How To Sleep Better During Menopause

Menopause is a natural occurrence in a female’s life, and it is where her hormones begin to change. The body goes through immense changes that nothing truly can prepare you for but knowledge is power. So no matter how hard things become there are ways to make your experience slightly more comfortable.

When going through this transition in your life you may be noticing signs of menopause and wondering how you can learn to work with them and adjust as they can be overwhelming at times.

You may start to be affected by mood swings, forgetfulness, restless nights sleep too hot flushes. When your hormones are all over the place and you feel overwhelmed, your bed is your safe place to relax and refresh after a hard day. These symptoms don’t have to interfere with your sleep as they can be managed effectively, and aid in getting a quality night’s sleep.

During menopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels decrease, and this can trigger several changes in your lifestyle and hurt your sleeping habits. You may not know this, but progesterone is a sleep-producing hormone and as this decreases you may find it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Hot flushes and night sweats are the most common symptoms of menopause. As your hormone levels change you may feel sudden increases and drops in your body temperature.

However, what you are feeling is a spike in adrenaline level which is brought on by hormones decreasing. This is the same chemical that causes you to feel stress or a fight-or-flight reaction in your body.

When your body is flooded with cortisol which is brought on by stress, this can be hard for you to  wind-down, relax and overall makes falling asleep a challenge.

During menopause, your hormones drop and can lead you to feel irritable as well as susceptible to mood swings. This is due to falling oestrogen levels as they help to regulate your mood and act as a mild antidepressant, which makes you feel better and happier. As these decrease it can lead to feelings of low moods, depression and outbursts.This can worsen if alongside this, you also aren’t getting enough sleep.

Menopause, and the common symptom, insomnia can lead you to feelings of stress, anxiety, low moods, and depression. That is why doing everything in your power to get a restful night’s sleep is imperative when going through menopause.

Now, there is no magic cure but there are practices and things you can put in place to help cultivate an environment to support your menopause symptoms and aid in a better night’s sleep.Here are some small changes you can make that will help you on your menopausal journey and a more restorative sleep:

The Heiq technology can sense an increase in body temperature which then activates a unique cooling effect allowing moisture to evaporate, mimicking the body’s natural cooling mechanism. When the body has reached its ideal temperature, the reduced body heat will guide the cooling effect to ease back so that you won’t feel a chill.

Regulating your body temperature as best you can, will help you to sleep and help you to get through hot flushes.

Menopause is a stressful time for any woman, which is why taking the time out to focus on your mental health is essential to allowingyou switch off your mind, find a sense of calm which aids you in sleeping without anxiety or stress.

Try meditating in the morning to start your day off on the right track and meditate before bed.This can help to center your mind and body and is great to get into a regular sleep routine.

Meditation can also help with menopausal symptoms related to mood and sleep. When you are in bed, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Inhale for four, hold for four and exhale for four. Repeat. Try to be in the present moment and clear your mind.

The idea of meditation can seem daunting but there are apps like Calm which has been made to make the experience easy and simple. They provide you with the tools and resources to help you on your journey as well as guided meditations to help train and quiet the mind. 

Menopause can heighten your emotions and cause low moods, which can lead to restless and uneasy night’s sleep as you cannot switch your mind off.

However, regular exercise will release endorphins which will automatically uplift your mood and flood your brain with ‘happy’ hormones as well as fatigue your body. However make sure to not exercise before bed, it is best to do it during the day. This is because exercise stimulates the body and raises the body's temperature which can hinder your sleep as you will feel awake and restless. 

Therefore making you feel tired before bed and helps you to achieve a minimum of six hours of restorative sleep.

If you are struggling and need more support then there are resources out there that can help you such as:

• NHS Menopause Health and Support
• My Menopause Centre