Menopause and Insomnia: How Can I Sleep Better During Menopause?
As if juggling your life and pesky menopause symptoms wasn’t hard enough, you are then stricken with sleep problems, leaving you exhausted and desperate for help. But you may be relieved to know that there are ways to beat menopausal insomnia once and for all. Let us show you how to have a good night’s rest definitively.
Quiet your Mind before Snoozing Off
During the day, we accumulate stress and others stimuli, which our brains sort out at night. Accordingly, when going to bed with a head full of to-do lists and conflicting emotions, your sleep is likely to be disturbed.
So, finding an outlet for relieving stress before sleep is key, and meditation is one of the easiest options. Just 15 minutes of meditation a day can improve sleep by increasing melatonin (the sleep hormone) and reducing cortisol and blood pressure. In fact, it can be as effective in fighting insomnia as sleeping pills, but without side effects.
To start, grab a book on mindfulness, search for a free guided meditation online, or download an app to find a technique that works for you.
Also, pay attention to your screen time before going to bed. Cut down on social media or TV to help you rid your mind of distractive thoughts and unnecessary stimuli, leading to more restorative sleep.
Create your Ideal Bedtime Environment
To help your mind associate your bedroom with sleep, try not to spend too much time in your bed during the day, and move your activities – whether it is relaxing, reading a book, or playing with a pet – to other rooms.
As you reserve your bedroom for sleep, put an effort into making this environment conductive to resting. Practical tips include:
- Adjusting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature, which may also help with night sweats
- Using an essential oil diffuser with natural sleep-inducing lavender or chamomile oils
- Blocking noise with soothing background sounds, like ocean waves or rain
Also, investing in blackout shades or curtains can help create a rest-promoting atmosphere in your bedroom that will help you fall and stay asleep with more ease.
Optimize your Daily Habits
Just as nighttime habits affect your sleep quality, your daily practices can be key to getting a good night’s sleep.
A recent study has found that postmenopausal women who followed a low-glycemic index diet were at a lower risk of developing insomnia. As such, opt for ample amounts of fruits and vegetables; whole grains and legumes; and lean protein for well-rounded nutrition and optimal sleep patterns.
Also, while regular exercise has been shown to help relieve insomnia by reducing stress and regulating circadian rhythms, for some women, exercising too close to bedtime can have opposite effects. As such, consider getting your workouts done earlier in the day.
Another great tip is to follow a regular sleep schedule. While it might be tempting to take a nap during the day after a sleepless night, avoid doing so in the afternoon as it can deprive you of sleep at bedtime.
Combat Insomnia with Macafem
Macafem is a natural herbal supplement that nourishes the endocrine glands to stimulate their own hormonal production. By doing that, it helps regulate levels of reproductive hormones and relieve symptoms of their imbalance during and after menopause.
This means that it will not only help improve sleep quality by balancing hormones and regulating your sleep-wake cycle, but, as an added benefit, it can also help relieve other menopausal symptoms, like night sweats or vaginal dryness, which might’ve kept you up.
With our best tips and a bottle of Macafem in your hand, you will soon be back at drifting off to dreamland with more ease!
CDC. (2016). Tips for Better Sleep. Retrieved February 10, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html
Harvard Health Publishing. (2020). Menopause and Insomnia: Could a low-GI diet help? Retrieved February 10, 2020 from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/menopause-and-insomnia-could-a-low-gi-diet-help-2020011718710
JAMA. (2015). Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances. Retrieved February 10, 2020 from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2110998
National Institute on Aging. (2016). A Good Night’s Sleep. Retrieved February 10, 2020 from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep