Movement, nutrition, sleep.. The backbone of our wellbeing and all equally important. All too often it is sleep that is one of the first things to go ‘up the swanny’ when perimenopause kicks in.
Lower levels of progesterone and fluctuating estrogen cause havock with our sleep. This is a symptom of perimenopause, but there are a ton of things we can address and change to give us a wider, lasting array of benefits as well as aiding good sleep now. So here's the ultimate list of things to put in place for a good night's sleep every night.
A good nights sleep starts in the morning:
Getting early morning light in your eyes for as little as ten minutes, sets your cortisol level to wake up, and melatonin (the sleep hormone) level so we feel tired at night. As well as having an effect on multiple bodily systems. Get outside, you need to be in the light, with it entering your eyes, no sunglasses! The early bird catches the worm, and sleeps better, but any morning light is good, you don’t need to be up and outside at the crack of dawn!
Darkness rules:
Same goes for evening light, and keeping low light levels at home in the evenings. Which leads me to what is the most common culprit in the search for the top sleep screwer- the mobile phone! That little rectangular ba*t&rd will screw with your melatonin levels like some kind of sleep depriving, evil pixie. As will your laptop. Blue light blocking glasses and apps will help, but there is nothing as mentally stimulating as the constant opportunity for a dopamine fix as you flick through your phone or the work pressure on your laptop. Put it away two hours before bedtime. If this feels impossible, just do it for a week, when you feel the difference this stuff makes you will want to continue.
Having a dark room to sleep in in also a very good hack, when it seems like your brain will latch onto anything, the smallest worry, the tiny speck of light around your curtains- its time to go to war! Get those blinds, line the curtains, paint your bedroom dark- and I mean so dark you may need a torch to find things in the daytime. It makes a huge difference, and it looks amazing btw.
Magnesium rocks:
You need to take Magnesium now. No ifs or buts. Our food is depleted due to modern farming methods wrecking the soil, (organic is worth it!). You need 300mg of actual magnesium, (read the label..Magnesium glycinate is great and won't give you a tummy upset, but check the quantity of mag vs glycinate and take enough to get the 300mg and while you are at it buy good quality, no other ingredients neccessary). Take before bed, on an empty stomach for sleep. Eat a filling dinner two hours minimum before bed, and no sugary snacking. Have carbs and protein with your dinner, enough to sustain you. Sugar crashes can wake you up as they cause a cortisol rise. So get the fibre in, lower the sugar, and be hydrated, more water throughout the day, not just in the evening will lessen the urgency to go to the loo at night.
Booze and caffeine the mortal enemy of good sleep:
I know that we all used to be able to zonk out after along night out on the juice, followed by strong coffee, but those days are over- i’m sorry! Alcohol is the enemy of restorative sleep. As is caffeine, no caffeine after midday if at all. Don’t hate me, I promise you this is true. It's all about treating your brain like the precious, irreplaceable blob of wonder that it is. Nurture yourselves!!
Move:
Sleep loves to be tired, in a good stress free way. Movement is crucial, work out, get exercise outside, walking with a friend and talking out worries, or just go for a walk on your own and ponder, have some brain space.
You light up your brain when you get out of breath, feeding it with nutrients and oxygen, helping it to work well, you calm your nervous system when you stretch and breathe deeply (lovely before bed), lowering cortisol, upping the feel good brain chemicals, which lower stress and inflammation. This is not the time for long runs, if cortisol is high these will make matters worse. This is the time to change things up, and better serve yourself.
Lower unwanted cortisol:
Make a stress reduction plan- This is the time to sort out as much as you can to make life less stressful, look into all the help you can possibly muster, have the difficult conversations.. Deal with past trauma. Meditation is free and will help you sleep better. Whatever your circumstances, there are things you can start doing today.
What to do if you wake:
Accept it- easier said than done I know. But it happens, and the best you can do is drink some water, and try to get back to sleep without panic. Do avoid light- no phone scrolling! If this is likely get the little rectangle out of your room at night.
Practice gratitude- this shifts your brain into a happier state, literally changing your brain chemicals, it’s the boss. This can feel difficult to start with, but tiny tiny things are always there to be glad for, and with practice it gets easier.
Breathe- Cortisol whooshes wake us in a state of flight or fight, heart racing. The perfect excuse to do some lovely breath work, don’t over complicate it.. Just breathe out for longer than you breathe in. Or learn square breathing, this has got me back to sleep more times than I can shake a stick at. Try it, ten rounds ( I’ve never got that far).
These things are evidence based, and will help I promise. Put a couple into your routine at a time, make them into habits. And remember that this too will pass, many women that I speak to report that after menopause they sleep deeply, and you can too, especially if you’ve got these wonderful habits in place.
Remember I am here to help you find your way through this time, you can I promise.