As we get older, getting a good night’s sleep can feel more challenging than ever.
Hot flushes aren’t the only sleep disturber for menopausal women. Fears about no longer being attractive to their partners and a sense of loss over the empty nest (not to mention the worry over what their grown up children might be up to!) can all contribute to insomnia. Anxiety can keep anyone up at night, but there are lots of things you can do to improve your sleep.
Sleep like a baby
Creating a bedtime ritual can be just as soothing and beneficial for you as it is for small children. Take some time before bedtime to relax in a warm bath or empty your head of the day’s worries by writing in a journal. Do whatever it takes to help you ‘let the day go’. You might also want to end the day with some gentle, restorative yoga moves and stretch away your concerns. You should also make your bedtime reading different to all the magazines, newspapers and books that vie for your attention during the day.
During the day, be as active as possible. Even gentle exercise like walking, Tai Chi and swimming will help you feel upbeat and awake during the day while calming your mind and helping you sleep better at night.
Put your problems to bed
If you’re stressing about your retirement or other worries, talk it through with someone. Whatever your concerns, paying attention to them and addressing them properly will make you more able to “switch off” when it’s time to rest and recharge.
Identify what’s worrying you (thoughts about your relationship? family? changes in your working life? financial concerns? possible moves?) and then think about who can help you get some perspective. In many cases, venting to a private diary or talking to a loved one will help. In other cases, talking to a counsellor, coach, homeopath or even financial advisor may be what you need to rest more easily.
Tomorrow's another day
Think about the way you want things to unfold tomorrow. It’s a great antidote to anxiety and will help make sweet dreams more likely. Think about what you have planned for tomorrow and imagine everything going smoothly and enjoyably. Write it all out as if it’s already happened. Smooth travel, a challenging conversation going well, even waking up feeling rested and refreshed and ready to take on the world – write it down.
Peace and Tranquility
Make sure your bedroom feels like a sanctuary. Keep the air flowing by opening your windows regularly. You can also apply simple Feng Shui tips to increase your odds of getting a good night’s sleep:
- Having your head facing the door on a diagonal is a popular suggestion. It makes sense on a practical level as you’ll feel more secure if you know you can see anyone coming in.
- Cover any mirrors that are visible from your pillow. This is so that if you partly open your eyes during the night, the sight of your moving reflection won’t startle you awake.
- Ideally, your bedroom will be an area that's free of insomnia inducing paraphernalia like heavy reading, work and electrical equipment.
- You can add to your bedtime routine by changing the lighting to create a different pace. By using a lower wattage bedside lamp, you’ll send your body signals that it’s time to start winding down for the night (just as our ancestors used nature’s cue of sunset).
- Choose natural fabrics like cotton to help your skin breathe and stay comfortable. Wearing socks in bed can also help (unless you’re one of the minority who find this is likely to keep you awake longer). Experiment with it. Bedding ranges such as Dermatherapy were created to help people with skin conditions but many people with insomnia can benefit from the comfort they offer, too.
- Once in bed, if sleep still feels a bit elusive, pay attention to your breathing. Forget about counting sheep, but observe each inhalation and exhalation. This can be very calming on its own but if you still feel restless, imagine yourself breathing in a good night’s sleep, peace and calm. Then imagine breathing out any stresses, insomnia, discomfort, anxiety and anything else that’s getting between you and the rest you deserve.
Eat for sleep
There are also certain nutrients, often available in supplement formulations, which can have a gentle, calming effect on the body, inducing natural sleep:
5-HTP – Serotonin is an important initiator of sleep and its production is dependant on the availability of the hormone L-Tryptophan. However in some cases insufficient levels of L-Tryptophan are available thereby limiting the amount of the sleep-inducing chemical, serotonin produced. 5-HTP is one step closer to serotonin than L-Tryptophan. Derived from seed pods of the West African plant Griffonia simplicifolia, 5-HTP passes from the bloodstream into the brain where it is converted into serotonin to lift mood and encourage natural sleep. Several clinical studies have highlighted 5-HTP’s ability to increase the quality of sleep by enhancing REM sleep (that lovely deep sleep!) typically by 25% without increasing the length of sleep in total and without the usual associated side-effects of medication for insomnia.
B Vitamins – Lack of sleep can be both the result and a cause of stress. During these stressful times, B vitamins are used up at a rapid rate and it is essential to meet demand.
Magnesium – This relaxing mineral has been reported to have a natural calming effect and is a key nutrient in balancing blood sugar levels, an imbalance of which has also been associated with insomnia.
back to the top »