Everything you need to know about menopause and sleep
Before it started, you slept perfectly well. Now you’ve entered the rocky territory of the menopause, you might be unlucky enough to lose your sleeping mojo. Millions of us do.
Menopause can affect the quality of sleep as well as its quantity, both of which leave you feeling wrung out, grey, tired and unable to enjoy life to the full. Add hot flushes, which can be so violent they wake you up and it’s a very difficult time for many women. One minute you feel like you’re being boiled alive, the next you’re shivering with chills. These sweats add to the misery of sleeplessness, leaving you dripping wet and feeling dirty as well as exhausted. And if you also suffer from a dry mouth, it adds insult to injury. Sleep can feel a million miles away.
What can you do to alleviate the impact of poor sleep during menopause? It matters when the menopause can eat up more than ten years of your life, making you feel less than your best from the early stages of perimenopause to the time it’s finally over.
Let’s take a look at how to alleviate the menopausal symptoms that stop you dropping off, wake you in the middle of the night and ruin your days.
Tips for sleeping better during menopause
To manage hot flushes - also called flashes - better, avoid the foods that can trigger them. Spicy foods and alcohol don’t help, but you might find you have a set of foods unique to you that trigger your flushes.
Taking slow, deep breaths when a hot flash starts can help control it, so it feels like less of a nightmare.
To improve your chances of lovely, refreshing sleep, avoid eating a big meal before bed and don’t snack for a couple of hours before you go upstairs. It’s wise to avoid smoking, coffee in particular and caffeine in general. Bear in mind tea often has just as much – sometimes more- caffeine than coffee. And have a soothing drink beforehand, maybe warm milk or something caffeine-free.
Try not to take naps during the day no matter how tired you feel. Maximise the comfort of your bed, pillows and covers. Relax for an hour before bedtime, maybe reading a book or listening to music rather than playing with your mobile. In fact it’s wise to make sure your bedroom is totally free from gadgets. TV, mobile phones and tablets all emit blue light, which naturally keeps your body and brain awake, so ban them from your bedroom.
The room you sleep in should be dark, quiet and cool. Too warm and you won’t sleep well, menopause or not. Open a window if you can, to keep the air fresh.
A decent amount of exercise every day makes your body feel more like sleeping. Avoid exercise too near bedtime though. It’ll just make you feel too lively for sleep.
As a last resort, you could ask for Menopausal Hormone Treatment or MHT, designed to help treat the symptoms of night sweats, hot flashes, and sleep problems. It can even help ease the irritability you can feel, which can itself keep you awake.
You might think a nice sleep in the next day will help. Sadly it won’t. Sleeping in only makes you feel more jet lagged, more tired and less able to sleep well the next night. The secret is a routine with regular sleeping hours and we’ll look at that next.
The power of a lovely, luxurious sleep ritual
Whatever your age, a regular pre-sleep routine should go a long way towards making you sleep better. Make it into a pleasing ritual and it’s even more powerful. Did you know there are all sorts of exciting and beautiful products designed to help ease you into a lovely, relaxed state then drift off into a quality sleep?
Natural sleep aids include magical Pure Silk Pillowcase the ultimate in bedtime treats. The sleek, smooth texture, the cool feeling of real silk, it all helps you nod off.
The same goes for a pair of Soft Wool Bed Socks designed to delight your feet. If it’s chilly a Silk Velvet Hot Water Bottle delivers luxurious warmth. But there’s no reason why you can’t fill yours with ice cold water on hot nights for supreme cool and comfort.
Light keeps us awake. A Silk Sleep Mask keeps the light out, a wonderfully soft and comfortable way to promote long, restful nights as well as soothing your skin and reducing sleep creases.
A luxurious Lavender and seed filled Eye Pillow helps tension and stress drift away prior to sleep. A Silk Face Pillow takes that relaxation to another level, the perfect way to totally switch off.
And if you find heat is an issue, sleeping in a Pure Mulberry Silk Kaftan, inspired by Greek goddesses, is the perfect garment to slip on for naturally cooling, beautiful night time relaxation.
The positive side of menopause
Having said all that, it’s good to know that one of the biggest studies into middle aged women proved most of us feel ‘overwhelmingly positive or neutral’ towards menopause and most of us don’t need to ask for medical help. It’s also good to know that a healthy overall lifestyle means you might suffer fewer or milder symptoms.
Once you’ve revived your sleep mojo and you’re back on track, you can appreciate the benefits of menopause. You’re older... but you’re also a lot wiser. Women in menopause enjoy better ‘clarity, decisiveness, emotional intelligence’. Let’s face it, it’s lovely not menstruating.
Now you know how to handle the elements of the menopause that can make a good sleep seem a million miles way, you can settle down and enjoy the positive side. Good luck!
