The midnight hour

May 2009

"My best sleep is at 7am," said my friend as we talked about this and that and how she was getting through menopause. Only just 50 she had begun to feel the "change". It wasn't the hot flushes that were bothering her so much, as the difficulty in getting a good night's sound sleep. Not being able to drop off when she went to bed at her usual time, she'd have a wakeful time and just as she finally dropped into a deep sleep it would be 7am – time to get up for a busy day at work.

This would sound familiar to many women. It is true, our sleep patterns change with menopause. It is also true that sleep disorders are more prevalent amongst women of any age than in men. At various life stages women will suffer disturbed sleep due to the hormonal fluctuations, such as premenstrually and during pregnancy.

Hot flushes and night sweats are triggers for poor sleep but even those women who have little or no flushing can still have difficulty sleeping. It is also known that younger women have less sleep problems than peri menopausal and menopausal women.

It is pretty clear that the lowering levels of oestrogen are a major reason, but other conditions that cause poor sleep should also be considered. These include:

• obesity
• heart disease
• thyroid disorders
• restless leg syndrome
• sleep apnea
• depression
• anxiety
• pain from arthritis.

What can you do to get better sleep – naturally?

Well, firstly, look at your lifestyle habits and see what you can change to come close to what is thought of as good sleep hygiene:

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine – Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and the metabolism of alcohol disrupts your sleep.
  
  
• Keep regular sleeping and waking hours – This helps by stabilizing your circadian rhythms (natural waking/sleeping cycle). A regular waking time is most important.
  
  
• Avoid spending too much time in bed – This also disrupts your circadian rhythms and can lead to fragmented sleep.
  
  
• Get rid of the alarm clock – Watching the clock allows worries to grab hold in your mind and adds to the anxiety you feel about not getting enough sleep.
  
  
• Exercise in the afternoon or early evening – This helps to deepen sleep and makes it easier to fall asleep quickly.
  
  
• Have a light bedtime snack – This reduces awakenings caused by the drop in blood sugar.
  
  
• Sleep in a quiet dark bedroom – Noise and light can waken you, and light also changes your circadian rhythms.
  
  
• Make sure that your bed is comfortable with a good mattress and bedding and your bedroom at a comfortable temperature.
  
  
• Avoid day time napping – It reduces the amount of time you need to sleep at night.
  
  
• Avoid "trying" to sleep – It only adds to the anxiety and tension you feel. Better to get up, do something and then go back to bed and to sleep.

Adopting these rules can greatly improve your sleep, but, of course, if hot flashes and night sweats are making the problem worse, you will need more help. Herbal medicines such as Black Cohosh and Sage are very helpful to ease hot flashes and night sweats especially when supported by the hormone balancing diet.

For more information about the hormone balancing diet, please contact Elizabeth Blomberg at mind body insight. You can also schedule a consultation online.

Also read: Sleep tight