Sleep
Someone tuck us in, please, we’re exhausted
Who else dragged their tired butt out of bed this morning? It was yet another bad night of sleep. Got up four times to pee. Tossed and turned about shit from yesterday and shit waiting for us tomorrow. Is that a hot flash coming on? WTF??
For starters, it’s that sneaky decreasing estrogen triggering hot flashes and exacerbating anxiety. Add in greater sensitivity to alcohol and, uh, whoops, we’ve been having a glass of wine (or two or three) to unwind at the end of the day (see anxiety above). Maybe staying up after everyone else is asleep because oh the silence is so beautiful and no one needs to know we’re rewatching Bridgerton … again.
And when a big domino like sleep goes down, everything else falls apart. You forget to get the car inspected, snap at your partner for something small (legit annoying but small), order in pizza cuz you’re too tired to cook.
Poor sleep can cause, contribute to, or worsen mental health conditions – including depression. It also messes with your immune system and then serious dominoes start falling.
How do we get off this daily merry-go-round?
Shameless Action
We’ve all heard these actions before but sometimes it’s the familiar and obvious things that are easy to forget. It’s easy to slide into bad habits so no excuses, try some small changes for big benefit.
Sleep reset. Stick to a regular sleep time and rise time (getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night). Establish a bedtime routine and start at least 30 minutes before you want to be asleep. Turn off and put away all devices. Yes, that means no scrolling in bed. Dim the lights. Read (a physical book and only if it relaxes the mind). Then crash.
Dark at night, sunlight in the morning. Keep your room totally dark, then get sunlight during the day - especially early morning sunlight - to support your natural circadian rhythm.
Cut back on alcohol. We lucky people in peri- and menopause get hit harder by alcohol consumption because of course we do. If you aren’t up for eliminating alcohol altogether, aim for at least three alcohol-free days per week. On the days you do drink, start early! Haha, we mean so you can stop at least four hours before bedtime. Or, as the Aussies suggest (bless their boozy hearts) swap whiskey for wine.
Exercise. We’re gonna be in nag territory on this one. Moving your body consistently is key. Keep it simple, keep it doable.
Hormone Replacement Therapy. Might help, might not. Check into it.
Ask your doctor about sleep apnea. Do you sleep all night but still feel out of it the next day? Maybe you aren’t getting deep sleep. Mention it at your next appointment because symptoms are subtle and often missed or dismissed.
Next time: Time to meet our Killer Queen, heart disease