If you’re tossing and turning at night, when you used to sleep like a baby, blame it all on hormones.
Sleep expert Joyce Walsleben, RN,PhD says she sees a lot of women in their late 30’s and 40’s who have trouble sleeping because they are transitioning into menopause. "During the course of perimenopause through menopause, a woman’s ovaries gradually decrease production of estrogen and progesterone, a sleep-promoting hormone." She adds that dropping levels of estrogen may make you more susceptible to environmental stressors which disrupt sleep.
Instead of reaching into the medicine cabinet for a sleep aid, why not first try these natural remedies:
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekends.
- Sleep in a dark, quiet and comfortable place.
- Make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable.
- Don’t watch TV, eat or exercise in your bedroom.
- Your last meal or snack should be at least 2 to 3 hours before bed time.
- Exercise regularly.
- Abstain from caffeine and nicotine near bedtime.
- Stay away from alcohol close to bed time.
Remember, sleeping pills should be a last resort. They all carry some side effects. Instead, you might want to try Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
CBT uses several methods to encourage sleep:
- relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety
- replacing worries with positive thinking, allowing you to fall into a restful sleep pattern
- Individual or group therapy sessions work on calming your mind
- limiting the time you spend in bed awake, by setting a sleep schedule
To find out if Cognitive Behavior Therapy is right for you, see a therapist in your area who specializes in this approach.
Popular herbal and nutritional supplements may or may not send you into dream land.
Valerian ( a root that you steep in hot water for tea)
Melatonin (an artificial or animal form of a substance produced by humans, that is linked to sleep)
The FDA doesn’t regulate teas or extracts as a sleep aid. The National Sleep Foundations says they don’t undergo the same rigorous testing that drugs do, and no one knows the long term side effects.
Insomnia costs everyone
A National Sleep Foundation survery calculated the annual cost of insomnia as more than 18 billion dollars! Insomniacs spend money on treatments and health care services. Plus they are less productive at work, and cause accidents by sleeping at the wheel.
So, if these methods don’t work, it may be worth the cost of a doctor’s visit.
Sources: National Sleep Foundation, Family Physicians Inquiry Network, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
