Did you know that 60% of menopausal women report sleep disturbances?
Why does this happen?
Two hormones that affect sleep are progesterone and estrogen.
Progesterone, the antianxiety hormone provides a direct sedative effect on the body.
Estrogen increases REM sleep and assists serotonin (a relaxing hormone) metabolism, deceases the time it takes to fall asleep, regulates cortisol and regulates body temperature.
During menopause, the production of both of these hormones is significantly reduced. This results in sleep disruptions, issues falling asleep, frequent awakening and early morning awakening regardless of the total number of hours slept. It can also cause insomia and hot/cold flushes throughout the night.
What can you do to get a better night sleep?
There are a few things you can do to ensure you get a better night sleep! Tonight, try some of the following:
Establish a regular bed time which includes going to bed at the same time every night
Remove any screens or blue light from your bedroom
Remove blue light screen exposure 1 hour before bed
Keep room temperature cool
Exercise regularly, but not right before bed
Avoid alcohol and caffeine to help mitigate onset of hot flushes
Supplementation with melatonin
Drink tart cherry juice 30 mins before bed (it is high in the chemical that promotes melatonin release)
Drink some Valarian root tea (research shows it improves sleep latency)
A good night sleep is essential to not only our body functioning properly but also contributes to our mood during the day! Try the above tips to help your sleep quality and let us know which one you find most useful!
Comments