Insomnia

Insomnia and sleeping problem can affect middle age women especially in the perimenopause period. When body does not receive the rest that it needs, fatigue sets in that make other symptoms such as mood swings, irritability and depression more likely to appear. Hormonal changes are believed to be cause of sleeping problems during menopause. For example, a hormone that is produced by the pinea gland, melatonin changes as the body ages and this causes changes in the sleeping pattern resulting in insomnia.

Night sweats combined with insomnia is even worse. You will be waken up by night sweats and have trouble returning to sleep. If you taking any drugs, check with your doctor on whether it is the culprint that is causing the sleeping problems. Resorting to sleeping pills does not help you in the long run and you may end up with other problems later on.

You should also reduce your caffeine consumption especially at night. Try to drink milk with calcium enriched snacks instead as it can help you to go to sleep better. Non caffeinated tea like peppermint and chamomile are also relaxing to the body.

Watch your lifestyle as well. Try to limit your activities in bed. Do your reading, and watching TV in the other rooms or in the living hall. It can subconsciously train your mind to only thinking about sleeping if you only used your bedroom for its sole purpose. If you smoke, try to stop and it may help in your insomnia problem. Alcohol may put you to sleep but you will be likely to have interrupted sleep.

Some women find sleep easier at night after doing light exercises in the evening with plenty of fresh air. Listening to easy music or relaxation tape may help too. Others prefer the room to be quiet and dark for them to be able to sleep. Adjust the room temperature if necessary. Try to improve your bedroom environment and explore various settings and find the one that is most effective for you insomnia problem..

With time, insomnia tends to become less of a problem as the hormones start to stabilize. Some women may just accept the fact that will experience sleeping problems during their menopause period and make the most out of it. One a positive note, the time at which you wake up in the middle of the night can be used to catch up with your chores or just having quiet time by yourself.

Try also herbs that can help you to relax. Most of these herbs help in dealing with insomnia problem by soothing, cooling and nourishing the body. St. John’s wort, valerian, oatstraw, passion flower are some of example of commonly used herbs.

If your insomnia is still manageable and does not affect your quality of life, try to solve the problem without being dependent on drugs. Let your doctor know should you decide to take herbal relief. If everything else fails, your doctor may recommend a mild tranquilizer to help you fall asleep.