Improving your sleep

If there’s one thing that we’ve all become more aware of in recent years, it’s the importance of a good night’s sleep. Medical experts have discovered that a lack of quality sleep is connected to a host of health conditions including obesity, heart problems, and poor mental well-being.

With this in mind, it’s clear that we all need to find ways to improve our sleep hygiene in order to reap the benefits that come with being well-rested. But if you’re suffering from hormonal insomnia, how can you improve your bedtime routine?

The Importance Of 8 Hours of Shuteye

Advice from the NHS states that all adults should get no less than 6 hours of sleep each night, with up to 9 hours being considered ideal. Most people try to get between 7 and 8 hours of rest when they go to bed, but it isn’t always as easy as it sounds.

Changing shift patterns, hectic social lives, and daily stresses can all make it different to get more than 6 hours of sleep, and when that situation persists for days, weeks, or months at a time, we don’t just feel grouchy and bleary-eyed in the mornings, we also suffer from reduced immunity, high blood pressure, and poor mental health.

For maturing women, there is another reason why getting 8 hours of shuteye can prove to be so challenging Menopause and sleep problems are intertwined inextricably. As Davina McCall points out in her book, “Menopausing” which is co-written with Dr. Naomi Potter, menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, anxiety and night sweats can all contribute to a poor night’s sleep.

Since women have a lot to deal with during this time of their lives, often having to take on additional responsibilities in the workplace while caring for elderly parents and supporting their own children during their progression into adulthood, it couldn’t be more important to feel well-rested. So, how can menopausal women relieve their symptoms and maximise their sleep benefits?

Improving Sleep Quality

There are many ways that have been suggested to improve your quality of sleep, whether you’re menopausal or not. There are numerous products available that promise to aid restful sleep, but not all are equally effective. Essentially, you need to reduce your stress level, reduce your alcohol and sugar intake, and improve your relaxation skills to help promote better rest.

Developing Better Sleep Routines

One of the first things to try if you’re struggling to sleep due to your rampaging hormones is to look at your bedtime routine and see where changes can be made. Reducing your blue light exposure is very helpful, and eliminating screens of any kind from the bedroom can make an enormous difference to your sleep patterns. Wearing blue light blocking glasses after sunset can make a huge difference.

Preparing for bed with a soothing and relaxing routine is also beneficial. Taking a warm bath with an aromatherapy bath oil can put you in the right frame of mind for rest, I really love the one from aromatherapy associates (link here)

 Blocking out natural light with blackout blinds or curtains can also help to promote a more restful environment.

Making Dietary Changes

Your diet also has a role to play in how well you sleep. Magnesium is one key mineral that promotes relaxation and since deficiencies are common, taking a regular magnesium supplement may help to support your new sleep routine. Emma’s Nutrition does a good one (link here) which is also recommended by DR Louise Newson, from Newson Health, Dr Louise Newson is a pioneer on the peri menopause and menopause front.  She has worked tirelessly to help women in this stage in life on so many fronts.

Boosting your own natural sleep hormone melatonin is also essential, and Montgomery Sour Cherries are one natural source that you can add into your diet before bedtime to aid your sleep without having to resort to medications.  Lizzie Loves Healthy does an amazing one click here to find out more.

Relieving Stress

Most women today have a certain amount of stress in their lives, whether from a challenging job, family pressures, or dealing with their own health issues. As stress can impede quality sleep, it’s important to find effective ways to relax more. Acupressure is one option that can help to relieve anxiety and stress.

This ancient traditional Chinese medicine massage is more than two thousand years old and works by sending signals via pressure to the body to heal itself. The concept of acupressure centres around Qi, the life energy that circulates through the meridians of the body and that can become blocked due to imbalances. Emilia Herting and Maeve O’Sullivan from Escapada Health are experts, it is worth subscribing to their newsletter. Follow Escapada here for more tips.  (They also offer fabulous retreats in Majorca)  

Acupressure massage is designed to correct those imbalances so flow can be restored, and better well-being achieved. The Yin Tang and Anmian acupuncture points between the eyebrows and behind the ear are the focus for relaxation acupressure treatments, helping to stimulate melatonin production, combating insomnia and aiding restful sleep.

Regulating Temperature

Evidence has shown that keeping the room temperature under 20 degrees Celsius can feed into a healthier sleep regime. This is especially true if you’re menopausal and suffer from the typical symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.  

Lisa Snowdon in her Midweek Menopause Live IG sessions often mentions the negative effect of being too hot on sleep patterns, so finding ways to keep your bedroom at the ideal temperature is key and one way that you can achieve this is by selecting the right bedding to suit your needs.

During the menopause the best bedding is always layered, allowing you to easily adjust as necessary to suit your own temperature level. When you have different layers of bedding, you can add or take off a cover as necessary to achieve the perfect level of comfort for you.

Cotton Dohar bedding with a matching block printed quilts is the ideal solution especially as cotton is breathable and naturally hypoallergenic. Becoming softer and more comfortable with time, our beautiful Dohars come in a choice of attractive patterns that are sure to take your bedroom to a new level of style.

Made by hand by our skilled artisans every one of our Dohars is entirely unique, so not only are they an excellent menopause sleep aid, but they’re also an artistic addition to your home. Pair them with our block printed quilts and cushions to match and you’ll not only enjoy a wonderful night of comfortable rest, but also a more aesthetically pleasing home.

Click here to discover our collection of Dohars, quilts, pillow shams and breathable lightweight nightwear.

Read our blog on  5 top nutritional tips to improve your sleep.