Sleep issues in perimenopause and menopause
Struggling to sleep during perimenopause or menopause? You’re not alone! Many of the women who come to see me in my naturopathic clinic are finding it hard to get a good night’s sleep once they reach 40.
Herbs I recommend for sleep
As a herbalist, these are three of my go-to herbs for women in my clinic who can’t switch off at night.
- Valerian – One of my go-to herbs in my clinic for menopausal sleep issues because it also helps ease hot flushes. It helps calm a racing mind and physically relaxes the muscles too, which is great if you find you hold a lot of tension in your body.
- Hops – is a sedative herb - great for aiding sleep! And it contains phytoestrogens that support hormone balance as well!
- Passiflora – perfect if your mind just won’t stop overthinking. It helps the mind step off that hamster wheel and lets you find sleep more easily.
Tips I recommend as a Naturopath
But as a naturopath – which is essentially a natural health practitioner, I always treat my clients holistically so here are a few tips that my clients find really helpful, in addition to these herbs!
Lifestyle tips for sleep
- Cool your bedroom. Keeping it below 18°C can prevent night sweats and improve sleep quality. You may also want to opt for a light duvet and if you need a separate duvet or bed or room from your partner, that is worth considering.
- Reduce blue light before bed. I know you’ve probably heard it a million times but limiting screens before bed really helps. Blue light from phones and tablets disrupts melatonin, your sleep hormone but I know it is easier said than done so I often suggest that my clients try blue light glasses in the evenings and check the settings on your phone to make the screen light warmer in the evening.
- Coffee after food and before midday. Coffee, of course, gives you a buzz! But drinking any coffee after midday really impacts sleep. A good tip for any coffee addict is to drink coffee after food as it doesn’t have such a negative impact on your sleep that way.
- Be aware of alcohol intake. Look I know most women feel pretty stressed in perimenopause, with all the symptoms on top of their very busy and usually overburdened lives and it is so easy to relax with a glass of wine at dinner, maybe more. But most people don’t realise that even one drink can impact your sleep quality so if sleep is an issue for my clients I always recommend taking a break from the booze too!
- Try herbs, Try a soothing herbal tea like chamomile and add some herbal drops like Valerian, Hops and Passiflora which you can generally find in your local health food shop.
- See a practitioner. If you try these things and still need more help then book an appointment with a naturopath or herbalist who will be able to spend usually at least an hour going through your diet and lifestyle and any underlying health conditions and come up with a plan more individualised to help you feel yourself again.
