Menopause is a body change that is unique to every woman in her hormonal life cycle, but many would agree that it is one of the biggest factors in uprooting a good night’s sleep.
The hormone melatonin is responsible for our sleep. However, as we age, our melatonin production capacity decreases.
The consequences of not getting enough sleep can have a detrimental effect on our overall health. This can include low mood, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Leading psychologist and mindfulness expert, Hope Bastine, who is also resident expert at sleep tech firm SIMBA, has shared her top tips for getting a better night’s kip with FEMAIL.
Leading psychologist and mindfulness expert, Hope Bastine, who is also resident expert at sleep tech firm SIMBA, has shared her top tips for getting a better night’s kip with FEMAIL Pictured: stock image
Turn down the thermostat
With energy bills on the rise, hearing that the key to a better night’s rest lies in curating a nice cool bedroom could be music to our ears, and bank balance!
No matter if you are perimenopausal or not, the ideal room temperature for a good night’s sleep is between 16-18°C.
When going through ‘the change’, I recommend reducing that temperature to as low as 12 degrees if you want to banish the tossing and turning.
Turn off your radiator in the bedroom. Open a window at night.
You can share a bed by using two single duvets, which is a Scandinavian classic. This is an easy way to avoid being sweltering under a winter duvet.
You can stick to a lower-heat summer tog, but your partner will prefer something warmer.
Try the ice water selfhypnotic practice
If your mind can believe it then your body will also receive it.
In an effort to ‘Be the cold’ – try an Ice-Water self-hypnotic practice – the first time you try this get a bowl of ice/cold water and place one of your hands in it.
Take long deep breaths and count yourself down from 10 – 1. Next, imagine the cold from your hands moving up and through your entire body.
Once you have mastered this skill, you can do it without an ice-cream bucket.
This practice can be used whenever you feel a hot flush, or before bed.
Some of my favourite cooling meditations: ‘the Cottage in the Snow’ mediation by the Honest Guys over on YouTube or ‘One Winter’s Night’ on the Meditation Vacation YouTube channel.
Avoid synthetic fibres
If you’re eyeing up the latest trend off the runway, thinking about what it’s made from can help you in your quest to cool.
Avoid wearing synthetic fibres at night and day. They trap heat, and can cause us to sweat. Hot flashes can be avoided by wearing cottons, silks wools, silks, and wools during the day.
You will feel cooler at night when you wear PJs that actually cool you down. This is where Eucalyptus fiber comes in handy.
Cooling fabrics include silk, linen, and cotton.
Soybean-based foods are to be avoided
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is now a common medical intervention but some GPs aren’t keen on prescribing it in the early stages of the hormonal transition.
It can be beneficial to make changes to your diet. Foods like edamame (flax seeds), dried fruits, tofu, and cruciferous vegetable veg all have phytoestrogen. This can promote the production of progesterone and oestrogen, which may help in regulating body temperature.
Soyabean-based foods are also a good option if you want to stay cool. There are many convenient ways to get phytoestrogen.
Avoid foods and drinks that can cause heat spikes. This includes tea, coffee, and spices.
Sip Red Clover tea instead. It contains coumestrol, which is a type of oestrogen that helps regulate hormonal fluctuations.
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT),
Research has shown that hormonal interventions and mindfulness-based CBT (or just CBT) are very effective in managing menopausal symptoms.
Mindfulness-based CBT is a 4–8-week course that combines the principles of mindfulness with the practical tools of CBT to help us cope with this major life change and insomnia.
Hope Bastine, a psychiatrist and resident expert at SIMBA, shares her top tips with FEMAIL for getting a better nights sleep.
Exercise
Exercise is an important part to good sleep hygiene.
Heart rate fluctuations are another sign of menopause. It is important to have heart rate variability in order to get into the right sleep state.
Doing 30 minutes of HIIT every day will not only make you feel more fit, but it will also help you sleep better.
There is much debate about the best time to exercise for optimal sleep.
Researchers are slowly beginning to see the benefits of exercising at different times.
I recommend leaving at the least an hour and a half before you go to bed. This gives time for endorphin levels to drop and core body temperature return to more favorable levels for sleep.
Space-inspired tech can help you achieve a sleep liftoff
What we sleep on is key to creating the right environment for sleep. Anything that retains heat will only add to your frustration.
Simba’s high-tech duvet has been hailed a “menopause miracle” thanks to its ability to regulate body temperature throughout the night.
Women suffering hot flushes – a prevalent symptom of the menopause – say the sleep technology firm’s “Hybrid” duvet has helped them to keep cool while they sleep.
Containing STRATOS®, a technology inspired by the type used to protect astronauts from temperature changes in space, it works by absorbing and releasing heat throughout the night, maintaining a consistent temperature and helping owners fall into a deeper, more restorative state.
Simba’s Hybrid Pillow also includes this clever phase change material that actively responds to the temperature outside – absorbing body heat to cool the wearer down when they are too hot, and vice-versa.