How To Get Proper Sleep In Menopause: 3 Essential Steps You Should Take First To Recharge Your Body and Mind
Sleep is kind of obvious remedy to cure fatigue. But if you’re in menopause, things are a little more complicated. Before you start searching for a miracle solution to get your sleep back during menopause, make sure you’ve got the basics covered.
Menopause can wreak havoc on the quality of sleep. Hot flashes, night sweats, restlessness, palpitations, irritability. These are very common symptoms that you have to deal with.
To add to that, you may have inadvertently gotten yourself into that cycle where you’re exhausted so you caffeinate heavily.
And then you’re unable to sleep restfully due to the copious amounts of tea and coffee you drank.
Which makes you even more tired the next day, so you consume even more caffeine and sugar for energy.
As a result of which, you worry about all the things you haven’t done because you are tired.
PLUS the concern about getting fat.
In the end, all that caffeine and worrying make you so exhausted that you will NEVER fall asleep…
Well, you can see where this is going.
Hello insomnia!
It’s annoying to even read about it, isn’t it?
How To Get a Good Sleep In Menopause Or If You’re an Insomniac
For many people, the main reason they are mentally and/or physically exhausted can all come down to issues with sleep.
If you’re an insomniac, whether due to menopause, or any medical condition, or because you’re going through a particularly difficult phase in your life, there are steps that you can take to get rest and hopefully reverse your situation.
Seek Medical Assistance
The very first thing anyone with insomnia should do is make a doctor’s appointment to talk about the issues. Menopause can be really tough on your body as it is, so getting the best possible sleep is critical.
It might help to track the situation using a device like a Fitbit so that you can show your doctor your records. But you can also just write things down, so you don’t forget what to talk about with your doctor.
Your doctor should take you seriously and not just automatically prescribe drugs to help you sleep. Even though that might be a short-term answer, it is not a long-term solution.
Your doctor will do a complete blood work-up to ensure that you are doing well nutritionally. If you have low iron, B12, or D, these can cause anxiety and insomnia in some people.
But aside from seeing the doctor and getting professional medical advice, you can at least partially take control of your sleep.
Here are the three basic things you should do to get your proper sleep back.
1. Turn Your Bedroom into a Fortress
This is a great excuse to redo your bedroom. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary dedicated to sleeping. Your bed should be the most comfortable that you can afford to buy, along with the sheets and blankets that you use on it.
You may need to test out a few mattresses, but you usually want something that is firmer than you might have thought but also giving. Many types of memory foam mattresses are great for this, as are some of the sleep number type beds.
You can buy good sheets less expensively than you might think if you know what type of sheets you like. Focus on well-made rather than cheap sheets. The higher thread count 100 percent cotton sheets are typically the best for most people, as they stay cool and are easy to care for. For blankets, choose layers of blankets instead of one heavy comforter. That way you can adjust as needed for the time of year.
Invest in blackout shades for your windows. They are well worth it. Blackout shades will obviously block out any lights from the outside and enable you to sleep better at night.
Get a white noise maker too. You can also use a fan if you prefer. The inexpensive box fans make the right type of white noise. It’s better to use a white noise that is like a fan or static over sounds of animals or water dripping.
Keep your thermostat set properly. In the winter it should be set on 68 degrees F and in the summer 72. Having a fan to circulate the air is also helpful. If it’s nice outside, try opening your window about an hour before you go to bed. But close it if you can when you go to bed so outside noises don’t interfere (unless you’re lucky enough to live where it’s super-quiet or you have the sound of the ocean to lull you to sleep).
Additionally, invest in very comfortable sleeping attire or sleep naked to avoid anything getting in the way of your comfort. If you or your partner snore, consider using comfortable earplugs to help further block the sound. (Hint: parents of young children can take turns so every other night at least one parent gets a full night of sleep.)
2. Turn Off the Lights and Electronics
The darker you can make your room, the better. But, once the sun goes down outside, it’s important to make the house dimmer too. You want to turn off all electronics at least an hour or two before you go to bed, so that your body gets the idea that it’s bedtime. That includes your TV, your computer, and your mobile device. This is probably the hardest one for insomniacs to deal with, but it’s very important for your health to disconnect.
If you’re nervous that something is going to happen to anyone if you’re not there immediately, understand that long before there were cell phones there were parents. Of course, you’re going to want to be available to your kids if they’re teenagers, but that’s what curfews are about and that’s why people have two parents.
Ask for help and take turns. If you do not have children living at home, you really don’t need to be available 24/7 to anyone most of the time. Anyone who has something to say to you, even if something bad happens, can be dealt with in the morning.
Try it for at least 30 days. You’ll see after that time that you’re not in charge of the world, and no one needs to bother you about anything when you’re sleeping. If you have elderly parents, share the job with your siblings with each of you having assigned “on call” times or something like that so that everyone can get sleep. Remember, you cannot take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself first.
3. Start a Bedtime Ritual
A great way to ensure that you get more sleep is to create a bedtime ritual. Since you already need to turn electronics off and turn down the lights, think of something you can do that doesn’t require either. For example, soft slow stretches, meditation, a hot bath, taking care of your hygiene such as by brushing and flossing your teeth, doing a facial, applying lotion, and other activities.
Think about how babies go to sleep. Mom and Dad create a ritual around bedtime. They get a bath, a quiet story, cuddles, comfy clothing, and clean bed, and soft blankets. All of this starts well before bedtime and helps the child calm down, so that when you sit down in bed to read they usually fall asleep fast if not with the first book, then by the third. You should do the same thing for yourself.
Do the same things nightly to help you sleep such as stretching, bathing, applying lotion, dressing for bed, and reading something positive. Bedtime is not the time to read anything upsetting, scary, or even exciting. Use that time to read uplifting or thoughtful poetry, history, or something that keeps your heart rate low.
Finally, you really need to make time for sleep, especially if you’re experiencing menopause. Set a daily schedule for your life and stick to it. Sleep is one of the most important factors in your schedule. You should be able to get everything you need to do done daily and still sleep at least seven to eight hours a night. But it may require you to learn to say no, because it’s that important to your health and your daily energy levels.
Disclaimer
This article was written by Zuzana Halliwell. I am not a doctor or health professional and cannot be held liable for the information written here. This article is meant to provide information about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and diet. The content is based on my own personal experience and on information provided by medical professionals that is available to the public. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Do not use it as an alternative to seeking help from a medical professional.
