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Any woman who’s been through menopause will understand what a challenging and turbulent period it can be. Rather cruelly, menopausal transition usually coincides with a host of other life events, too. You may be caught up in taking care of your elderly parents or relatives, supporting your children through the early stages of adulthood, or taking on more responsibilities within your career.
If you’re going through menopause, you may also be finding it difficult to get to sleep. Wondering why this is? Read on, as we address how the symptoms of menopause can often cause insomnia, along with some suggestions for treatment.
Menopause is a normal part of ageing for women that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, and is officially reached when you haven’t had a period for 12 months. The menopausal transition period (perimenopause) can last anywhere from 7 to 14 years, during which, you’re likely to experience:
Along with the symptoms mentioned above, some women will also experience difficulty sleeping.
Poor sleep quality is a common symptom of perimenopause but isn’t mentioned or discussed as often as it should be. An inability to sleep properly can cause a major disruption to your life.
Hot flushes are the most common cause of sleeplessness during menopause. This is an unpleasant ‘flash’ of extreme heat which comes on suddenly, usually across the upper body and face. During a hot flash, your skin may redden, and many women report breaking into a sweat, too.
Hot flushes can occur at any time, but if they happen at night, they’re likely to wake you up. Other symptoms of hot flushes include:
Hot flushes can last anywhere from 1-5 minutes, and episodes may vary in intensity.
Once you’ve reached menopause and your period has completely stopped, you’re at an increased risk of developing a sleep disorder. Similar to hot flushes, this is thought to be due to a change in hormones.
During menopause, the levels of oestrogen, progesterone, and cortisol in your body change dramatically. This may lead to insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome, and as a result, increase the risk of mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. This can lead to a kind of feedback loop, where the severity of your sleep disturbance grows over time, leading to secondary conditions such as depression — for example, following this pattern:
If left unaddressed, the issue of disrupted sleep can spiral — and can start to impact other areas of your life.
Menopause might be an unfortunate inevitability for women, but this shouldn’t mean you have to suffer through it without getting a good night’s sleep.
So, what can you do to combat menopausal sleep disruption? Thankfully, there are several options available.
If you’re having trouble sleeping but aren’t suffering from a diagnosed sleeping disorder, try the simple steps mentioned below:
In cases where menopausal symptoms are causing an extreme disturbance in your day-to-day life, therapy or prescribed medication may be required.
For example, many of the debilitating, sleep-disrupting symptoms associated with menopause can be relieved through hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT works to replace the hormones that are lost during menopause.
There are over fifty different HRT preparations available, and choosing one that matches your needs can be tricky. This is why HRT is only available after a professional diagnosis from your doctor. After this, your doctor will help you to select the most appropriate treatment option for your needs.
HRT can take the form of pills, patches, rings, implants, gels, or creams. The HRT treatments available from The Independent Pharmacy are:
In cases where insomnia has also been diagnosed, your GP may recommend that you undergo cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is widely regarded as one of the most effective treatments for insomnia during the menopause. CBT may even help with hot flushes, restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnoea.
If you dread going to bed every night due to the effects of menopause, consider seeking help. While it may be an inevitability of growing older, this doesn’t mean you have to put up with the debilitating effects it can have on your sleep. Remember — sleep disorders that manifest during menopause can linger well into your post-menopausal years too. As with any condition, it’s best to begin treatment sooner rather than later.
We stock over 1087 treatments for 90 conditions