How to beat insomnia or at least how to cope with it!

We know we need to sleep.

It is a basic fact that adults need 7+ hours of sleep to be on top form and sleep deprivation is an effective form of torture leading to psychological and physical breakdown.

Lack of sleep is a significant problem particularly as most of us do not have the luxury of doing nothing the next day and it is not a simple case of going to bed earlier tonight! When you are suffering from any form of insomnia, the creeping dread as you try to settle for the night facing the tossing, turning and exhaustion of at best sporadic sleep can be overwhelming and feel like your problem alone. So, what can be done and how can we cope with sleep deprivation?

Take me through it, simply.

Reasons for menopause related sleep deprivation are numerous and vary from woman to woman. A hot flash at night, night sweats, the need to go to the toilet (again), anxiety about the foregoing as well as anxiety in general are all factors to complicate a plain good night’s sleep. The falling levels of the hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone that cause many of the peri- and post menopause’s unpleasant symptoms are joined by a gradual decline in melatonin as we age. This is not the place to be overly scientific, but very broadly melatonin is required for the circadian rhythm to work effectively and that circadian rhythm dictates our sleep/wake patterns. In short, there is EVERY reason why sleep is not straightforward for anyone, especially the peri or post menopausal woman with transitioning hormone levels.

Fine, but I just want to sleep through the night.

There are medical and non-medical actions which can be taken and it may be a combination of both which need to be tried.

Medical Actions: it is well worth speaking to your GP about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and other medications to see if there is something which is suitable that can address your symptoms during the menopause transition, even if it is not a long-term solution.

Non-medical actions to try are broadly lifestyle or routine changes:

Have an evening and bedtime routine as well as one for waking up. Most people can benefit from training the body to follow a pattern. The idea being that this regularity will set the body so it responds in a predictable way. But don’t put pressure on yourself over this: we don’t need stress!
Eating late and/or consuming alcohol or caffeine may also be unhelpful to inducing sleep as the body is engaged in digestion, which is hard work when it would ideally be resting as you sleep.
Much is made of avoiding screen time just before bed, whether this is the blue light from these sources or the stimulation from social media or other online browsing, it is thought that all of these do not put the mind and body in a state ready for sleep.
The same is true for other hyper stimulants e.g. don’t choose pre-bedtime to watch that horror film/have an argument/do that mortgage renewal.
Your sleep environment is also important, the room temperature and darkness should be optimal and this tends to mean slightly cool and with limited or no light exposure.
Supplements are opinion dividing. Natural remedies are promoted as being safer in the long term than over the counter or prescription medication. Do some research and be alert that not all supplements are proven, properly tested or quality controlled. Good quality supplements could certainly be beneficial though.

I know all that, but I’m still awake!

It does cause anxiety when the whole world seems to be asleep, yet you are still lying there with your mind whirring even though your body may be aching and tired and no matter what you do you are still awake. Telling you to count sheep may seem fatuous but there is an element of sense here. Some people like to get up and do something soothing, such as:

read or meditate
focus on breathing exercises – try breathing in for 4 counts and out for 7, on loop
teach yourself that being awake is not a threat, this is important because your brain is seeing this threat as a stress and it will be extremely hard to sleep if your body is stressed
calm and tranquil or even totally bored are the best states to be in to fall asleep and anything which can reduce the anxiety and stress will be helpful. Do not lie there worrying about this situation.

The bottom line is that I’m still tired…

Sleep deprivation can affect mood, increase appetite, result in physical clumsiness, brain fog and general tetchiness and this is a problem whatever your day holds for you. At this point it is a case of deploying some coping strategies. Try these:

Gentle exercise. This is not the time for high octane or endurance exercise, which will fatigue your tired body even more.
Eat well and stay hydrated. Caffeine and sugar hits should not be the first port of call. Of course, a little bit of coffee, but generally energy drinks, supplements that claim to keep you alert or sugary snacks are not beneficial.
Stress management. There are things we all have to do and there are things which we feel obligated todo, try to separate the two and focus on priorities and yourself.
Power nap up to 25 minutes. It doesn’t erase the effects of the previous night, but can be astonishingly refreshing.
You are tired! Let people know – set some boundaries.

The final word: Nothing lasts forever, don’t overly worry and you are not alone.

Remember that often this is just a temporary state of affairs and with lifestyle changes or even medical help, the insomnia situation can improve or disappear. Above all, it is estimated that at least half of women have menopause related sleep issues so this is not rare. We would encourage you to chat to others and share experiences and support each other. Let us know what tricks work or even share your feelings about how sleep disruption is affecting your life. To be blunt it is not easy, but broader awareness of this issue affecting so many of us can only be positive don’t stay quiet or struggle on alone.