What’s causing my insomnia?

Symptoms: You like working in bed and watching TV. You find it difficult not to take your tablet to bed with you. You usually take a snack to bed, too. You’re having difficulty sleeping, your nights are disturbed by night sweats and hot flushes, you’re impatient, unable to concentrate and tearful. You think it’s the start of the menopause.

You’re having difficulty sleeping, a short while ago your doctor diagnosed high blood pressure and you’ve now been put on blood pressure tablets. It could be:

Bad sleeping habits. Watching TV or working in bed and using your tablet or laptop interfere with your sleep because of the blue light. Eating late disturbs sleep too. You’re right. All your symptoms could be referable to the menopause when your ovaries no longer produce life-giving oestrogen. Your medication. Many prescription drugs can disrupt your sleep patterns including blood pressure medicine, antidepressants, allergy medicines, as can coffee, tea and caffeinecontaining soft drinks. Stop it:

Change your bedtime routine. Take a relaxing bath. Listen to soothing music. Ban TV, work, checking your emails and eating in bed. Wear layered clothing which you can strip off easily when you have hot flushes, keep a small hand fan by the bed and a larger one in the bedroom for your night sweats. See your doctor for a four-month trial of HRT which will cure all your symptoms. You can then continue on HRT if it’s appropriate.

Don’t drink coffee after 1pm. Ask your doctor if it’s possible to adjust the dose of your blood pressure medicine or to try another that will let you sleep better. Ditch the alcohol – it also prevents sleep.