Menopause and Insomnia
Menopause and insomnia are related because the reduction of hormones in menopausal woman worsens the duration and quality of sleep. The most frequently heard complaint among menopausal woman is having insomnia. The prime causes of insomnia are the psychological and biological changes that transpire with menopause such as anxiety, stress and depression.
The hormonal balance of menopausal woman include hot flashes and sweats that when happens at night especially early hours of the morning may result to sleep disorder. Almost 15 to 17 percent of all women are affected with insomnia. However, sometimes woman switches from deep restorative sleep to a shallow one. Moreover, before you blame the hormones that linked menopause and insomnia, it is significant to have complete medical check up. This will let you know the underlying causes of insomnia other than menopause. It may be a result of lifestyle or physical and mental disorder.
Nevertheless, if it is identified that menopause has something to do with your apnea, you may undergo hormone replacement therapy or any treatment prescribed by a medical professional. Do not engage in hormone therapy without seeking doctor’s advice because according to some studies women react differently to hormone therapy.
On the contrary, you can adapt natural practices to address your menopause and insomnia symptoms. You can start from your sleep time habits such as taking warm baths before retiring to bed and keeping the room cool. Yoga and meditation are also helpful relaxing techniques that you can do to relax your mind and make you sleep quickly along with soft music. You can also do mild aerobics exercise early in the evening and consume foods rich in tryptophan like banana, dates, fig, and tuna as well as drinking milk will also help. Avoid taking in stimulants like alcohol, caffeine and nicotine as well as foods rich in tyramine like cheese, sausage and bacon.
While you are practicing these natural ways of overcoming sleep disorder caused by menopause, you should also learn how to deal with the symptoms of menopause that are sometimes irritating. Mood swings and irritability would also cause sleep disorder because your mind is not relax. Diverting your attention to some productive activities would help in overcoming menopausal syndrome. Menopause and insomnia can be treated one at a time by using effective techniques.