Yep, irregular periods, mood swings, hot, cold, night sweats, dry skin, dry hair. It isn't pretty. The "average" age is 50, I started at 42. I am now 48 and still in the hot flash night sweat stage. You are not considered in menopause until you have not had a period for a year or more. The times before that are hard, and your mom will need some support and some help.
She should see her Gyno soon, they can do a simple blood test to see where she is in menopause. Also they can give her some advice on how to help herself through this.

yup

Sure thing, transient insomnia need not last very long either. It can be the result of stress or a change in the sleep environment. I would say most people have at least one bout of insomnia in their life. I wouldn't really worry about it unless it persists.

Insomnia is abnormal wakefulness, poor-quality sleep or inability to sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Almost everyone experiences some level of insomnia. Insomnia can be as simple as not being able to fall asleep because excitement of the day ahead or a change in sleeping patterns.

Insomnia may be a symptom of Nighttime Eating Syndrome.

Types of Insomnia

There are different classifications of insomnia: transient, intermittent, and chronic. Transient insomnia is short term insomnia. It can last from a single night to a few weeks. Intermittent Insomnia is insomnia that occurs on and off. Chronic insomnia is insomnia that occurs constantly, usually most nights and lasts for a month or more.

Who gets Insomnia?
Anyone can have insomnia. Insomnia occurs in women, the elderly, and individuals with a history of depression, or bipolar disorder.

Stress, anxiety, a medical problem, or the use of certain medications can contribute to developing insomnia.

What causes Insomnia?
Insomnia can be caused by many different things. Transient and intermittent insomnia usually occur in people who are temporarily experiencing: stress, environmental noise, extreme temperatures, change in the surrounding environment, sleep/wake schedule problems such as those due to jet lag, or medication side effects.

The cause of Chronic insomnia is more complex than the causes of transient and intermittent insomnia. It often results from a combination of factors, including underlying physical or mental disorders. One of the most common causes of chronic insomnia is depression.

Yes, from a number of causes. Exercise, but not within 2 hours of bedtime. Have a warm bath, or shower, an hour before bedtime, then a glass of very warm milk, possibly with Horlicks, or one of the herbal teas, below, and use dimmer lighting. Put your mind in a position where it wants to shut itself off, and sleep. See insomnia treatments, in much more detail than can be included here, in section 3, at ezy build, below. Use one of the relaxation methods, in bed, after lights out, in sections 2, 11, 2.c, or 2.i, but they can take some time to learn, (progressive muscular relaxation excepted) so learn and become proficient in their use during the day.

An alternative is to use the EFT, in section 53, and pages 2.q, and 2.o, saying to yourself: "Even though I currently have a sleep disorder, I deeply and completely accept myself." (or choose your own wording) while you use the acupressure. Some more; quick, and easy to learn, are at http://www.umm.edu/sleep/relax_tech.htm The progressive muscle relaxation, (most easily learned) guided imagery, and mindfulness breathing are known to be effective.

Find out which works best for you, in the daylight hours, so you will be prepared, come bedtime. For many people, a good idea is to develop a set "wind down" routine for the last hour before bedtime, so your subconscious mind learns that it is time to put thinking aside, and prepare for mindfulness, (awareness, without cogitation/purposeful thought) or the EFT, in preparation for sleep, but the idea with mindfulness is to not even think about sleeping: just drift off, naturally, during exercising those techniques.

Avoid TV, computer, or anything exciting in this hour, although reading a BORING! book is a good idea. I suggest that you try using the EMDR variant, below, prior to the mindfulness, or the progressive muscular relaxation, but after the EFT, if that method is chosen. Experiment, to find which combination works best for you.

In section 3 at ezy build: INSOMNIA: PAGE O – INSOMNIA: A COMPREHENSIVE POST a variant of Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing therapy is shown, which has been used successfully for those people suffering from insomnia, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and anxiety. It is easily learned, quick to use, yet can be very effective; although it is easy to be dismissive of such a seemingly unusual technique, give it a good tryout, for at least a few weeks, to see if it is effective in your case. I learned it from a book by a published clinical psychologist, on depression insomnia, and now use it every night, and find it works well.

No coffee, tea, or other caffeine (see list in section 7) within 6 hrs of bedtime! Try a cup of chamomile herbal tea, an hour before bedtime, and employ many of the techniques in section 3. Others may prefer Sleepytime, by Celestial Seasonings, Relax, Be Sleepy, or valerian root (valerian "hangovers" possible), from supermarket tea, or health food aisles. Milk, or cream should not be used with herbal tea. http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris Get up and do something, like read a book, if you can't sleep within 20 mns. Personally, I prefer to use the EMDR, then word/phrase repetition for a short time, changing over to mindfulness breathing; however, you may well find another method more effective. Bright light, preferably sunlight, soon after awakening, (even if overcast) resets circadian rhythms, regulating melatonin production in the brain.

I have a similar problem I can fall asleep when I go to bed but wake up after 3 hours and cannot get back to sleep
try calamine tea just before going to bed

i have a few ideas. i don't want to insult your intelligence but i'd regret not asking you, in case no one has.
do you drink caffeine after 5:00pm?
have you asked your dr if the meds you DO take can be causing this? are there any alternatives? also, can dr prescribe something for pain and/or insomnia that's NOT addictive? surely there is something available. would you consider therapy?

i'm guessing you don't want your son to think of you as an addict. people who take tons of vitamins do not have this concern. it's not about pills. it's about treating him with love and respect. i have to take meds for depression and have explained to my 8 year olds that if someone takes medicine that they do NOT need, they will get sick. it makes sense to them.

i pray/meditate my self to sleep every night. i'm told i go to sleep very quickly. also, i do my best to be the most loving person i can be everyday, so i can look myself in the mirror and sleep at night.

God bless.

you could try therapy….it sounds crazy but sometimes you have emotional/stress problems that manifest themselves in other ways (insomnia, back pain, etc) and once you work them out, your other problems get better.

Have you tried melatonin. Take 2 over the counter supplement pills one hour before bed time and it will help you get tired. Also pay attention to sleep hygiene- no caffeine after 2 pm, make sure your room is cool and quiet,maybe read for 20 min or so to let your brain slow down. If you cannot sleep get up after 30 minutes and do something boring and then try again. If you have been having this problem for a long time your body may associate the bed with a place you cannot sleep. Try making your bed up so you sleep at the foot to change it up a bit.