Menopause may be a natural and unavoidable stage of life, but it’s not without its challenges! When we reach our forties or fifties, symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and hormonal fluctuations are part of the deal. But for many women, these are not the hardest parts of “the change”. The sleep issues that come with menopause are the toughest, and have the biggest impact. That’s why it’s well worth learning more about this topic, no matter how old you are.
Issues with sleep can seriously affect your quality of life, leaving you feeling drained, irritable, and unable to concentrate. If you find yourself suffering from restless nights, know that you’re not alone. A huge number of menopausal women feel the same way.
However, knowing that you’re not alone isn’t the only good news. Menopause-related sleep issues are not something that you have to just quietly accept. Find out why you should take this issue seriously and what you can do to alleviate it.
Why A Lack of Sleep Is Serious
Sleep is integral to maintaining our physical and mental wellbeing as it plays a fundamental role in maintaining our brain function and overall physical health. When we sleep, our body stores energy and repairs cells. Without sleep, our bodies can’t undergo the necessary biological processes needed to function.
Poor sleep can lead to a host of issues, like a weakened immune system, unwanted weight gain, and high blood pressure. It can also cause indirect physical harm – drowsiness can make you prone to accidents. If you suffer from sleep deprivation for an extended period of time, you have an increased risk of developing chronic issues related to the heart, kidneys, blood, and brain. Poor sleep also has an effect on our mental wellbeing; it’s associated with irritability, depression, and forgetfulness.
Menopause can be a deeply uncomfortable period of your life; the symptoms aren’t only challenging on their own but can also feed off of one another. While hot flashes often lead to sleep disturbances, they can also be triggered by sleep issues. This creates a cycle of discomfort. For these reasons, it’s important that you look into treating your menopause-related sleep issues instead of allowing them to control your life.
Luckily, there are many ways to address your troubles with sleep. There’s a wealth of information and suggestions available for treating insomnia and general restlessness, and we’ve compiled a detailed list to help.
How To Treat Menopause-Related Sleep Issues
Medical Interventions
Many women choose to treat their menopause-related sleep issues with medical interventions, and these can be highly effective in achieving a good night’s rest.
You can look into medications such as melatonin and many other over-the-counter or prescribed sleeping aids. It’s important to consult with a doctor if you choose this route, especially if you take any medication for a lengthy period of time, use any other medications that might interact with sleeping pills, or have a pre-existing medical condition.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is frequently suggested. Once you reach menopause, you begin to produce significantly less oestrogen and progesterone. This accounts for many of the symptoms menopausal women experience. Doctors typically prescribe a dose of oestrogen in pill, patch, or cream form, either alone or combined with progesterone.
Herbal Remedies
Several herbal products and supplements can help to address menopause-related symptoms. The following remedies can help with your sleep issues while also addressing other symptoms:
- Black cohosh: This flowering plant mimics the effects of oestrogen.
- Valerian root and evening primrose oil: These herbal remedies provide relief from hot flashes.
- Chamomile: Typically served as a herbal tea, Chamomile is lauded for its calming properties.
- Passionflower: This vine is traditionally used as a sleeping aid; its sedative effects help with sleep issues and anxiety.
- Ashwagandha: The Ashwagandha plant has been used to treat a variety of conditions for thousands of years and it can help to alleviate menopause-related symptoms too.
Lifestyle Choices
Your lifestyle choices can also affect the severity of menopause symptoms.
Diet
Diet plays a critical role in your physical health, and certain foods can seriously exacerbate your menopause-related symptoms.
It’s best to avoid spicy, sugary, and high GI foods, as well as foods high in trans fats, as these have been linked to hot flashes. You should also steer clear of foods and substances known to cause inflammation – alcohol is a common culprit, so you should aim to keep your intake at a minimum.
It’s also recommended cutting out caffeinated beverages, especially in the afternoon, as their stimulating effects can be felt even hours after you consume them. Your drink of choice should be water, as women experiencing menopause tend to suffer from increased dehydration linked to lower levels of oestrogen.
Exercise
Incorporating some movement into your day not only keeps you fit and active but also helps to reduce stress and relaxes your body before bedtime.
Hit the gym, attend a yoga class, or simply go on a walk to relieve your body from restless energy. Coupled with its endorphin-inducing effects, exercise can calm any anxiety you may have and draw you into a peaceful state. This is highly conducive towards achieving a good night’s rest.
But remember: all things should be done in moderation. Pushing yourself too hard with high-intensity workouts can negatively affect your health, and exercising too late in the day can energise you before bedtime, which is undesirable. As long as you’re engaging in moderate exercise throughout the week, you should begin to feel the positive effects.
Sleep Routine
Committing to a proper night time routine will help signal your body that it is time to rest. If you follow a regular sleep schedule by constantly going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, you can train your body to rest within those specified hours. For the best outcome, you should avoid napping towards the later hours of the day, as this may make you restless in the evening.
Ensure that your bedroom conditions are conducive to good sleep. Opt for relaxing activities at night like listening to calming music, journaling, or reading a book to get into a state of restfulness.
Put Sleep Issues To Bed
When asked about their quality of sleep and whether they felt rested, 63% of menopausal women surveyed said that they regularly felt drowsy or tired at work. Poor quality sleep is clearly a major problem that women during this stage need help combatting.
Now that you have some tips on treating your menopause-related sleep issues, you can be proactive in improving your health and quality of life.