashes is all those

backpacking trips where you can’t allow yourself to become cold and where

you learn to think yourself into not getting or being cold – and here’s this

great sensation of absolutely not being cold – having heat sort of pour over

your entire body. WOW.

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