Women Heal Yourselves

Sleep Deprivation it’s not just for workaholics anymore

Any woman out there over 45 knows what I’m talking about; it creeps up on you slowly.  At first it may be just waking up in the middle of the night to pee and then you can’t fall back to sleep. Or with me it was always my cat that wakes me up. Then you lie there watching the clock tick 3am 4am, 5am passes and you finally give up and start your day. A day or two of this is not so bad you drag yourself through the day thinking surly tonight I’ll get caught back up on my sleep.  But then the same thing happens and next thing you know months have passed and you feel a good night sleep will never happen again.

Sleep deprivation is a very bad thing.  Heart problems, weight issues, stress, and even car accidents have all been associated with inadequate and/or irregular sleep habits. And a woman nearing menopause knows that sleep is a precious commodity that she just can’t seem to cash in on. To me no sleep was the 2^nd worse symptom of menopause. Anxiety was the worst, and night sweats and hot flashes run a close the third. But not being able to sleep…it messes your whole system up.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 40 percent of menopausal women have sleep problems caused by hot flashes. But I believe at least 80% of us suffer from lack of sleep whether the hot flashes have started or not. Why? Because it is not just the female hormones that decline with age, all hormones do. 

Melatonin is the main hormone associated with sleep. With adequate melatonin you sleep soundly and deeply. You dream, you wake up rested in the morning.  This hormone is secreted from the pineal gland located in the brain that governs the sleep/wake cycle. Melatonin is important in regulating other hormone release and immune responses. Without it other systems in your body breaks down and causes you to age.

So those of you with very little menopausal symptoms may find that 3 mg of melatonin a night will be all you need to get your life back on track. It is easy to find at almost any health food store and it is inexpensive. I do recommend you buy a good name brand of any supplement you use. I find that capsules or sprays are more effective than hard to digest pills. I suggest you start slow you can try as little as 1mg and build up to as much as 10 mgs. I will warn you though most people have very vivid dreams with melatonin and if you have a lot of unresolved things going on in your life your dreams may not be so pleasant.

Before I started getting my hormones back in rebalance, I took melatonin nightly and it worked like a charm. Now after a year on BHRT I no longer need it nightly and may take it once every couple of weeks or so. But it is an inexpensive healthy way to gain back at least some of your sanity. If however you have tried it and it is not working for you there are other things you can try to help you get the sleep you need.

• Try Black Cohosh

Hot Flashes and night sweats come on due to declining Estrogen and progesterone so if you are not ready to supplement those hormones try herbs like Black cohosh, a perennial plant that is a member of the buttercup family. It has also been used to treat hot flashes for years with no ill effects.  Soy products also have an estrogen like quality that will help ease your symptoms and may help you sleep just Please I beg of you to make sure you ONLY use Organic products of soy, the processes used on soy that are not can be harmful to your health. IT must say Organic on the label, natural is NOT organic, don’t be fooled.

• Maintain a regular bedtime schedule

Going to bed at the same time every night can improve your sleep. Establishing regular bed and wake times helps your body to cycle properly. You need at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night, give up “Desperate House Wives” if you must; lest you become desperate yourself.  Improve the sleep environment. The Better Sleep Council recommends that the bedroom be dark, cool, and quiet. Also, women should sleep on mattresses that provide superior comfort and the right support — a mattress that’s been in use for years may need to be replaced.

• Exercising regularly but not right before sleep

“Exercise may help to ease sleep problems, as long as it is performed early in the day.” morning exercise could help set circadian rhythms, or the bodies’ internal clock, which in turn regulates sleep-inducing hormones such as melatonin. Lower levels of estrogen may cause sleep problems among older women, either directly, or indirectly. A lack of estrogen can cause sleep-disturbing hot flashes and night sweats. Exercise may help ease  some of these symptoms.

• Avoiding excessive caffeine

Especially if you are suffering from anxiety you will need to eliminate all caffeine from your diet at least for a while. I gave up a 30 year two cup of coffee habit for over six months but once on hormones I found I can revisit my coffee habit with no ill effects. Do what you must do to feel good… you will overcome your caffeine addiction and be a better person for it.

• Avoiding naps during the day, which can prevent you from sleeping well at night

 Like we modern women have time to nap. But if you do try and go without them you’ll sleep better at night.

Well I hope that will help give you some relief, if you are reading this at 3 am then know you NEED relief. As the days pass I’ll write more about over the counter supplements that will help with menopause symptoms and will be leading up to the wonderful world of Bio Identical hormones. Some women say the BHRT’s don’t work for them. My question is are they seeing the right Doctor doing the right test? Or am I one of the lucky ones who has found the answers to youth and wellness for myself. Only YOU know what is right for your body…just know you no longer have to suffer… there are ways through this and together we will awaken the world to the fact that aging women are viable and deserving of a healthy happy life.