Our founder Jane discusses how your sleep may be disrupted during perimenopause and menopause and how complementary therapies may help.
Sleep is central to your wellbeing. It reduces inflammation on your body. Supports your immune system, regulates blood sugar levels that maintain a healthy weight. It repairs and promotes healing of your body, its key for brain health as lack of sleep affects short-term memory, stress, anxiety levels and depression.
Jane ran a sleep school at a local Further Education college for a few years. Insomnia can be a challenge at various times of life for a few different reasons. However, in her clinic the main symptoms that perimenopause and menopause woman report is brain fog and insomnia, so it was clear that active support was needed for quality of life for the woman that attended her clinic and workshops.
For many women poor sleep is due to hormone changes during perimenopause and menopause. Symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, numerous urinary symptoms including an urge to go to the toilet at nighttime can make it hard to stay asleep or even to fall asleep in the first place. Lots comment on aching bones particularly around the hip area that disturbing sleep. Psychological symptoms that are associated with menopause such as anxiety and low mood can also make a person’s mind race as soon as their head hits the pillow or wake them in the night. Jane has observed the crushing effects of sleep deprivation in her private clinic and within the classroom at the sleep school. So, what can we do about it?
Nine top tips from Jane!
1, Set your body’s circadian rhythm – it’s your internal clock. Build a consistent bedtime and wake up time. It’s a myth that we need a good 8 hours of sleep per night. Each of us are different. Set your internal clock to suit you and your lifestyle, and then keep to it where possible so same times at the weekend as the week.
2, Create your ideal sleep environment. Use a cooling mattress topper and or pillow. Cotton bedding and night clothes. A good quality sleep spray on a pillow or in the bedroom. A cooling mist is helpful too, and blackout blinds and or curtains can be very effective.
3, A lukewarm bath or shower before bed can help.
4, Curb your screentime at least a couple of hours before bed and have your phone on night mode to remove the blue light which effects your body’s production of melatonin (sleep hormone).
5, A very simple meditation can help slow an active mind. Pick a word or number and repeat it over and over gain in your head to soothe a racing mind.
6, Keep a sleep diary next to your bed if you are waking in the night. Write down what comes to your mind, keep it simple use a list and the next day look at what you have written. Cross off on your list what you don’t need to action. On those that do need action is it for you to do, for someone else to do or no one to do? Ask yourself will it matter in a few weeks’ time, a months’ time, a year or two? You see our minds will keep going with racing thoughts in your head until you do something about it. The simple action of writing it down will give you some headspace as you have started an action – this will bring you peace of mind and train your mind to switch off.
7, keep hydrated – have water next to your bed. You only need a few sips, and this will also settle you back to sleep.
8, Practice Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoko). Phytoncides given off by trees counter Illness, reduction of cortisol (stress hormone), reduction of blood pressure, its used to for the treatment for anxiety, stress and depression and is socially prescribed by GP in some countries.
9, Reflexology and massage offer relief to menopause symptoms. 90% of those attending Janes clinic have reported a moderate/good relief of menopause symptoms after a course of reflexology treatments, particularly when using prescribed essential oils for hormone regulation and working with the endocrine system.
Jane offers a free consultation in her clinic and if you have private medical health, you could also have your treatments paid for. Contact Jane for more information to see how she may help you jane@hummingbirdholistics.co.uk
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