When it comes to insomnia and menopause, there are actually a couple ways that they can go together. It depends a bit on your specific situation. So, let’s look at what they are and how to treat them.

Stress:

General stress is enough to give anyone a bout of insomnia. As a woman during menopause, though, your stress levels are likely to be much higher than average. You might often find your mind wandering all over the place at night. If you’re thinking about a billion things at once, or even hyper-focusing on one thought, it can be impossible to rest properly.

So, one way to relieve insomnia during menopause is to cut back on stress as much as you can. That means giving yourself permission and time to relax, particularly for a couple of hours before bed. You can’t expect to go from wide awake to out like a light in a matter of seconds. It takes time to unwind and calm down after a long day.

Hot Flashes/Night Sweats:

Unfortunately, menopause causes all sorts of “fun” changes within your body. The hormone imbalance can have a lot of side-effects, including hot flashes and night sweats. If your body temperature is out of whack, you may not be reaching a deep sleep. Not only that, but if you sweat so much that your sheets get soaked, you’re going to wake up. There’s no way to sleep through such a thing.

There are a couple of ways to limit the chances of that happening, though. One way is to make sure that your room is cool, that should help you keep your body temperature in check, at least a little bit. You can also try taking natural supplements that can help to stabilize your body a bit.

General Insomnia Fighting:

During menopause, especially, it’s important to get a good night’s sleep. After all, your body is stressed enough without being sleep deprived, too. There are a few things you can do to help your insomnia, regardless of the cause.

To begin with, eat foods like chicken, turkey and carbohydrates, since they can stimulate production of sleep-inducing serotonin. Also, be sure to avoid unhealthy, sugary, spicy or caffeinated foods or drinks in the evening. They can affect you for several hours and make it impossible to sleep.

Finally, if you want to treat menopause and insomnia, do yourself a favor. Relax. It’s all about relaxation. Make sure that your bedroom is a safe haven where you feel comfortable. Also, make sure your bed itself is comfortable. You can’t sleep in a room you hate or on a bed you hate, after all.