Sleep and Menopause: 5 Tips for A Better Night’s Sleep
It’s all too familiar for many midlife women. You lie in bed in the middle of the night, wide awake, counting the hours until the alarm goes off again.
Unfortunately menopause and insomnia go hand in hand for all too many of us.
In fact, the National Sleep Foundation reports that over 40% of perimenopausal women and 60% of post-menopausal women have sleep problems. So if you’re 40+, there’s a good chance that menopause sleep problems are already very familiar to you.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an excellent way to treat many symptoms of the menopause, insomnia included. But not everyone can take HRT, so this is certainly something to discuss with your physician.
So here are some self-help tips for getting a good night's sleep…
“Hello Darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.”
Set a Bedtime Routine
I know it’s tempting to stay up late on Friday night or sleep late on a Sunday morning. But keeping to regular times for going to bed and getting up is more likely to help you have a good sleep.
Try to get outside for around 30 minutes a day as exposure to daylight can help with sleep problems. But don’t forget to apply sunscreen to keep your skin looking good.
And if you do decide to refresh yourself with an afternoon nap, make it before 3pm so that you’ll still be tired at bedtime.
“Sunlight cues special areas in the retina, which triggers the release of seratonin.”
2. Watch What You drink
You probably already know that the caffeine in tea, coffee and cola is a stimulant. It can take up to eight hours to leave your system, keeping you awake at night and also triggering hot flashes.
But alcohol can also make menopause sleep problems worse. That’s because although it will initially relax you, it can make it harder to stay asleep and also disrupts the most restorative deep sleep.
So if you’re struggling with menopause insomnia, it’s worth avoiding both of these.
3. wear Natural Clothing
Natural fibers are much better than synthetic fabrics when it comes to avoiding hot flashes and cold sweats.
So choose bedlinen and sleepwear that is made from cotton, silk or even bamboo fabric. These will all help to keep you cooler in bed, making you more likely to have a good night’s sleep.
4. Keep Cool
And it’s also important to make sure that you keep the temperature in your bedroom comfortably low. Around 65F/18C is just right according to the Sleep Foundation.
Taking a cool shower before bed can also help you to drift off, but don’t have the water too cold. That will just make you feel even more wide awake!
5. Try to Relax
If all else fails, don’t lie there tossing and turning, worrying about how tired you are going to be in the morning. That’ll just make you even less likely to drift back off. If you’re still awake after about 20 minutes, get up and find something relaxing to do.
If menopause anxiety is keeping you awake, then you could try yoga, meditation or a warm bath with lavender aromatherapy oils to relax you.
Follow these tips for getting a good night's sleep and hopefully they’ll help to ease your menopause sleep problems…
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