10 tips for Sleeplessness in Menopause
Can’t sleep? What to do when you can’t fall asleep!
We all have trouble falling asleep some nights.
Insomnia, sheep counting, tossing and turning, whatever you want to call it, sleep disturbance can ramp up in the perimenopause and menopause years.
When we have trouble sleeping, EVERYTHING is off isn’t it? Add in night sweats and then the chills, our sleep suffers on a regular basis.
When I was practicing dental hygiene, I saw many people who suffered from sleep apnea, which affects so much in the body.
Sleep is a foundation of overall health.
Sleep is a foundation of longevity and well being.
Not to mention more sleep means less bitchiness.
Does this sound familiar?
You have a busy weekend, Sunday rolls around, you are beyond exhausted, and are waiting for that moment when the dinner dishes are out of the way, your university-aged kids retreat to their room, or back to school, and you can climb in bed.
You get into your jammies, climb into your fresh bed, and maybe open a book. Within five minutes you’re yawning.
The book closes shut, you lay your head down and close your eyes.
You take a deep breath, and relax into your pillow.
Your eyes pop open.
The squirrels in your head keep running the movie of "Monday at Work" on an ongoing loop.
Or you think of all the things that didn’t get done this weekend.
Or you play the fight you had with your spouse over and over.
You try not to look at the time, but you can't help it.
And the stress level goes UP.
10 tips for sleep support in Menopause below.
Have you had your sleep evaluated?
Your family doctor and even your dentist can get things started with a sleep evaluation.Start at your licensed healthcare practitioner to make sure there are no underlying causes of sleep disturbance.With sleep apnea, you cannot get into Stage 3 sleep.
This is a deeper stage of sleep, where toxins get eliminated, we secrete human growth hormone, and so much more. With a sleep disturbance, we stay in stage 1 and 2 sleep, which are the first steps to sleep, but do not allow the full process of restoration to the body.
After exploring with a health professional, here are some tips to interrupt this problem.What’s up with your WiFi devices?
I know, I have an Instagram problem too.From scrolling smoothie bowls to body positive quotes, the little device in my hand can keep me going way past my natural bedtime.
We live in an artificial world it seems. Artificial light disrupts our hormone melatonin which helps in sleep regulation. Sunlight, best in the early part of the day, naturally tells the body to wake up, and melatonin increases when the light decreases naturally in the day.
Wearing blue light blocking glasses when working at night on your computer helps filter the disruptive light. Try to get off your screens 1-2 hours prior to bedtime.If you can turn the screens OFF at least an hour before bedtime, which should be the same time each night, that’s a GREAT and FREE option!
EMF, electromagnetic frequencies, disrupt MORE than our sleep.
B Vitamins.
Some common nutrients like B Vitamins, and Magnesium can support sleep.
B vitamins are water soluble and when they are grouped together, they are called "B-Complex". They are found in food, and also manufactured in the gut, specifically in the large intestine. The B's are great for stress, anxious feelings, fatigue and even insomnia.
Where to get B’s?Animal products, like liver and pork, will give you B’s.
Nutritional yeast is full of B’s, but you need a properly grown good source to make sure its content is optimal. You can also have too much of a good thing, as uric acid (leading to gout) levels can increase with large amounts of nutritional yeast (1).
YOUR GUT. Nourish your gut with pre and probiotic food to support production of B Vitamins!
A good B Complex. Taking separate single B vitamins, unless your’e deficient in say, B 12, may delete your other B vitamins (2). In some people, the B's are stimulating, so if you take a supplement, earlier in the day can be best.
Magnesium.
Called the "anti-stress" mineral, it relaxes muscles, including those in blood vessels. It’s processed and absorbed like calcium, and is supplemented in ratios of 2:1, calcium to magnesium.
Where to get Magnesium?Avocados
Greens (spinach, kale)
The germ of whole grains
Nuts and seeds
Bananas
Seafood like salmon or crab
Foods rich in magnesium are best at the end of the day, and if supplementing, take an hour before your bedtime. It does need to be balanced with Calcium.
We need nutrients, energy, and FOOD in menopause. If your food intake does not support the little chemical reactions that happen in your amazing beautiful body, then, your sleep may suffer.
Another great way to absorb some magnesium is in a bath with epsom salts. Add a little essential oil and you will have a recipe for relaxation.MOVE. In whatever way feels right.
If you don't move enough in the day, your body will not have had enough energy output to be tired. You may not have experienced enough natural light to feed the natural rhythm of wake and rest.Get a ROUTINE.
Just like our kids, we adults need routine, for sleeping. Same time to bed, same time to rise, even on weekends. Boring I know, but better than falling asleep in an office meeting and snoring, or worse, at the wheel of your car.Create a cool, calming, dark room
Keeping the room dark and cool helps the body rest. Creating a restful space is calming to the nervous system.
Light can decrease melatonin production and trick your body into thinking it’s time to get up.Caffeine. I’m all for adding in and NOT restricting. But, not all of us can deal with the coffee in menopause.
Caffeine is stimulating to the Central Nervous System. It causes alertness, which can extend to the evening and disturb sleep!
Have your caffeine in the morning, to give your body a chance to metabolize it, letting the stimulation properties of it, leave your system. And tune in to your own body to see what your limit is.
I’d love to tell you that substituting tea, green tea, or a delicious elixir instead of coffee is easy for me but I’d be lying.I love coffee. I have a few bags of Barlee Drinks on hand for that afternoon coffee craving without caffeine.
If you are a smoker, your caffeine tolerance is a little different. If you are trying to quit smoking, you do need to decrease your caffeine intake, to match your bodies lower metabolism of caffeine.
Stress. UGH.
We all have stress in this modern society, and some of us DO experience more EVENTS that are stress inducing than other people. Taking a look at how you respond to that stress, and how you take care of yourself during that time, can make a huge difference in your sleep.
I always have clients start to sift out the things they stress about into 2 categories. The things they can control and the things they can’t. Journalling on things that bother you, meditation, or even EFT can help let a bit of the pressure out.
Booze.
We NEED girls night out more than ever in menopause. When women activate the “tend and befriend” response, by being social, there is a calming effect on the nervous system.The wine though, that’s a buzzkill when it comes to sleeping.
Oh, it gets you TO sleep. But it disturbs your deep sleep, and may cause waking in the night. This also affects your nervous system, and your liver. Not to mention, using booze to sleep may turn into a dependancy.
One of the most common things I hear from women in perimenopause and menopause is that they don’t put themselves first. They still have loads of family responsibility.
Yet they are concerned about their health as they age.
Take the time to REST when you are tired. Please. It’s anti aging.
One last resource for you is this podcast, by Sleep Coach Beth Wyatt. Snuggle in to the Calm and Cozy podcast and treat yourself to some bedtime stories!
Happy Resting!
Tanya
Sources
Haas, Elson M., 2006, Staying Healthy With Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine
Ballentine, R., 2007, Diet and Nutrition: A Holistic Approach