Go the F*ck to Sleep - The Menopause Series

We have many conversations at our office about weird dreams, night sweats, our brains not wanting to switch off and how many times we get up in the night for a wee, it's become a bit of a competition! Welcome to the wonderful world of menopause and sleep deprivation.

After 40, our dwindling hormone levels are often to blame for symptoms of bad sleep, but how do we know whether menopause is responsible or is it just part of the ageing process?

Sadly our 20’s are long gone, and with them the ability to have very little sleep and crack on with the next day without a care in the world. Sleep quality naturally deteriorates with age, and women can suffer huge disruption in sleep patterns due to life events like menstruation and pregnancy. Our lives have become busier than ever. For those of you with teenage children, we feel your pain. No longer do our teenagers want to spend time with us, we are more like cleaners, chefs and drivers that must fit in with their enviable social lives. The guilt and worry of being a parent never goes away though, even when they are more independent.

Those without children, through choice or not, are often thought of as having less to worry about at this age, but why? Life impacts everyone in different ways and all women, parents or not, will go through and suffer the symptoms of menopause.

This new manifestation of midlife can be hellish and needs to be taken seriously.

As many as 61% of women report symptoms of insomnia during peri-menopause and menopause.

In many cases careers have been ruined, relationships have suffered and quality of life has taken a drastic downturn.

It’s not just about not being able to drift off into the land of nod, insomnia can affect the days as well as the nights and can quickly become a vicious circle.

Not sleeping at night leads to feelings of exhaustion in the day, which in turn affects concentration, mood, patience and above all threatens your sanity.

So yeah, life gets in the way of our precious slumber but along comes menopause with some loathsome nightmares of its own. Night Sweats, the urge to wee, waking up for no reason, restless legs and sleep apnea to name a few. 

If you’re one of the unfortunate souls that suffer with any of these symptoms, which btw is over half of all menopausal women, then there are a few things that are worth trying to ease the torment and hopefully fight the fatigue.

• Quality of sleep is more important than quantity. The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, so getting into good habits will help you understand how much you need personally.

• Winging it is no longer an option for good sleep. We need good sleep hygiene. Make your sleep routine and environment a priority. 

• It’s really important to have a consistent sleep pattern. Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. Try not to be tempted to catch up or nap when you have down time, this can be counter productive. 

• Keep your room cool and dark. Try an eye mask if it ‘s not dark enough for you and make sure you can’t see a clock.

• Wear cotton pyjamas, this helps to wick away the sweat!

• Avoid caffeine. It’s hard if you’re always feeling tired, but try to switch to decaff by mid afternoon at the latest.

• Try not to use alcohol as a sleep aid. Although a few glasses of wine in the evening might make you sleepy, it actually disrupts the sleep cycle and can worsen night sweats.

• We all know that we shouldn’t be looking at our phones in bed, but it really does make a difference. Try to keep the blue light out of the bedroom. That includes TV and laptops too.

• If you struggle to get to sleep or switch your brain off, try writing a to-do list, or even write down your worries. You are less likely to be woken up with these on your mind if you have written them down before bed.

• If you haven’t tried it, think about giving meditation a go. It can really help you to switch off and relax. There are many apps that can help you if you’re new to it. We like Calm and headspace.

We should never underestimate the power of sleep and the role it plays with regards to our general health and well being. It supports our immune systems, helps us to maintain a healthy weight, helps our bodies to repair itself, it benefits our short term memories and our reaction times, and above all, sleep can help protect our emotional and mental wellbeing.

Getting a decent amount of kip is something we all want, but it’s important to remember that it’s hard to break habits. Don’t put pressure on yourself to change everything at once. Taking small steps in the right direction is enough. 

Sleep tight!

Our menopause “go the f*ck to sleep” package has some great products to help you relax and unwind for a better night sleep.

If this is something you'd like to try, head to our shop to buy for yourself or another sufferer.