Fuzzable
Menopause is a difficult life stage where women have to deal with the non-production of estrogen and progesterone (hormones produced by their ovaries), stopping of menstruation cycles, hot flushes, tell-tale marks of aging, and disturbed sleep patterns. This normal end to a woman’s reproductive years occurs in her late forties or early fifties. More often than not, menopausal blues leave women in soup and add to the challenges of their lives with low energy, irritability, and undue stress – mostly triggered off by the sleep problems that come their way.
Read on to know more about this alternate method of treating menopause-related sleep woes.
Sleep and Menopause
As per health practitioners, over 80 percent of menopausal women are known to experience disturbed sleep patterns and hot flushes. These difficult symptoms of menopause may last up to four to five years. As per the National Sleep Foundation, over 60 percent of women in their menopausal years are worried about sleep problems that lead to a spate of difficulties, including daytime drowsiness. Fortunately, hot flushes, when sudden warmth overtakes the body; sweating linked to hot flushes; symptoms connected with the loss of hormones; and sleep-related problems can be handled through alternate means. Women are now researching upon and using menopause patches to take care of themselves and their loved ones.
How to Treat Sleep Problems During Menopause?
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the traditional method of treating insomnia and hot flushes related to menopause. HRT comprises of pills, patches, or vaginal creams consisting of estrogen. They are prescribed to women, either by themselves or in combination with progesterone as per need. Earl Hailey from Patch MD says that menopause patches have been found to improve the quality of sleep by reducing the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and increasing time spent in REM sleep. REM sleep refers to a type of sleeping pattern that’s ridden with rapid eye movements, bodily movement, increased palpitation, and heavy breathing. REM sleep occurs intermittently at night and leads to restlessness and irritability.
However, HRT is not recommended to women with not-so-severe symptoms of menopause. Also, there are many women who want to try out different therapies and solutions for enhancing the quality of their sleep. Here, menopause patches and other stress-relieving activities, such as meditation, come to their rescue and take them through the difficult years of menopause with ease.
Tips to Sleep Better During Menopause
In addition to HRT and medicines, certain sleep-inducing guidelines are recommended by health experts to women going through different stages of menopause. These tips can keep them cool while sleeping and alleviate the use of hormones for inducing better sleep. You may also try these tips to handle your menopause blues effectively.
- Wear light and loose clothes while going to bed. It’s a good idea to switch to nightwear made of natural, breathable fibers like cotton. Synthetic and man-made fibers like lycra, rayon, and cotton mixed with polyester are best avoided. They disallow proper breathing of the skin to add to your body heat and disturbed sleep patterns.
- Hot and stuffy bedrooms or the ones with poor ventilation can add to sleep-related woes. It’s is important to create the right environment for sleep in your bedroom. Change your bulbs to cast a soothing appeal, keep your space well-ventilated and cool, deep clean your bedroom at least once every week to keep allergens and pests away.
- Try to avoid heavy, spicy and rich food items at night. They cause disturbed sleep patterns including night sweating and hot flushes.
- Maintain a regular bedtime schedule and try to go to sleep at almost the same time every night. You may want to use menopause patches before going to bed or as recommended by your health specialist. Having long naps during the day can also disturb your regular sleep patterns.
- Exercise regularly and walk daily but not before sleeping. Restrict all adrenalin-pumping activities to the early hours of the day to gain the best results.
- Avoid excessive caffeine.
- Ensure that you sleep on an empty bladder do avoid discomfort.
Reach Out to Alternative Treatments that Help!
Alternative treatments can take care of hot flushes and improve upon the quality and quantum of your sleep. Menopause patches from Patch MD are easy, safe, and convenient to use. They may provide a lot of relief for night sweats and hot flushes. In turn, they lead to easing off of moods swings, better mental balance, and so forth. Get ready to address your challenges of menopause and look forward to better sleep with Patch MD’s menopausal patches, right away.
