How to get a good night’s sleep when going through menopause

No one told you menopause would be easy. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, irregular periods, and mood changes are all bothersome symptoms of this phase of life.  But trouble sleeping?  If you look a little weary-eye from lack of sleep, you’re not alone.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 61% of menopausal women have fretful nights of trying to not only fall asleep but then to manage getting a full night’s sleep without interruption.  It almost seems like simply being a female is a risk factor for insomnia. 

If this sounds like you, a big part of the blame lies with your hormones.  Starting already in your 20s before menopause has even entered your mind, melatonin, a natural chemical that regulates our internal clocks helping us fall asleep at night, is already beginning to decline and dip with your menstrual cycle.  As you go through the decades, the production of this chemical continues to decline making it harder to fall asleep. 

Women’s sleep patterns through the decades

During your 20s and 30s are baby-making years meaning pregnancy and the shifts of hormones having their fun playing havoc with your sleep. But once baby is born, adequate sleep is still often lacking due to getting up in the middle of the night tending to small children.  The Adolescent years can be even worse as you lie in bed waiting for them to come home late at night.  Finally, you become an empty-nester.  Finally, you think, I’ll get a good night’s sleep.  Wrong.  Perimenopause and menopause have arrived and are knocking at your door.  Unfortunately, for some women, this phase of life can be the worst for getting sufficient sleep.

Sleep study finds sleepless nights common in middle-aged women

A study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which collected data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), found that almost 20% of all women aged 40 to 59 have trouble falling asleep on four or more nights in the prior week.

For women transitioning into menopause, up to 56% stated they typically have less than seven hours of sleep each night that could be described as restful and healthy.  Just about most women who are either going through menopause or already have, are shaking their heads emphatically exclaiming, “Yes, that is me.” 

What is causing this disturbance of sleep at a time of life when children are usually grown and gone and women can focus more on themselves?  Part of the blame can be placed on hot flashes that usually start during perimenopause.  This is the time when a woman’s body temperature soars out of control leading to night sweats causing multiple arousals while trying to sleep.

Another factor to blame is the onset of mood changes and for women this often means depression.  Depression is strongly associated with insomnia.  The phase of peri- and menopause for a woman means change. Not only is she getting older, but her parents are needing her care or have passed on, her children are leaving the nest one by one and it is not unusual for women to experience a mid-life crisis. 

Changes in estrogen levels are another aspect playing its role in women’s sleep disruption.  Estrogen is necessary for muscle tone in the upper airways and when estrogen declines with age, it can contribute to obstructive sleep apnea.  Other contributing factors include an increase in restless leg syndrome among women interfering falling asleep; also with age are increases in heart failure, lung disease, and psychiatric diseases and the medications used to treat these can boost insomnia and the need to go to the bathroom at night.

Post menopause is often no better.  There can still be imbalances in your hormones that continue to affect sleep quality.  About 10% of women experience hypothyroidism (inadequate production of thyroid hormone) after menopause.  The decrease in thyroid hormone can lead to weight gain, which increases your risk for snoring and sleep apnea and this hormone can actually cause your airway to narrow, further increasing your chance of developing sleep apnea. 

What can a woman do to get a good night’s sleep?

Women reading this may think, “I’ll never have a good night’s sleep.”  Even though it sounds depressing and unmanageable, getting a full night’s sleep is still possible.  While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this widespread issue, there are things you can do to help your body develop better sleep habits helping you fall and stay asleep all night long.  Here are tips to try:

·      Wear loose clothing to bed or nothing at all.  Clothing made of natural fibers, like cotton, is usually best.

·      Invest in bed sheets that wick away moisture from your skin.

·      Keep your bedroom cool and well-ventilated. The ideal sleeping temperature is about 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

·      Block out light.  Keep your bedroom as dark as possible; wear an eye mask if you must.  Even the LED lights from your alarm clock are strong enough to seep through your eyelids disrupting sleep.

·      No electronics allowed.  Banish all computers, TV, iPads, etc.  Each one is a sleep stealer. All they do is stimulate your brain when you want and need to go to sleep.

·      Avoid alcohol at least 3 hours before bedtime.

·      Avoid excessive caffeine.

·      Avoid naps during the day.  They may sound tempting but they can prevent sleeping well at night.

·      Empty your bladder thoroughly before bedtime.

·      Eat well and exercise to prevent or eliminate postmenopausal weight gain.

·      Eat more sleep-promoting foods naturally containing melatonin. 

·      Have pillows designed to help keep your airway open during sleep and eliminate snoring.

·      Talk to your doctor about possible use of hormone replacement therapy to relieve symptoms related to menopause.