What can make menopause sleep problems worse?
We know from personal experience that understanding the triggers for your perimenopausal restless nights, can help you manage them.
Have you found yourself in menopause and feel tired all the time? You should know that what and when you eat can create a hormonal see-saw of sleep disturbance.
Sugar and refined carbs can cause blood sugar to spike and dip. Leave cakes, biscuits, white bread, pasta, and white rice on the supermarket shelf. Switch to good carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread, pasta, and brown rice.
Salt can raise blood pressure and cause dehydration, interrupting your precious sleep.
Spices can cause reflux when you lie down, hello heartburn.
Caffeine impacts on sleep up to six hours before bedtime. The mid-afternoon mocha may cause midnight misery as you toss and turn. If you’re sensitive to the effects avoid coffee, tea (yes, even tea contains caffeine, make your last cuppa of the day a herbal one), no energy drinks and fizzy drinks in the evening.
Alcohol helps you to fall asleep but can wake you up later in the night, bringing with it unwanted anxiety and making it difficult to get back to sleep again.
Quality menopause sleep… It’s all in the preparation
Snooze, you lose! Snoozing reduces your ability to fall asleep at night. If you do need to snooze, NASA found 26 minutes is the optimum snooze time.
Big meals before bedtime should be avoided, so try not to eat within three hours of going to bed to optimise melatonin and blood sugar levels.
Disconnect from electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed to help you to wind down. Exposure to blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production.
Listening to calming mindful meditation apps like Headspace, Calm, or the menopause app Clarity, help train your brain to relax (switching off 30 mins before you want to sleep).
Stick to the same sleep schedule, consistency is good for your body clock.
When you’re in the sleep zone …
What can help with sleep problems in menopause?
Cut out the noise: If you are a light sleeper or sensitive to noise, wear earplugs. (May also help with hormone-induced tinnitus).
Block out the light: it suppresses melatonin. Try an eye mask or blackout curtains or blinds.
Try breathing exercises to calm down if you feel stressed about still being awake. Watch our YouTube vlog Yoga with Annie - Relaxation & Breathing Exercises
Keep a sleep diary to track sleep, or lack of it, noting down thoughts that might be keeping you awake.
No sweat!
Do night sweats affect sleep in menopause?
Menopause night sweats are a big contributor to sleep problems. Take steps to stay cool.
Turn off the heating and keep the window open. A lower temperature encourages your body to rest and sleep.
Nightwear for night fever! Wear moisture-wicking PJs to keep cool. There are specialist menopause clothing companies that use technologically designed textiles that claim to wick moisture away from your skin quickly, making you feel more comfortable. Or try nightwear made from bamboo fabric that’s moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial. Try swapping out your PJ’s for basics from specialist menopause clothing from Become or Fifty One Apparel.
Breathable bedding made of light-coloured natural fabrics, or specialist fibres, such as DermaTherapy bedding, will help absorb moisture. Synthetic sheets will make you hotter and sweatier.
Specialist mattress protectors are super absorbent and help air to circulate.
Chill out with a ‘chillow’ pillow, filled with cool water to lower body temperature.
If your menopausal sweating means regular bed changing, use a sheet under your duvet or sleep under the duvet cover with the duvet on top that can be quickly kicked off when hot.
There are plenty of diet and lifestyle changes to encourage a better night’s sleep through menopause, now is the time to find a bedtime routine that works for you.