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How Menopause Messes With Your Sleep
Sure, menopause causes hot flashes, mood swings and weight gain. But did you know it also messes with your sleep?
Jan 04, 2019
Mar 14, 2024
Menopause & Aging WellSheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.
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During menopause, a good night's sleep might seem like merely a dream.
The hormonal, physical and psychological ramifications of menopause are not just limited to things like hot flashes, mood disorders and weight gain.
They're lurking in the evening hours, too, when all you want to do is sleep. It comes as no surprise, then, that women report the most sleep problems during this time of extreme hormonal upheaval, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
That's why you're likely to:
a.) Wake up and be unable to fall back asleep at 3 a.m.
b.) Be unable to fall asleep in the first place.
c). Be awakened throughout the night (usually accompanied by a pool of sweat).
Learn more about What No One Tells You About Menopause.
And if your partner is complaining about your snoring, well, there's that, too. Snoring is more common and more severe around this time, particularly among women who are postmenopausal.
It's a cruel twist of fate, don't you think? The more we crave sleep, the more sleep eludes us.
First, the obvious and not-so-obvious culprits:
Unfortunately, sleep deprivation during menopause carries more worries than just being tired, forgetful and foggy the next day.
It can pack on the pounds: There's a 50 percent higher risk of obesity if you get less than five hours of sleep each night, according to Johns Hopkins' researchers. That's because with less sleep, your body produces more of the hormone ghrelin, which is known as the "hunger hormone," and less of the hormone leptin, which helps regulate hunger and control your appetite.
All of which is to say that despite menopause messing with your sleep, there are good reasons to persevere and fight. And you can!
Here's how: