Menopause and Sleep Problems – Trouble Catching Zzzs?
Monday, October 27th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
During the latter part of a woman’s life, she faces menopause, and sleep problems often go with that phase of life. Menopause is the time when menstruation ceases. There are various side-effects associated with menopause and sleep issues are but one of them.
With menopause, various hormonal changes are undergone by the body. But menopause and sleep problems represent the most common pairing. Sleep disorders are among the more usual complaints of women undergoing menopause.
Learning More About Menopause And Sleep Problems
Menopause refers to the time wherein the woman’s body stops releasing monthly eggs and progesterone and estrogen hormone production is significantly reduced. These changes can mess up a woman’s day-to-day routines. This explains why menopause and sleep problems get thrown in a not-so-merry mix.
Various menopausal symptoms cause discomfort, interfering with women’s abilities to sleep fitfully. Symptoms of menopause and sleep problems that might result from them include:
* Hot flashes – These are hormonal changes that happen during menopause. These affect the hypothalamus (the part of the brain regulating sleep and body temperature) and cause body temperature to rise at anytime – night or day. * Reduction in hormone production – Prosgesterone aids in promoting sleep. Progesterone levels drop during menopause and sleep problems can result from it. * Mood swings – Depressions can occur while undergoing menopause and sleep problems are often the offshoot of such disorders.
Menopause and sleep problems usually come with frequent headaches and anxiety due to the lack of sleep. Women often feel tired and a bit depressed while in the stages of menopause and sleep problems are their usual gripe.
Here are some tips to conquer menopause and sleep problems associated with it.
* Keep away from substances like caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, especially before bedtime. * Reduce anxiety and stress by learning relaxation techniques. * For tougher ways to deal with menopause and sleep problems, consider discussing medication use with a doctor. * Maintain bedtime and waking schedules as these help promote better sleep routines. * Regular exercise is good but do it in the day, NOT right before bedtime. * Drink lots of warm fluids before going to bed. * Keep cool. Dress in sleeping clothes that are easy to get out of so it doesn’t take long to remove them when hot flashes come.
Menopause and sleep problems are a temporary condition. Once the body’s hormone levels balance out at a slightly lower level, the menopause and sleep problems situation should be able to resolve itself. Still, some can resort to hormone replacement therapy to treat menopause and sleep problems. Different women have different reactions to such treatments so a brief trial period might be necessary to decide whether it’s the right treatment.
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