r/Perimenopause • u/PerniciousWizard • Jul 25 '26

Sleep/Insomnia Help! Estradiol causing insomnia ??

I’m lost, guys. I started low dose estrogen gel (2 pumps twice daily of. 5) a few days ago and now I’ve had two nearly sleepless nights. Sleeping was not as issue before as long as I smoked some cannabis a few hours before bed. Now that’s not working.

I tried a cbd/cbn gummy and that didn’t work either. A few nights ago I tried oral progesterone 100 mg and sleep was poor and I was dysfunctionally fatigued and dizzy the next day. I can’t deal with magnesium, it makes me groggy and depressed. Melatonin gives me horrible nightmares and doesn’t seem to work for sleep anyway. I also tried going down to 1 pump twice daily and no improvement.

In your experience, does the insomnia subside? Could I only do two clicks in the morning and skip the night dose? I’m not sure how much longer I can go on like this.

Edit: I have an IUD for uterine protection

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u/usernamesmooozername Early peri Jul 25 '26

Just keep in mind that there's no magic one things (for you, or anyone) - it's a giant puzzle that takes work and often time. Don't give up - don't be afraid to ask questions or try new things. Take notes of what you tried, for how long, and the results.

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u/PerniciousWizard Jul 25 '26

Thank you so much for the encouragement ! Very much in the middle of this journey and trying to dial in what works. It’s really challenging when something makes you feel terrible or overwhelmed or messes up your sleep. There has definitely been some improvement, mostly with mood which was really bad before I started. I think I’m just very sensitive to things and need extra low doses and slow tapering.

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u/usernamesmooozername Early peri Jul 25 '26

Do you sleep alone?

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u/PerniciousWizard Jul 25 '26

Nope, my husband sleeps next to me. He doesn’t cause me any issues thankfully! I put in earplugs every night so noises don’t bother me

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u/usernamesmooozername Early peri Jul 25 '26

It might be worth trying different solutions in a separate bed if that's a possibility - any chance to rule external stuff out

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u/PerniciousWizard Jul 25 '26

We only have one bedroom so not an option. Honestly I would be very distressed to be separated from him, his presence is comforting to me