World Menopause Day has been held each year on October 18 “to raise awareness, break the stigma and share support available for improving health and wellbeing for those experiencing menopause,” according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. That includes improving the sleep of women going through menopause.
You’re not alone; every woman will experience menopause
At least 40-50% of women going through this stage of their lives report some difficulty with sleep or insufficient sleep.
Insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality are common as women transition through menopause
It’s not a secret that menopause can have a detrimental effect on your sleep. It may be a surprise that the “menopausal transition,” or perimenopause, typically begins between ages 45 and 55, and “usually lasts about seven years but can be as long as 14 years,” according to the National Institute on Aging of the National Institute of Health (“NIA”). It’s a long time to go without sufficient sleep.
A woman has finally reached menopause when she hasn’t had a period for a full year. Unfortunately, the effects of the reduction of hormones that occur because of the transition do not disappear. “Postmenopausal women are more vulnerable to heart disease and osteoporosis.” The fact that insufficient and poor quality sleep their own are linked to chronic diseases including heart disease, obesity, and depression makes addressing the effects of menopause, particularly its effect on sleep, critical.
We’re not physicians so we’ve compiled some of the available information on the topic from the NIA and other sources we trust to let you know you’re not alone and to give you some idea of where to turn with questions about maintaining your sleep before, during, and after menopause.
The Connection Between Poor Sleep and Menopause
Insufficient sleep can be a result of difficulty falling asleep, waking throughout the night, or troubled sleep that is not restful. Sleep is critical to your health throughout your life. Too little or poor quality sleep can negatively affect your physical health in a myriad of ways from increasing your risk of heart disease to causing you to get into an accident while driving. Women are more likely than men to suffer from insomnia, defined as “[b]eing unable to get enough sleep to feel refreshed, for at least 3 nights a week for 1 month or longer,” and these already increased chances of having sleep problems are exacerbated by the hormonal changes connected to menopause.
Hot flashes and night sweats are often the first image associated with women going through menopause. They can occur day or night. When you awaken hot and damp, it can seem that you have been awakened by a hot flash; however, “research shows that many menopausal women actually awaken just before a hot flash occurs.” The changes in the brain that cause the hot flash may be what wakes you and not the hot flash itself.
Obstructive sleep apnea, which is having “many brief pauses in breathing during sleep . . . when muscles in the throat are unable to keep the airway open,” can occur. Sleep apnea “may come from a loss of reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone,” associated with menopause, and “postmenopausal women are two to three times more likely to have sleep apnea compared with premenopausal women.” Women do not necessarily present with the choking sound we imagine as the signal of sleep apnea. Your doctor can recommend a sleep study performed at home to evaluate for sleep apnea.
Restless leg syndrome is another common sleep problem. It is a disorder that is more prevalent in women characterized by an uncomfortable sensation in the legs and an urge to move them to make the sensation go away. Unfortunately, “menopause increases the prevalence and severity of symptoms.”
Cognition and Mood was the theme of World Menopause Day 2022. Sleep is an important part of our mood and cognition making sleep critical. Insufficient sleep, whether as a result of menopause or some other cause, can “can make you feel irritable or depressed, might cause you to be more forgetful than normal, and could lead to more falls or accidents.”
Ways to Improve Sleep Before, During, and After Menopause
Medical Care
See your doctor to confirm the cause of your sleeplessness or inadequate sleep and to discuss those and other symptoms of menopause, if you’re anywhere near the age of the transition. Don’t wait. If your doctor is not open to the discussion of your symptoms or options to address your symptoms, you may need to find another doctor. As sleep and menopause affect so many aspects of our physical and mental health, you may need an approach that involves medical specialists in different areas such as gynecology, sleep medicine, and psychiatry.
Your doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy to treat many of the symptoms such as hot flashes and sleep problems, as well as vaginal and urinary issues. There are some risks, so you’ll want to talk with your Ob-Gyn about your background and particular situation. Your doctor may prescribe other medications without hormones to treat depression, hot flashes, and sleep problems. Although over-the-counter sleep aids and prescription medicines may help when used in the short term, “they are not a cure for sleep disturbances, such as insomnia, and should not be used long term.” Cognitive behavior therapy can be addressed with a medical professional to change your approach to sleep including changing when you lie down to sleep and rise from sleep, limiting the bed to when you want to sleep, and incorporating relaxation techniques.
Keep in mind that 7-9 hours of sleep a night is recommended for the average person by the National Sleep Foundation. However, some people need more, and some people need less. If you’ve gotten more or less than the recommended average of 7-9 hours per night your whole life and felt fine, you may not be concerned with that same amount of sleep during menopause. The concern arises when a noticeable decrease in the amount or quality of sleep occurs.
Regular Exercise at the Right Time
Regular exercise is good for sleep regardless of your stage of life. Although the time of day you exercise varies, you may want to avoid exercising too close to bedtime.
A Calming and Consistent Bedtime Routine
Experts typically recommend keeping your wake and sleep times consistent and exposing yourself to morning daylight to benefit your body clock. When it comes to bedtime, experts support a period of winding down in the 60-90 minutes before bedtime. We’ve shared options to calm your mind and body before going to bed that may help you fall and stay asleep such as breathwork, yoga, a warm bath, and journal writing in other articles. Your bedtime routine during this period is unique to you.
Good Sleep Hygiene
You’ll often hear us discussing your “sleep hygiene.” By that, we mean how you prepare yourself and your bedroom environment to best support falling and staying asleep. Good sleep hygiene includes what you eat and drink before bedtime (avoid alcohol, caffeine, and large meals too close to bedtime), your bedroom environment (aim for dark, cool, and quiet—eliminating the use of screens), and, using your bed only for sex and sleep so your brain is conditioned to sleep in bed.
Good sleep hygiene also involves your choice nightwear and bedding (choose the right size and style mattress and pillow protectors, pillows, sheeting, and comforters). One way to counter hot flashes at night is to sleep in breathable nightwear and bedding. If you sleep hot or experience hot flashes, you’ll want nightwear and bedding that keeps you cool and comfortable, allowing heat to escape and air to circulate. Our sheet pjams™ night shirts are made with breathable and moisture-wicking cotton jersey to keep you comfortable throughout the night. Keep an extra night shirt at the foot of your bed to easily change into should you wake up drenched. Don’t add the chore of opening drawers and searching for a replacement in the middle of the night.
Like our sheet pjams™, all our sheets are made from 100% cotton for its breathability and comfort. Recognizing the difference in the way people sleep, the variety of climates, and the change of seasons, we’ve always provided a variety of weights of our comforters, as well as down alternative comforters for those who prefer something other than feather and down. In the event you sleep with a partner who sleeps at a different temperature, we believe “Two Comforters Are Better than One.” Each bed partner can select the twin comforter in the weight they prefer. The bed can still be made beautifully with two comforters folded next to each other or with a bed scarf or throw laid across the bottom.
This month, we’re introducing our new aquaplush® air down alternative comforter to our catalog to help those who sleep hot or suffer from hot flashes. We took our bestselling down alternative comforter and added the cooling comfort of mesh inserts for additional breathability. Covered in classic 235-thread-count, super-fine, 100% white cotton ticking and manufactured with double stitching and German cotton piping, it is durable and long lasting so that it can be laundered repeatedly at home. It comes in queen- and king-size. We don’t think menopause should prevent you from creating a bed that you look forward to climbing into each night.
We wish you the sufficient, comfortable sleep you need.
-The Team at down etc
Read more:
Can Beginning Yoga Practice Improve Your Sleep?
5 Ways to Optimize Sleep to Reduce Stress
Bedtime Rituals for Better Sleep
5 Ways Light Can Affect Your Sleep
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