4 Menopause-Related Sleep Problems and How to Beat Them!!!
From hot flashes to insomnia, find out how to treat the most common sleep problems in menopause. Origins of an article by Blake Miller(2019)
Updated April 2021
Medically Reviewed by Kacy Church, MD
You are not alone in your quest to seek out the answer to a perfect nights’ sleep! It’s reported that as many as half of all women will experience sleep problems during menopause.
It can be hard enough to get a good night’s sleep, but when you’re going through menopause, it’s even more difficult to sleep soundly. Worse, the effects of too little shut-eye can linger into the next day, triggering daytime fatigue, trouble concentrating, and mood problems.
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), up to 50 percent of menopausal women will experience sleep complications, compared with 15 percent of the general population. What’s more, a study published in March 2020 in the journal Menopause found that women tend to have more sleep problems after menopause than they do during peri-menopause (i.e., the transition period leading up to menopause). In fact, for many women the time just before, during, and after menopause can be a sleepless one.
The good news: Your women’s Essential Hormone balancing cream #Youfemism will help create the hormonal balance needed to alleviate the symptoms of menopause including poor sleep. There are other ways to combat the most common menopause-related sleep issues. Here are the top four sleep conditions and how to manage them effectively.
- Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
Many of the sleep problems that menopausal women face are typically due to hot flashes and night sweats, 80 percent of women experience hot flashes, night sweats, or both during menopause.
Women tend to get hot flashes during their REM cycles (this is the stage when you fall into your deepest sleep during your rest cycle), which, among other things, stimulates the areas of your brain that are crucial to retaining information and making memories. So it’s no wonder you feel wrung out and exhausted by the time your alarm goes off and then you spend the day wading through your foggy brain.
Life style changes are a must as you age. Reducing your sugars and starches including your favorite alcoholic beverages will be hugely beneficial. Cutting them out entirely is better in the long run but let’s face it… It’s really difficult to not give in to your sweet cravings so don’t be hard on yourself – take things a step at a time. If you take 2 sugars in your tea try reducing to 1 then half until you acquire a taste for none. Try to include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables into your daily meal plan along with your favorite source of protein. Eating healthy is key to good health. And so is daily exercise. Any kind of exercise is better than none. If you are not a fan of any formal exercise program then make your house chores and gardening tasks count – exaggerate the moves for maximum benefit. Make time for a daily walk (the more brisk the more benefit!) If you can’t seem to fit that in then try making changes to your habits at work – take the stairs instead of the lift (within reason, of course), practice chair yoga (it’s a thing – google it!) Getting your steps in every day will certainly impact positively on your sleep cycle.
You are probably wondering how simple changes to your eating habits and exercise regime have the positive effect of reducing your hot flushes and night sweats… remember, your estrogen levels have dropped off (if you are in full menopause) since your ovaries produce far less. Your messengers, in other words your Hormones, are not delivering as they should for optimal function and so an imbalance occurs. So do your hotflushes and nightsweats. It’s important to remember that what you eat and drink affects your whole being!
Youfemism has proven most effective in assisting hormonal balance which in turn reduces the negative effects of Menopause.
- Mood Disorders
About 23 percent of peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women experience mood changes, according to NAMS. Throw in the COVID lockdown rules and you would be forgiven for doubting that number since social media speaks to so many of you expressing the misery you feel.
Medical practitioners see a lot of depressed, highly anxious ladies who call on them for a solution. Certain hormone therapy medications can help with mood disorders but the core of every treatment plan during menopause is really about making appropriate lifestyle changes.
Your medical practitioner may also recommend following the National Sleep Foundations guidelines for healthy sleep hygiene which include:
- Establishing a consistent nighttime routine
- Keeping your bedroom cool (about 65 degrees)
- Exercising daily
- Maintaining a healthy weight
Meditation is often recommended to encourage healthy sleep. A study published in May 2018 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that meditation and mindfulness has a positive effect on your circadian rhythms (sleep/wake cycle). Plus, a study published in January 2019 in the journal Climacteric found that mindfulness may ease your menopausal symptoms, which might also help you sleep easier.
Youfemism is known to create hormonal balance which positively contributes to a good night’s rest!
- Snoring and Sleep Apnea
For menopausal women, the decrease in production of certain hormones — estrogen and progesterone — can increase the likelihood they’ll develop obstructive sleep apnea, according to the NSF. These hormones help keep the airway open by toning the muscles in the throat. When the hormones decrease, the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea increases.
The first step to treating sleep apnea — and snoring, one of the hallmark symptoms of the condition — is to get a diagnosis. This can be done by doing either a home or lab-based sleep test.
It is reported that as a woman you may present more symptomatic at lower severities of sleep apnea compared to a man. You are more likely to experience excessive daytime sleepiness in the setting of mild apnea compared to a man, as well!
If you suffer from sleep apnea, possible treatments include CPAP therapy (a machine with a mask that delivers air to you), oral appliances (resembling mouth guards), or surgery.
- Insomnia
As many as 61 percent of menopausal women report having insomnia symptoms, according to the NSF. While some of the biggest causes tend to be hot flashes and night sweats. Insomnia can sometimes be caused by underlying mood disorders too.
Getting to the root of the problem and figuring out if this is truly related to menopausal hormones or lack of estrogen or an underlying medical health issue like anxiety or depression is the first step when treating insomnia.
To combat insomnia caused by emotional factors your medical practitioner may recommend trying cognitive behavioral therapy with an experienced mental health provider. Or you may be encouraged to follow healthy sleep hygiene practices before being prescribed sleep medication (this can be habit forming in some people).
You know how lack of sleep affects you! Be kind to yourself… don’t feel guilty if your caught catching a 10 minute power nap during the day. In fact, you should! You’ll find the rest of the day is easier to cope with. When you feel exhaustion wash over you, take a break. Grab a healthy snack and cup of herbal tea!
One step at a time…
For a healthier YOU!