Menopause & sleep: Top tips

Peri menopause, menopause, post menopause… the physical changes, the hormonal changes and the psychological effect can create the perfect storm when it comes to sleep.

It seems that the most common, debilitating symptoms are the ones that creep in at night.

The night sweats and the insomnia.

However, just because these triggers affect us so much, it doesn’t mean there isn’t anything we can do.

It's true that menopause can keep triggering wake ups for various reasons in the middle of the night such as night sweats.

However, very commonly with a fairly chronic trigger, your brain starts to make associations with the night-time and being awake… and in a bid to help you (though we don’t see it that way), it can start learning and habituating to them.

Stephanie's top tips to help you sleep 

Read on to find out our sleep expert's top tips to help you sleep better at night. 

Follow a regular sleep pattern

Going to bed when you feel very sleepy and waking at the same time each day.

First of all, let me explain this properly – there is no fixed bedtime. How can there be?

The variables are changing so fast in your life this may be slightly different times for a while.

It's best to listen to your body and go to bed when you really really feel like it. Give yourself permission to stay up later and enjoy yourself!

These timings though, might look different to pre-menopause for you. Try not to have expectations based on pre-menopause.

Your body is going through a lot, and rest and sleep will be important, however forcing it to do things it clearly doesn’t need right now is unhelpful and can make sleep problems worse.

Imagine if you let go of your expectations and rather go on how you feel?

Sometimes comparisons can lead us into all sorts of random behaviours that only tend to increase our anxieties when they don’t work, such as lying in a dark room trying to will sleep to come.

Take some time out for you

Start thinking of additional activities in life that might help you feel better – it’s time to start thinking about you!

That could look like yoga, meditation or ‘you’ time in a different way – it doesn’t matter what you choose as long as it works for you.

Concentrating on how you feel during the day, making sure you have things to look forward to and things that make you feel good will reduce anxiety and stress which exacerbate sleep issues.

Be consistent

Light is also an unusual but influential aid for our mood especially – we have evolved on our planet with its light/dark cycles.

Our bodies want to wind up in the morning (and light has the power to help with this) and wind down in the evenings (the absence of light helps with this).

The more you can be consistent with your behaviour that influences these processes the most; same wake times, consistent mealtimes, regular relaxation times and bright light during the day followed by low light in the evenings, the easier it is to cope with all the changes.

Summary

It is easy to get overwhelmed with all the quick fixes and treatments out there for menopausal symptoms, but we rarely focus on the key behavioural and most influential things we can do consistently that will have the most impact.

Follow these tips for a good few weeks consistently for positive results.

Takeaway 

It would be totally normal during this time to need extra support.

We are only human.

So, despite these tips, always feel free to contact your GP for more generalised menopause support or a qualified sleep expert for sleep support because there are solutions, and you don’t need to suffer alone!

^{The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.}