The Menopause And Sleep

If you are going through the menopause the chances are that you will have experienced hot flushes. They can often seem worse at night and even on the coldest night you may wake up to find that yourself drenched in perspiration.

The odd thing is that your extremities will probably still feel icy cold. These hot flushes may last several minutes before you start to cool down. They may cause you to wake up at frequent intervals during sleep.

A decrease in the level of estrogen is responsible for this and may even cause insomnia. The body has it's own thermostat which can be found in the pituitary gland and is set to about 98.6 F and this is affected by the drop in estrogen causing you to feel like you are burning up one minute and cold the next.

Keep the bedroom cool and have a window slightly open even on very cold nights to allow the air to circulate. Have a warm but not hot bath before you go to bed, this will help you to relax and unwind from the day's events.

Try to avoid caffeine several hours before you go to sleep and try herbal tea or decaffeinated coffee instead. Natural remedies that you can take to ease the symptoms include black cohosh, wild yam, chasteberry and soy beans.

The menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 56 although this is no hard and fast rule. The body undergoes many changes including a decrease in the production of seratonin a chemical that helps to induce sleep resulting in fragmented sleep and insomnia.

This is caused by the decrease in levels of estrogen. Try eating foods rich in serotonin which include carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, potatoes and bread. Lettuce contains an opium related chemical and is also good for stopping cramp so eating a lettuce sand which before bedtime may help you to sleep better.

Insomnia is also caused by stress and it's at the middle years that many women have to juggle work, children, grandchildren and the responsibility of aging parents.

A lack of sleep can cause depression, mood swings and irritability, as well as increased blood pressure and a greater incidence of hot flushes which in turn cause you wake up during the night.

Taking time out for yourself is very important to help relieve some of the stress. A brisk walk in the park or socialising with a friend over a cup of coffee and are good ideas for relaxing. Try a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime or soak in a warm bubble bath.

There are many controversial issues over taking HRT, some women find it stops the symptoms of menopause and sleep related problems completely, but by altering your diet and taking natural supplements you may be able to control these symptoms very effectively without the worry of harmful side effects.

During the menopause many women get heavier and find it very hard to maintain a slim figure and lose weight.

One of the reasons is that the body is looking for ways to replace the declining estrogen levels, and one way it can do this is by converting fat cells into estrogen

a result the body works hard to convert calories into fat cells. You may be eating the same diet and exercising but still putting on weight.

The thickening tissues around the neck and throat can result in sleep apnea. During sleep the muscles relax including those found in the throat such as the tongue, uvula and tonsils

fat tissue found in a thicker neck can cause a narrowing of the airways. As a result the sufferer may experience a blockage causing them to stop breathing for a few seconds and wake up. This can occur many times during a night's sleep and produce anxiety and stress.

Accompanying symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring and daytime drowsiness.

You can buy nasal strips to keep the airways open and in very severe cases you could invest in a CPAP machine that keeps the airways open by pumping a constant stream of air into the nose or mouth.

Ultimately if you are overweight you should get some advice on your diet and and start a weight loss regime including exercise.