When women go through menopause, they often experience regular bouts of insomnia. The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night is a problem that occurs regardless of a woman’s age at the onset of menopause, and it is caused by the variety of symptoms that are associated with this life change.
Symptoms of Insomnia
The symptoms of insomnia are pretty limited, so if you have one or more of the following, you may be suffering from this condition.
- Waking up feeling tired. This feeling usually lasts throughout the entire day.
- Difficulty falling asleep when you go to bed at night.
- Waking up too early each morning and not being able to go back to sleep.
- Waking up periodically throughout the night.
- Difficulty falling asleep again after waking up in the middle of the night.
In many cases, making some basic lifestyle changes can help you to get back on track with a regular, restful sleep pattern. In some cases, however, you may find it necessary to talk to your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing.
There are some temporary prescriptions that you may be able to take that will help you to fall asleep at night. Your doctor should also be able to help eliminate some other possible causes of your sleep problems such as depression, anxiety, or other health issues.
What you can do
There are a variety of different steps you can take that may help you to be able to sleep better at night.
- Try to avoid using sleeping pills.
- Stay in the same bedtime routine each night. Do not vary your bedtimes by very much if at all possible.
- Stay away from caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol all day every day.
- Do not take naps during the day.
- Do not eat, read, or watch television in bed.
- Take a warm shower or bath at bedtime.
- Exercise every day, but make sure that you do it at least three or four hours before going to bed.
- Keep the temperature in your bedroom cool. This will help you to avoid night sweats.
- Don’t go to bed until you are feeling tired and sleepy. This may help you to avoid lying in bed staring at the walls or ceiling for extended periods of time.
If you try following some of these guidelines and you find that you are still having trouble going to sleep, you might also want to experiment with making some changes to your bedroom in order to promote a more comfortable sleep environment.
For example, you might want to invest in some sheets and pillows that are designed to keep your body cool. Different brands can be found online if you have trouble finding them in your local stores. Using these types of products can help to keep your nighttime hot flashes in check, which may go a long way towards providing you with a good night’s sleep.
By Jamell Andrews