Six Tips To Help You Sleep Better During Menopause

Today marks World Menopause Day held each year on the 18th October to raise awareness of midlife women’s health.

One of the many symptoms that women experience during the menopause is sleeplessness. For many, sleepless nights can be brought on by a number of different factors from restless legs to night sweats, depression to stress.

We’ve consulted the experts and put together our six top tips to help women deal with insomnia during the menopause.

Tips on Dealing with Insomnia During Menopause

1. Joyce Walsleben, RN, PhD, writing for the Sleep Foundation recommends that women should be consistent with their wake up times and allow themselves time to fall asleep at night. It’s important to avoid those gadgets and gizmos that are keeping us awake at night. It’s time to switch off the mobile,  television and anything else that is likely to distract from the serious business of sleep! A relaxing bath, reading a book or listening to some relaxing music will all help us to nod off.
2. Weight gain and changes to appetite can be a major factor for women during the menopause, writes The Sleep Doctor. He recommends that women pay attention more to their diet by eating healthier. We know that eating too much can disrupt sleep. Too much food and the wrong type of food can cause digestive discomfort that prevents us from getting over to sleep and staying asleep. Avoiding foods and drinks that hinder sleep and adding some exercise into our daily routines all helps to aid more restful sleep. Eating certain foods may also help us sleep better. Check out our post on which foods help you sleep better. 
3. Partner disturbance is often cited as a reason for disturbed sleep. Considering a standard size UK double bed gives each person a bed width the size of a baby’s cot, is it any wonder that women struggle to sleep at night? A larger bed is more comfortable, and means each partner is less likely to disturb one another when there’s enough room to spread out and turn in bed. Ergonomic studies show that couples sleep better in a bigger bed, and because as a people we’re getting bigger; we need more space.
4. Sheryl Kraft from healthywomen.com recommends that we avoid caffeine after 2 pm. We know from various studies that caffeine stays a long time in our bodies. Our advice: avoid drinking caffeinated tea or coffee late in the day to help aid restful sleep. Remember, tea, coffee and alcohol can all dehydrate the body.
5. If you’re thinking of buying a new bed or mattress, consider a model that incorporates natural fibres or one that is topped in a cooling cover. If the budget stretches to it, and you’re due a new bed, consider investing in a cooling gel bed. Drawing heat away from the mattress surface a gel bed will help keep the temperature balanced all night long for a comfortable night’s sleep. 
6. It’s not only the bed that needs to be cool. WebMD.com recommends that women should keep their bedroom cool and well-ventilated at night. Night sweats can play havoc with women’s sleep. Whether it’s getting up during the night to change bed linen or being unable to get over to sleep due to the heat, getting the right temperature in the bedroom is a must.  A cool shower or bath before bedtime can also help refresh and cool the body before you go to sleep. If you can, vent the room by keeping the window slightly open and, of course, wear light cotton nightwear to keep your body’s core temperature at the right level.

The Sleep Council advises:

Your body heat peaks in the evening and then drops to its lowest levels when you’re asleep, so a cool 16-18°C (60-65°F) is thought to be an ideal temperature in a bedroom. Temperatures over 24°C (71°F) are likely to cause restlessness, while a cold room of about 12°C (53°F) will make it difficult to drop off. (The Perfect Sleep Environment)

Sleep Advice at Dalzells

Here at Dalzell’s we make your sleep our priority. Our expertly trained staff are happy to advise on all types of beds and mattresses to avoid discomfort when you sleep. Browse our online store or visit our showroom in Markethill where there’s plenty of on-street Free Parking. We’re easily accessible too, just off the A28 between Armagh and Newry; 30 minutes from Lisburn, 45 from Belfast and an hour from Dublin. With Multi-Buy Discounts available why shop anywhere else? What’s more, with Free Delivery* and Free Collection and Recycling of Your Old Bed throughout our Free Delivery Zone of Northern Ireland and Counties Dublin, Louth and Monaghan, there’s one less thing to worry about. We’ll also unpack and set-up your New Bed and Mattress in a room of your choosing and dispose of all the packaging. Visit in-store, Email, or simply Call us on T: 028 3755 1260 where our staff are on hand to answer and questions you may have.