Women’s stories

“I’d had insomnia since the earth’s crust cooled.”

At 45, Chris was looking for a natural alternative to sleeping pills when she found our website. She’d carefully ticked off every aspect of good sleep hygiene and healthy self-care that could possibly be causing her sleeplessness — including regular exercise and vitamins. She was just one month into her Personal Program when finally, after suffering from insomnia since middle school — she realized she could dispense with the sleeping medications and get a decent night’s sleep.

“I’ve been on the Program for about half a year now, and it has helped a whole lot with my sleep problems. I’d had insomnia since the earth crust cooled — a long, long time — since middle school — forever! As I got older — starting about seven years ago — I also developed menstrual migraines, and then the insomnia really kicked in. About a year ago it was untenable. I just couldn’t manage with Tylenol PM. I’d wake up at 2:00 AM, and that would be it.

“I was just too strung out. So I went to see my OB/GYN, and she said ‘Welcome to perimenopause.’ First we tried Rozerem, but I could’ve just stuffed it in my ears — negative impact. She recommended my next step would be to see an internist. So I did that, and he tested my thyroid, then asked the usual questions. ‘Are you depressed?’ (because everyone thinks that’s something that normally causes insomnia), ‘Have you done all the other things — a nice bed, dark room, cool room, plenty of exercise, vitamins?’ And I was like, ‘Duh! Yeah!’

“Well, his recommendation was Lunesta. But he advised me not to use it more than two to three days a week. I said okay, and that was helping, but then there were still only two to three nights a week that I was getting a decent night’s sleep. Plus, I didn’t like being dependent on prescription drugs.

“So I started looking for other options, and that’s when I stumbled upon Women to Women. That led me to research black cohosh, and I thought that seemed like a good strong possibility. I had already been doing vitamins in the morning, but the Program adds vitamins and minerals at night, and together with the Herbal Equilibrium, I noticed a difference when I was about a month into it. At first I thought, Well, I’m slowly seeing improvement... but then I suddenly realized, Hey, I haven’t needed to take Lunesta in a couple weeks now! In fact, I haven’t had to take it since December.

“You have to understand, I’d had insomnia since God was a boy. I’d bought the fancy Sleep Number bed, installed the air conditioning, become a regular runner — everything that could be done had been done. Even had custom-made ear plugs made, because before, if anyone was even thinking of making a noise, that would be it.

“You can deal with a lot of the other stuff if you’re not strung out. The volume is just turned way up on the irritability and everything else when you haven’t slept in days. You tend to move in for the kill. People have definitely noticed the change in me. Most assuredly. I’m bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I’m back to being normally irritating rather than just vicious!

“What I like best about the Personal Program is being able to call someone when I have a question and being able to get some input into that. I also like that it’s more natural — I believe there’s a place for Western medicine, not to discount it — but you need a good balance. And when you pursue homeopathy or Ayurveda and other alternative forms of medicine, you give your body a chance to work it out. And I like the idea of perimenopause not being treated as a disease. Well, it’s not — it’s a part of life. You just have to work through it. I have a feeling I’m at the earlier stages of this journey, so I think I’ll be with you for a while. I like the Women to Women concept, women talking to women, getting some input from one another. It helps you realize, Hey, I’m not a nut-case. I’m not alone out here.”

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Last Modified Date: 05/24/2011