Perimenopause and insomnia

How to deal with perimenopause sleep problems?

If only I had known in my mid-forties that sleep loss is one of the first indicators that hormones are starting to duck and dive, and I was entering into my perimenopausal insomnia years!

I now know that perimenopause is the phase leading up to menopause. On average, it begins around the age of 45 onwards and is the time that menopausal symptoms begin to arise. So, you can generally take it that if you are over 45 and start to experience symptoms such as sleep loss, anxiety, fatigue, hot flushes, and night sweats, then you are embarking on your perimenopause journey which ultimately leads to menopause.

If you didn’t already know, menopause is just one day, it occurs around the age of 51, when your ovaries decrease their hormone production and you have had no menstrual periods for 12 consecutive months. Beyond that day, you are post-menopausal and that’s for the rest of your life!

I had no inkling about perimenopause. I thought that my sleep disturbance and night sweats were caused by my new duvet, not by my fluctuating hormones. Hot flushes can be embarrassing during the day and night sweats uncomfortable at night and anyone who experiences them will say that’s an understatement!

The one thing about sleep is that no one can do it for you, and its loss has a massive knock-on effect, creating a spiralling vortex of other symptoms. It affected my concentration; brain fog was impacting my ability to function in my job, and I would keep making silly and sometimes costly mistakes. This led to a total loss of self-confidence. I had anxiety attacks and dreadful mood changes. One minute I would be fine and then it was like a switch was flicked and I’d either burst into tears or fly off the handle. I felt totally discombobulated and my poor family were even more confused about what was happening to me.

All these symptoms certainly had an impact on every aspect of my personal and professional life. And they culminated in me being unable to sleep due to my mind being in total turmoil, and when I finally dropped off, those dreaded night sweats would wake me in the small hours, dripping wet. The sweats were so heavy that I’d end up sleeping on a towel.

Can you believe I went on for another two years living like this before discovering that what I was experiencing was perimenopause? This total lack of knowledge about my reproductive lifespan prompted me to set up Positive Pause with my business partner who was having her own perimenopausal cocktail of different symptoms.

Positive Pause is passionate about sharing constructive, supportive, and positive advice about all things midlife, menopause and beyond. Menopause is our business.

The fastest growing demographic in the UK workplace are women aged 45 to 55 and they are more than likely going to experience menopause symptoms including hot flushes or sleep loss. We are passionate about raising awareness of the impact of menopause at work. This enables organisations to retain these valuable members of their workforce, through what can sometimes be a challenging phase for them, their managers and their colleagues.

Once I discovered that I was perimenopausal and not losing my mind, I looked for practical, holistic ways to solve my symptoms. And through extensive research, Positive Pause now has a huge resource of menopause support for women looking for no-nonsense advice.

My top tip is that sleep is THE most important commodity that a woman needs to help alleviate other menopause symptoms, so finding ways to encourage it is paramount.

6 Ways to improve perimenopause sleep:

Reduce your alcohol and caffeine

First and foremost, if you are experiencing night sweats find out what triggers them. Drinking alcohol is a known culprit, so cut back or cut it out altogether, and if you can’t, then live with the consequence of a disturbed night ahead. Caffeine is in black tea as well as coffee, so avoid drinking any at least 6 hours before bedtime.

No devices in your bedroom

I know it’s hard to ween yourself away, but they are a distraction and stimulate your brain. Light boosts the happy chemical, serotonin, making you feel active. As you start to wind down, when it gets dark or lights get dimmer, your brain receives the signal that less light is hitting the back of your eye, so it produces melatonin, the essential chemical that tells your mind and body it’s time for sleep. You can disrupt this process by watching screens, checking phones, and doing things that stimulate your brain to think there’s light around when there shouldn’t be.

Wind-down bedtime routine

I resorted to yoga breathing exercises to calm me down if I was anxious, stressed or upset. Call it mindfulness but just focusing on breathing is a great way to feel more relaxed, there’s plenty of apps that can help you. Pamper yourself and have a bit of ‘me time’. Run a warm bath (not too hot) with a handful of Epsom salts (to relax your muscles), light a calming scented candle. Read a book or write a journal. Offload your problems and thoughts even writing down a ‘to do list’, all help to calm you down.

Comfortable sleep

Keep your cool in perimenopause by wearing cotton or specialist cooling menopause nightwear; moisture-wicking items that are easy to take off or put on as you need! Menopause is a stress-inducing time, that often manifests itself in your neck and shoulders. Ensure you have a pillow that supports you correctly, or better still invest in a special memory foam pillow to help relieve any discomfort. Use a relaxing pillow spray as an additional pamper (all great presents if anyone is lost for ideas).

Keeping cool

I found that if I lay curled up on my side or tummy, it instantly triggered night sweats. Again, identify what triggers your night sweats. Have a sheet under your duvet, it’s simpler to remove than a duvet cover and easier to wash and remake the bed. In the summer, I sleep with just the duvet cover and have the duvet on top that can be quickly kicked off. Keep a wet flannel by your side; it’s surprising how cold it remains through the night. This is great for laying on your skin to keep you cool or wipe you down. Another cool tip is popping a hot water bottle in the freezer, it’s a super chiller! And most importantly, stay well hydrated; keep a big jug or bottle of water by your bedside.

Getting back to sleep

Don’t despair, try progressive muscle relaxation techniques by tensing and relaxing different muscle groups to relax your mind. And breathing techniques to slow your heart down, making you feel calmer. But don’t be tempted to check your phone or look at the time, you’ll end up being wide awake worrying about getting no sleep!

On the positive side, I want to emphasise that menopause is a phase of life and in most cases, once your hormones have rebalanced, you will resume normal service. Now the only thing that disturbs my precious commodity of sleep is my husband’s snoring!

Ann Stephens

Co-founder of Positive Pause

This post is in conjunction with TEMPUR® but all thoughts are my own.