Discover how menopause influences sleep patterns and how to manage these changes effectively. Learn about the vital role of hormones, the importance of managing glucose levels, and practical strategies to ensure better sleep during this transitional period in a woman's life.

Key takeaways

• Menopause can significantly affect sleep due to hormonal changes, including the decline of progesterone and oestrogen.
• Hot flashes and glucose dysregulation during menopause can lead to sleep disturbances and consequent anxiety and stress.
• Cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can be a beneficial solution for insomnia developed due to menopausal changes.
• Managing sleep is crucial during menopause to maintain overall health and wellbeing.
• Strategies like regulating glucose levels, reducing stress, supporting hormone balance, and lifestyle changes can significantly improve sleep problems.

Menopause marks a significant transition in a woman's reproductive life, characterised by the depletion of the ovarian reserve. This cessation of monthly reproductive cycles prompts hormonal changes that have profound impacts on a woman's physiology.

One crucial aspect affected by these hormonal shifts is sleep. One of the most common menopausal symptoms is sleep disturbances, such as difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Good sleep is fundamental for optimal sex hormone regulation, therefore understanding and addressing sleep disturbances essential during menopause.

The role of progesterone and oestrogen in sleep

Hormones have a significant influence on sleep. Progesterone is a hormone that typically dominates the sleep cycle. As a woman enters menopause, levels of progesterone start to decline, often negatively impacting sleep quality. This decline can trigger periods of restlessness, intermittent waking, increased irritability, and an overall feeling of tension, leading to sleep disorders like menopause insomnia.

Oestrogen deficiency is another significant repercussion of menopause. Lowered levels of oestrogen can trigger problems such as vasomotor symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes, heightened anxiety, and increased irritation.

In particular, hot flashes and night sweats are a significant cause of sleep disturbances in menopausal women. The sudden increase in heat and excessive sweating often leads to difficulty staying asleep and discomfort multiple times each night. This can cause distress, fatigue, heightened anxiety, and overall poor sleep quality.

Effects of menopause on glucose metabolism and sleep quality

Another critical issue during the menopause transition is the impact of hormonal changes on glucose metabolism and insulin regulation.

Ideally, glucose levels drop to lower levels overnight, with insulin levels regulated accordingly. However, menopause often leads to increases in insulin resistance and glucose variability, which can independently impact sleep quality.

The psychological stress of menopause on sleep

Most people can attest to the impact of psychological stress on sleep quality. Menopause can exacerbate this relationship, with physical changes like hot flashes or glucose dysregulation leading to psychological shifts including irritation, anxiety, and stress. Long-term sleep disturbance can foster sleep anxiety: a fear of not achieving a good night's sleep, which can worsen insomnia.

If you find yourself catastrophising the effects of lack of sleep, obsessing over sleep hygiene, and ruminating excessively about sleep, it may be beneficial to consider an insomnia-based cognitive behaviour therapy program (CBT-I). CBT-I, delivered online or face to face, is evidence-based and may help break this vicious cycle.

Effective sleep management during menopause

Managing sleep is crucial during menopause for maintaining a balanced nervous system, supporting body energy levels, regulating insulin and glucose pathways, and promoting brain function. If you're struggling significantly, it's worth discussing supportive treatments with your healthcare provider.

Here are ten evidence-based strategies that may help you maintain or regain good sleep during menopause:

1. Regulate your glucose levels to reduce overnight micro-waking and overall stress levels.
2. Actively manage your mental and emotional stress load. Consider a stress audit and engage in stress-reducing activities like exercise, nature immersion, and breathing exercises.
3. Seek advice from your healthcare practitioner on how to support your hormonal balance. Research supports the use of herbs like black cohosh and maca.
4. Consider sleep herbs such as withania, lavender, melissa balm, and rhodiola in conjunction with your doctor.
5. For those with extreme hot flashes, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or antidepressant medications can provide short-term relief and make lifestyle changes more impactful.
6. Exercise daily to reduce stress, regulate glucose, and improve sleep.
7. Limit alcohol, sugar, and caffeine, as they can negatively impact sleep and put stress on the body.
8. Spend time in nature to reduce mental stress and positively influence melatonin levels.
9. Employ relaxation techniques like yoga, tai chi, and acupuncture.
10. Limit screen time, especially before sleep, to allow your body to produce more melatonin, a key sleep hormone.

The Vively app can also be a valuable tool for individuals navigating menopause. By assisting in the regulation of glucose levels, Vively can help manage menopause night sweats and support overall metabolic health.

The journey through menopause doesn't have to be synonymous with sleepless nights and fatigue. With the right knowledge, strategies, and tools, it's possible to effectively manage menopause-induced sleep disturbances.