Insomnia

Approximately 50% of women report sleep disturbances during the menopause, with the most common ones being waking at night and having trouble falling asleep.

The link between menopause and poor sleep is due to areas of the brain influenced by the lack of oestrogen and progesterone. These two hormones regulate our sleep normally, but due to fluctuations in our hormones during menopause, they, in turn, affect our sleep patterns. Oestrogen, progesterone, and a few other hormones influence our circadian rhythms – our natural sleep-wake cycles. 

Sleep disturbance can also happen when hot flushes or night sweats wake us from sleep. 

Despite the common myth that we need less sleep as we age, the opposite is true; we need more rest to help our bodies restore and rejuvenate. 

So, what can we do to better sleep for good health and vitality?

1) We can start by looking at the food we eat and ensuring we are eating a balanced diet, which means balancing our blood sugars throughout the day to manage our cortisol levels. Our food should include a mixture of healthy fats, such as coconut oil, olive oil as a dressing, nuts, and seeds. We need lots of healthy carbs in the form of green vegetables, and if you are the kind of person who wakes about 1 to 3 am (the time when our adrenals are restoring), then having a light meal containing fat and protein before you sleep may help you to stay asleep.

2) If you have a busy, stressful day, you will have a busy night! Again, you need to make sure you are keeping your blood sugars balanced and taking time for walks, mediation, yoga/pilates and exercising each day to help to combat the stress building up in your body. Exercising regularly has been shown to improve the quality of sleep. 

 3) Try relaxation techniques, and this does not have to be right before bedtime. I regularly teach evening classes where we end with a 15min relaxation period at 7.30 pm, and I then usually have a fantastic night’s sleep some 3hrs later when I go to bed.

4) Sleep hygiene – pay attention to the light and dark cycles of the day. Ideally, the lights in your home should mimic the light of the day. So, turning on lamps and even candles will help the body move towards better sleep by using softer light at night. Bright lights suppress the formation of melatonin. This allows the melatonin signal, which forms part of the system that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, to switch on and work. Melatonin is a chemical that causes drowsiness and lowers body temperature. This is where exposing ourselves to light each day can help, like going for a 20minute walk – as daylight helps make melatonin, which will aid your sleep. 

5) Reduce exposure to bright light in the evening again on your computers, laptops, and phones. Try and stop using them for 2 to 3hrs before you go to bed. 

6) Avoid caffeinated drinks altogether, as caffeine can be a stimulant and keep you awake, including tea, coffee, cola drinks, and hot chocolate. 

7) Try not to take your worries to bed with you and use a journal – jot everything down and brain dump so you can switch off and relax into sleep.

8) Try some relaxing music and breathing techniques – deep breathing in for a count of 5, hold for a count of 8 and exhale for a count of 5 for 20 minutes. 

I use CDB oil, and all you need is some drop under your tongue at night. Great for sleep, pain and anxiety. I have some in the Meno Mojo shop.

And I will end on this positive – a little quote that made me smile:

 “Sleep is like sex; we are all talking about it, but no one is getting enough of it!”