For many women going through the menopause, a good night’s sleep seems like a distant memory. Menopause insomnia along with sleep being disturbed by hot flashes leaves us tossing and turning throughout the night.
As a result the next day we tend to feel irritable, tired and anxious and it becomes harder to concentrate on simple tasks.
We have put together the following advice for you to improve your sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day:
Tip 1 – Exercise Regularly
Through regular exercise, it can help you to combat fatigue often a result of menopause lack of sleep. A study carried out by the Northwestern University showed that regular aerobic exercise would not only improve your mood and vitality but also your sleep.
But when you exercise is important, you should never do it 2 or 3 hours before you go to bed, as this could also interfere with your sleep.
Tip 2 – Take Time To Relax
It is important when it comes to menopause sleep problems you learn how to reduce your stress levels. The best way of doing this is through using certain relaxation techniques, such as meditation or yoga. Not only can they help reduce stress but also anxiety.
You may also find that taking just a few minutes to focus on something such as your breathing will help you to relax more. It will also help to remove any thoughts that can lead to you growing anxious. It is a good idea to practice this throughout the day for around 10 minutes.
Tip 3 – Take A CBD Oil Supplement
Not only does CBD oil help to provide you with more restful sleep, but you will also find it makes it much easier to fall and stay asleep. As a menopause sleep aid more and more women are finding using such supplements very beneficial.
CBD oil helps with menopause insomnia as it helps to relieve anxiety and pain. Plus it also helps to regulate one’s sleep patterns, which is very important. If you can establish regular sleep patterns it will help you to enjoy a deeper sleep.
Research has been carried out as and a recent report published looked closely at how effective CBD oil would be for treating people with sleep problems. For many of those who took part, it proved effective. This is why it is often being suggested as a good menopause sleep aid.
Tip 4 – Reduce Caffeine And Alcohol Intake
It is important if you are having menopause sleep issues that you avoid drinking too much alcohol or drinks with caffeine in them. Both of which can actually exacerbate other symptoms associated with the menopause such as night sweats that lead to disturbed sleep.
However, if you do enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea it is best to stop drinking it at least 8 hours before going to bed. The problem is that the caffeine in these can stay in your system for up to 8 hours.
This now leads us on to our next tip.
Tip 5 – Drink More Water
As you go through the menopause you suffer a variety of different symptoms, this results from your hormone levels rising and falling. One of the major symptoms that can lead to other problems including menopause insomnia is hot flashes.
However, by including more water in your diet you can help to relieve some if not all of the symptoms associated with the menopause.
Tip 6 – Enjoy A Healthy Diet
It is important that you stick to a healthy well-balanced diet when going through the menopause. Ideally choose a diet that includes foods that are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, fiber, Vitamins D and B. Especially make sure that your diet is made up of foods containing Vitamin B12.
Tip 7 – Create The Right Sleep Environment
Creating the right sleep environment is important. The first thing you should do is making sure that your room is as dark as possible at night. So it is best if you switch off any electronic devices such as laptops, tablets or smartphones that you have in your room. This should happen at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep.
Another thing to do is also to keep your room as cool as you can. If you need to have separate covers on the bed for you and your partner, this way if you feel hot you won’t disturb them by throwing the covers off. You may also want to keep a cloth in a bowl of ice water next to your bed, this you can then use to help you cool down fast.
Above we’ve offered a number of tips to help you improve your sleep. You may find that some if not all of these prove effective in helping you to cope and sleep better!
Your Feminapause Team xx
