Science tips to get better sleep in Perimenopause
Poor sleep is one of the top 3 symptoms women report experiencing during Perimenopause. So what can you do to get better sleep?
The power of the sun
Getting sunlight into your eyes as early as possible is scientifically proven to help set your circadian clock which is the clock our body works to. Sunlight helps to trigger the cortisol pulse that gets us going in the morning. Even if it is cloudy outside there is still sufficient light to act as a catalyst for this chemical process that then leads to us having more energy to get on with the day. It is important that the light is low in the sky from the early morning sun as this process is less effective when the sun is overhead at midday.
As this circadian clock moves toward the end of the day the light intake is just as important to then encourage a sleepy state. Viewing low level light, such as the sun at sunset then helps the body to know it is moving toward the end of the day and more sleep chemicals are produced to aid sleep.
Research has shown that any artificial light between the hours of 11pm - 4am will have a negative impact on your sleep due to the chemicals in the body that are generated from the light. If you find yourself being wakeful during these times you may be tempted to reach for your phone, but be aware this will be giving your brain the signals to stay awake rather than go back to sleep.
Take away tool - use 4,7,8 breath to engage your parasympathetic nervous system if you find yourself awake during the night. In for the count of 4, hold for the count of 7 and breathe out for the count of 8. Practice it during the daytime so that it is easier to do at night. It works, try it!
Careful with caffeine
Caffeine is used by many of us to feel more alert, especially when our hormones are messing with our energy levels. However it is useful to know how the timing of when we consume caffeine can have an impact on sleep later in the day.
Caffeine is still 50% active in the body 5-6 hours after consumption and 25% active in the body for 10-12 hours. Therefore when you choose to have your tea or coffee is important, as any time after 12 midday it is still in your system, being 25% active at 10pm when you are probably wanting to feel sleepy.
Take away tool - If you are feeling sleepy mid afternoon and would usually use caffeine to keep you focused, try a 6 minute active rest to recharge your brain and body. Find a YouTube meditation clip to follow or get in touch with me for my 6 minute ‘reset to calm’ audio. If you have time, a 20 minute deep rest can really recharge you for the rest of the day. (Set an alarm in case you fall asleep, I often do!)
The power of sleep
Sleep maybe the greatest healer and asset to our lives.
The brain is busy processing the input of the day, removing the intense emotion from memories and playing over interactions and things learned. This process happens during Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM) and is crucial for our wellbeing and emotional regulation each day. This happens during the second part of our sleep cycle.
The first part of the sleep cycle is our deep sleep (non REM) the deeper the sleep the more powerful the depth of the brain waves and is also crucial for our health, our body is busy repairing during this stage.
We don’t want to skip either stage of sleep and so it is important for us to get on average between 7-9 hours each night.
During Perimenopause our progesterone levels are depleted and this can lead to difficulties in managing our emotions and mood. Therefore it is even more important to try and get the best sleep we can even with disturbances from hot flushes at night.
If your sleep is disturbed due to hot flushes then talking therapy may help. Studies have shown that stress and anxiety increase hot flushes and in turn can disturb our sleep pattern. Finding the right kind of talking therapy for you can help calm your mind and help you manage hot flushes leaving you more rested at night. Hypnotherapy has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety as well as improve sleep. Be sure to find a qualified practitioner who is also trained in Perimenopause to get the most out of your therapy.
Sleep has an image problem
Evolution hasn’t come up with a solution to sleep deprivation. We can store fat in case of famine in the body but we cannot accumulate a sleep bank. However it isn’t seen as edgy or exciting to go to bed early, it is seen as lazy or boring. We are taught that in order to achieve or have fun we need to stay up late and cram as much as we can into our day.
This is not helpful, especially during Perimenopause. We need to listen to our bodies and if we are feeling tired then see it as a treat to go to bed early. Allow your body to benefit from those important first few hours of healing sleep and then the follow on REM to help your mood.
Your brain is also having a good clear out of the toxins that build up during the day. This cleaning process is vital for brain health and giving us better focus and memory, and we all need as much of that as we can get during these Peri years!
When thinking about tomorrow go to bed early, get the sleep you need tonight as an investment for tomorrow. Shift your mindset to see sleep as an investment. You will thank yourself for it!
