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Home | Health & Fitness | Yoga My grandma used to say she had "eyes like saucers" when her hot flashes were keeping her awake at night - I think she meant she was suddenly wide awake and unable to get back to sleep - but we certainly got the picture. It seems that hot flashes, and insomnia in particular have plagued us for a very long time - as even the great Shakespeare wrote about it in Macbeth when he employs a physician to deal with his wife's insomnia: " Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, Race out the written troubles of the brain; And with-some sweet oblivious antidote cleanse the stuft bosom of that perilous stuff which weighs upon the heart." Well, at least that's what it sounds like to me. Has HRT Had an Influence on Insomnia For Menopausal Women Yet, even though insomnia has been around for centuries, it seems to have just gotten worse. That's because many women dropped hormone replacement therapy after news that the risks outweigh the benefits. The abrupt withdrawal led to uncomfortable symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes and vaginal dryness - and sleeplessness. Many women are now being plagued again with menopause symptoms and problems they thought they had left behind. But there are still a lot of options that can provide effective solutions to these issues. Sleeplessness is a common complaint I hear about often. But sleeplessness isn't a one-size-fits-all problem. Just like most every other menopause symptom, you need to determine what treatment best fits your particular sleep concern. The best place to start is by consulting your doctor or health care professional, and discussing all possible options and potential side effects. Believe it or not, some form of hormone replacement therapy could still offer the best short term solution. Is Insomnia Part of Getting Old As we enter our early fifties, we all start to experience disruptions to our normal sleep patterns. Depending on which of the 5stages of sleep is impacted determines how serious it is. The first two stages, transitional sleep and light sleep are known as Non Rapid Eye Movement stages or NREM. Stages three and four are known as deep or Delta sleep, and these are the most restful - these are the stages we need to get to quickly and remain in longest. Stage five is known as REM or Rapid Eye Movement. This is when we dream and take up about 20 percent of our sleep time. After age 50 we spend more time in stages one and two, so we sleep lighter and are more likely to wake up. We get tired earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning. But that doesn't mean we can't improve our sleep. The first thing you need to do is figure out your sleep pattern and where the problem lies. Some people have difficulty falling asleep, while others will have problems staying asleep. Your problem may be that you're being woken by experiencing a hot flash, or it may be that you wake up, and then have the hot flush. So make some notes for reference. Can Natural Herbal Remedies Help While there are some very specific herbs for menopause, not all herbal remedies are everything they claim to be - so tread carefully. Over the counter sleeping medications can help for a while, but these should be viewed as a short term solution to help you start sleeping properly again. Your aim is to create a new sleep pattern (like your original one when you slept right through the night), rather then rely on drugs to make you sleep. Stopping Hot Flashes From Disrupting Your Sleep If your hot flashes are causing your insomnia, you need to find out what is triggering them. For some women it's having a dream in the middle of the night that brings it on, for others it could be something as simple as a "spooky" noise like the heating system switching on. Rather than treating the symptoms with sleeping pills, look for the triggers and manage those. You have to find out what your body needs and work with it to get back into your normal routine. In many cases, the solution can be as simple as changing your diet or your routine. Allocating 30 to 60 minutes last thing at night to winding down and relaxing can be time well spent. Relaxing in a darkened room is a great way to unwind and help your body produce its sleep hormones like melatonin. Don't do anything stimulating before bed - like exercise, or hot showers. Diet is also very important - what we eat has a huge impact on how our body works. Some speciality teas for example can induce hot flashes, so choose carefully and do a bit of research. Believe it or not, carbohydrates also increase your sleep hormones, so if you're on a low carb diet you may want to make a few exceptions in the evening. And warm milk can be a great help to induce sleep, but I'd recommend a non-dairy alternative like soy milk. Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
Stop suffering from hot flashes and insomnia. Wendy Jones shares her experiences of insomnia and hot flashes on her blog talking about symptoms of menopause
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