![]() Besides keeping you awake, some research suggests caffeine may trigger hot flashes in some women. Sip SelectivelyĬaffeine - found in coffee, colas, tea, and chocolate - is a stimulant that can take as long as 10 hours to completely leave your system, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Don’t exercise two to three hours before bedtime, as that can also interfere with rest, Rosser warns. Timing of exercise is important, however. In a study published in Frontiers in Medicine in 2022 of 289 perimenopausal women with anxiety, depression, or insomnia, twice weekly hourlong sessions of aerobic exercise for eight weeks led to significant decreases in symptoms across all three disorders. “So if you're not elevating your heart rate during the day, that may be another contributing factor to your difficulty sleeping.”Ī research review published in Frontiers in Medicine in 2023 analyzed 17 clinical trials and determined that exercise interventions, such as walking, yoga, and aerobic exercise, significantly reduces severity of insomnia and alleviates sleep problems in menopausal women. “There are so many studies that indicate that people who have a regular exercise routine tend to be better sleepers,” says Deirdre Conroy, PhD, a clinical sleep psychologist at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. Alternatives, such as low-dose antidepressants, can reduce the severity of hot flashes, per the Cleveland Clinic. Women who are at high risk for breast cancer or have a history of heart disease, stroke, and blood clots should talk to their doctor about whether HRT is right for them. While there has been some concern about the safety of HRT in the past, the North American Menopause Society released a position paper in 2022 stating that the “benefits of hormone therapy use generally outweigh risks for healthy women with bothersome menopause symptoms who are aged younger than 60 years or within 10 years of menopause onset.”īut HRT may not be for everyone. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) remains the gold standard in treating moderate to severe hot flashes and other menopause symptoms, which can lead to more restful sleep, according to a research review published in Endocrine in 2017. Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) In the meantime, try these lifestyle changes and smart sleep strategies to rest easy. ![]() If menopause symptoms continually keep you up at night, make an appointment to see your doctor. If you already struggle with insomnia, the menopause transition can make it even worse. Other health conditions, such as loss of bladder control, joint pain, and depression, as well as alcohol and certain medications can contribute to inadequate sleep, she notes. “This causes an inability to obtain adequate deep or REM sleep,” Rosser explains. Some women even have to change their clothes or bed linens. When these occur, they can cause night sweats, which can disrupt sleep. Fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone that occur during perimenopause and menopause can cause hot flashes in more than 80 percent of women, according to research published in January 2019 also in the Journal of Mid-Life Health. Hot flashes can also be the reason behind sleepless nights. “In addition to hormonal changes, stress is a major driver of sleep disturbance,” Rosser says. Sometimes the cause may be hormonal changes related to menopause, or it could be midlife stresses such as anxiety over work, children, aging parents, or relationship issues. ![]() Rosser says it’s important to figure out why your sleep is disturbed. In fact, the incidence of sleep disorders ranges from 16 to 47 percent at perimenopause (the transition to menopause) and 35 to 60 percent at post-menopause, according to research published in January 2022 in the Journal of Mid-Life Health.ĭr. Sleep disturbances are often a challenging problem for midlife women, according to Mary Rosser, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of women's health in obstetrics and gynecology and the director of Integrated Women's Health Columbia University Irving Medical Center. When you’re making your journey through menopause, a good night’s sleep can feel impossible.
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