Menopause can be a challenging time for us women and none more so when we lie
awake wondering where out quality of life has disappeared to! The sleep
disturbance menopause insomnia can make our lives uncomfortable at a time
when we should be winding down and enjoying our middle years.
The link between menopause and insomnia
The main cause of sleep disturbances are hot flashes. In Australia we call
them hot flushes but they're the same nasty beast whatever language we speak!
Hot flashes can vary from barely noticeable (lucky people!) to quite
incapacitating where adrenaline courses through our bodies and we become
drenched in sweat. Some unfortunate ladies even have to get up and change the
sheets.
The major culprit here is the adrenaline which wakes us up with a jolt when
it reaches our brain. The best way to help our sleep clearly then is to lessen
the impact of these hot flashes. Unfortunately this is something no-one can
agree on.
There has been so much bad press in the last few years about hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) that some women were scared off this easy way to
lessen their menopausal symptoms. If doctors can't make up their minds about
HRT, who are we to try and guess our way through it. I decided in 2006 to stop
taking it and have been taking a herbal remedy ever since.
So are hot flashes the only cause of menopause insomnia? No. Speaking from
experience I've found that the anxiety that sometimes comes with the menopause
can be a major cause of lost sleep. Anxiety and stress can lead to a condition
called "monkey mind" where the mind jumps from one thought to another and is
very difficult to quieten down.
Some women going through menopause tend to notice their sleep becomes
fragmented, that is they wake frequently during the night. While part of this
can be blamed on hot flashes, it may also caused by the mind racing, making deep
sleep difficult.
My personal experience with menopause insomnia has not been a pleasant
experience. I found it almost impossible to quieten my racing mind when I lay
down at night. This led to stress and of course once we start worrying about
not being able to sleep, we all know where that leads...
The best way to deal with menopause insomnia is to deal with the symptoms of
menopause as best we can. Otherwise there is a real danger of sleep problems
remaining long after the menopause has departed.
I'm not going to recommend drugs here. We know we can go to the doctor and
get those at any time. If you feel HRT is the way for you then that's fine. make
sure you visit your doctor at least every 6 months and get your blood pressure
monitored and have a breast check.
For us natural enthusiasts, stress and anxiety can be handled by a complex
approach. Exercise is a great way to relax the body and help us sleep at night.
Strangely it's better to exercise in the morning as far as sleep is concerned,
maybe because the sunlight sets our circadian rhythm for the day.
For some effective relaxation techniques visit the
relaxation-techniques page for some ideas on how to relax. Do one or
more of these each day if you can.
For safe effective relief from hot flashes, MellowPause is a safe and natural way to
regain your cool. MellowPause also relieves anxiety, aching joints, early waking and other
symptoms of menopause. This is what I'm using now after trying quite a few!
"I started taking MellowPause 9 days ago; for the past 5
nights I have had no hot flashes or night sweats and have had 6 - 8 hours
uninterrupted sleep.... Maureen A.
"Thank you very much for recommending your MelloPause treatment. I honestly
felt like I could climb the walls! My mother also struggled during her menopause
and I guess it must run in the family. I feel so much more calm and all the hot
flashes have gone!"
Sandra, Beauford West.
Make sure you are sleeping in a cool room and make sure your bedding is not
too warm. If you have to throw off your bedding during a hot flash, feeling cold
afterwards can wake you up.
Unwind for 2 hours before bed if possible. Easier said than done I know, but
try not to work right up to bedtime. Watching TV may affect your sleep as well,
as the bright light can affect our circadian rhythm.
Try to establish a night time routine. This works well for kids and it works
for us too. A set of activities performed every night sets up a habit which
tells our subconscious mind it's time for sleep - leave horror movies out of
this!
Eat serotonin producing foods. Rice (especially Jasmine) and other
carbohydrates, turkey, chicken and bananas all help form this sleep inducing
neurotransmitter.
Menopause insomnia can be a problem but we can help to overcome it with
persistence, natural remedies and good health habits.
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