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The Link Between Menopause and Insomnia
By administrator | March 12, 2010
Insomnia caused by menopause
Sadly a big symptom of menopause is insomnia. The big question is, what causes this? Why is menopause associated with insomnia and is there anything that can be done?
A lot of women find they never used to have trouble sleeping until menopause. The menopause itself is a natural occurrence and relates to the slowing down of the reproductive process. This causes hormonal fluctuations which are the reason for most of the unpleasant symptoms some women experience, including insomnia.
Menopausal insomnia basically makes it hard for a woman to get to sleep, or even once they do get to sleep they may find themselves waking up several times throughout the night. The frequent waking may be caused by hot flashes that many women experience. These hot flashes may cause movement whilst asleep such as pushing off bed covers. Once the hot flash has ended, a woman will find themselves cold due to the lack of bed covers, which will wake them up.
Stress also tends to increase at this time and can keep you tossing and turning for hours if left unchecked. The anxiety connected with menopause will cause just that. There is however something you can do about this, if you exercise regularly each morning you will find yourself falling to sleep easier at night.
Depression may also rear it’s ugly head and is a prime cause of early waking. There is nothing worse than waking at 3 am and feeling depressed about your life. You can try to combat this by focusing on things that will put you in a positive mood, instead of dwelling on things that get you down. This can help you fall back to sleep.
If your sleeping patterns change dramatically as a women, and you have reached the age of 45 – 60 you can be sure it is usually menopause insomnia.
How to deal with menopause and insomnia?
Menopausal insomnia is exactly the same as normal insomnia, however the fact that it is caused by menopause means it can be alleviated by focusing on the menopause itself. So you can help improve your sleeping patterns by using homeopathic remedies for menopause, or natural herbal remedies. If, despite your best efforts you find you are still not sleeping, then a natural insomnia remedy will undoubtedly help. What works for normal insomnia will usually work for menopausal insomnia. It is best to avoid unnatural sleep aids, as these will usually leave you feeling tired throughout the day and you could even become dependent on them.
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