5 Ways to Sleep Better During Menopause

Sleep – that word often seems as elusive as the act itself for women in the midst of menopause. As if the problem of falling asleep was not bad enough, it often seems as though no sooner do you finally drift off into that wonderful state of slumber then your body wakes you up in a pool of sweat. By the time you get up, dry off, and change the sheets, you are now wide awake and have to start the whole process all over again.

Do you decide to start sleeping on the couch, in the spare bedroom, or give up on sleep altogether so as not to continually wake your partner or spouse? Do you turn down the air to sub-zero levels until icicles start to hang from the ceiling fan? What is the answer to improving the quality of your sleep during menopause?

There are actually many different things you can do to help get you the hours of blissful sleep that you deserve. Lifestyle changes and various types of hormone replacement therapy can provide incredible relief, not only from lack of sleep but also from many of the other symptoms of menopause that are interfering in your life. We are going to show you 5 ways to sleep better during menopause.

Whether you have trouble falling asleep in the first place, or manage to nod off without any problem but find yourself dealing with frequent awakenings throughout the night, the answers provided here might be the miracle you seek. Remember this: it is the changing hormone levels in your body that are causing these problems, so finding natural hormone replacement treatments are often the best option, not just for sleep but also for improving health and well-being.

Lifestyle Changes

Many women want to stay away from hormone therapy, so they first look to making lifestyle changes. With a bit of consistency and determination, these new habits can help bring restful sleep, and in some cases, lessen many of the other symptoms associated with menopause.

Try these lifestyle changes to reduce menopause symptoms and lack of sleep:

Exercise

As hard as it seems to gather up the energy to exercise when you have not been sleeping well in the first place, doing moderate forms of aerobic exercise four times during the week can provide superior benefits for sleep. Exercise should never be done in the three hours before bedtime as that can have the opposite effect. Part of the reason exercise is beneficial for sleep is that it helps boost the levels of growth hormone and testosterone in the body, both crucial chemicals for achieving deep sleep. (One side note – both of these hormones are also released during sleep, so this is round-robin effect.)

Create a Schedule

Your body has a natural schedule called its circadian rhythm. It expects you to go to sleep by midnight. Create a set schedule for bedtime and stick to it. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day – and make sure your bedroom is dark and free from LED lights.

Avoid Stimulants

Even if caffeine consumption never bothered you in the past, it may be causing havoc in your sleep habits during menopause. Caffeine is a stimulant that can take up to eight hours to exit your system. Not only does it keep you awake at night, but it can also trigger those horrible hot flashes and night sweats. Consume your daily intake of chocolate, coffee, tea, cola, and even alcohol early in the day. It may take your body a week or two to adjust, but reducing caffeine intake in the late afternoon and evening should help improve your sleep.

Cool Down

The recommended bedroom temperature for ideal sleep is 65 degrees. This is especially important for women dealing with menopause. Wear only 100% cotton pajamas (or nothing at all) and consider taking a cool shower before bed.

The final way to sleep better during menopause is natural hormone replacement therapy.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Sleep aids, prescription drugs, and over the counter remedies are not the best answer for improved sleep when dealing with menopause unless the prescription medications are bioidentical hormone treatments. Remember, it is also best to get to the root of the problem, and since low hormone levels are the reason you have the symptoms in the first place, raising them safely is often the best way to counteract the adverse effects present in your life.

Natural progesterone therapy helps many women sleep better at night. Progesterone is considered one of the steroid hormones and is a precursor to testosterone. We have already mentioned how testosterone is crucial for optimal sleep. Another concern is that when many of these hormone levels are low, cortisol – the stress hormone – is high. Cortisol inhibits the secretion of growth hormone and testosterone. Blood analysis by a hormone replacement therapy specialist will provide a clear answer as to which hormone or hormones are causing your lack of sleep and other symptoms. This provides the doctor with a way to personalize a hormone replacement therapy protocol that will allow you to sleep soundly once again.

To get more information about HRT for menopause and improved sleep, contact a hormone specialist for a consultation.