Experiencing Menopause Insomnia?

Menopause Cause – Menopause Insomnia

With your hormones going haywire and your body suffering from all sorts of symptoms, a good night’s sleep sounds like a dream. Well, it may just stay a dream. Menopause insomnia is a nightmare that hits most women in perimenopause (the phase leading up to menopause) and is another menopause cause.

How do you know if you have menopause insomnia? Watch out for these telltale signs: constantly waking up in the middle of the night, needing an hour or more to fall asleep, snoring, choking, gasping, and a general feeling of numbness or paralysis upon waking.

Classic menopause cause symptoms like night sweats and hot flushes, brought about by fluctuating hormone levels, cause the sleep disturbances and problems. (Progesterone, whose levels go down in menopause, aids in slumber.) But there are also other factors that may affect your ability to sleep soundly. Depression, stress, anxiety, and other emotional problems affect your sleep. Lifestyle habits also have an effect: Women who consume a lot of caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine are susceptible to having sleep problems.

Certain conditions like obesity and high blood pressure also play a role in menopause insomnia. Those with sleep disorders like primary insomnia (sleeplessness that has no known medical, psychiatric or environmental cause), restless legs syndrome (an irresistible urge to move one’s legs—or arms and torso—to relieve some discomfort in body), and sleep apnea (pauses in breathing in sleep) are most likely to suffer from menopause causes too.

There are very basic approaches to manage menopause insomnia. You can start by altering some behavioral patterns that, unknown to you, worsen your sleep problems. Cut back on the caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Reduce fluid intake in the hours before hitting the bed. Exercise and practice relaxation techniques (meditation, yoga, listening to soothing music). Eat foods rich in tryptophan, an essential amino acid that the body uses to produce niacin and serotonin, which helps promote healthy sleep. Tryptophan is found in cheese, dates, chicken, bananas, eggs, soy, among others.

Set a schedule and stick to it: Go to bed at a certain time, and wake up at a certain time. Avoid taking naps during the day. Create a calming, sleep-inducing atmosphere in the bedroom; a good warm bath will also do wonders in preparing your body for sleep.
Herbal therapy and aromatherapy also help induce sleep. Plants and herbs like hops, valerian, passionflower, and chamomile are just some of the more popular alternative treatments for menopause insomnia. If all else fails and you are desperate for sleep, consult with your doctor for some possible prescription drugs—but this should be your last resort as there are tried and tested natural remedies to relieve all symptoms of menopause cause.

A bit of good news, though: Menopause insomnia is temporary. Pretty soon you’ll be getting your much-deserved beauty sleep.