MENOPAUSE & SLEEP

Research shows that 6 out of 10 women going through menopause experience frequent bouts of insomnia. Blame the hormonal changes that are going on in the body. In particular, the decrease in progesterone levels (one of the main sleep-producing hormones). While our body adjusts to these fluctuations, many women find it harder to fall asleep or more difficult to stay asleep

The other side effect of hormone dips are hot flashes and night sweats. These sudden rises and drops in body temperature are a common side effect caused by surges of adrenaline as hormones fluctuate. This adrenaline rush can feel like a sudden surge of energy – enough to wake you up and making it difficult for you to fall back asleep.

It only takes a few nights of poor sleep to leave us feeling stressed out and this in itself can get in the way of getting a decent night’s rest. The ‘too stressed out to sleep’ vicious circle is something that most of us have experienced first-hand at some point in our life. It leaves us feeling not only exhausted, but also anxious. Crucially, it also impairs our ability to make good decisions about our health and well-being. No fun at all.

What to do:

If hormonal imbalance is the issue then speak to your GP about options on how to manage this. What works is different for everyone

Other things that help you get a night’s rest:

Reclaim the night - Take back the last 20 minute of every night and make it your own personal time to wind down and get yourself in to the right state of mind for bedtime. Do something you love and that helps you relax.

Weave sleep-inducing aromatherapy oils into your nightly routine  - Take a bath, or via your skincare routine or a relaxing hand or foot massage for example. Our sense of smell is controlled by the same part of our brain that controls sleep. That’s why using relaxing essential oils is such an effective way to prepare for bed. Don’t feel that you have to stick to lavender (lovely though it is) – there are a whole host of essential oils that help us lull us to sleep (We’ve got four signature sleep blends featuring a whole host of relaxing beauties such as rose, jasmine, frankincense, geranium to name but a few.)

Practice good sleep hygiene – make your bedroom a haven of calm, keep it dark and quiet and filled with things that make you feel positive and comforted. Keep screens out of the bedroom. Avoid

Stay cool – choose natural fibres that breathe and help you regulate your body temperature. Same with mattresses and pillows (memory foam holds the head like you wouldn’t believe). Keep the room temperature low (around 19 degrees is recommended) and have a window open to help cool air flow through.

Have a ‘Wide Awake Plan’ - Don’t lie in bed worrying, have a plan B to hand. Whether that’s listening to a podcast, applying a pulse point balm (our Kiss the Moon CALM Sleep Balm works wonders to quiet the mind at bedtime), do some breathing exercise. IF nothing works after 30 mins or so then get up, leave your bedroom and do something peaceful to relax your mind until you start to feel sleepy (jigsaws are great for this)