Insomnia
Possibly one of the most debilitating, but least talked about symptoms of perimenopause and menopause! And we are the ones who push it to one side and hope it will go away, but at the same time feel increasingly beaten down by it.
Lack of sleep, poor sleep quality and even no sleep at all will definitely affect your zest for life and your mental and physical health on numerous levels. It is not the same as the sleep deprivation you more than likely experienced raising your children because at that time your body was flooded with estrogen and progesterone which both helped you manage the lack of sleep.
If you’ve been a good sleeper all your life it may come as a shock to you when you start to experience the first signs of insomnia: tossing and turning, overthinking, sudden panic, itchy, restless body, waking up for no reason at the same time every night and unable to get back to sleep, falling asleep during the day just to catch up on missed hours. The list goes on.
Behind every insomniac is a mess of hormones and chemicals, all fighting to dominate, to rule your body and mind. One of the easiest ways to restore some balance to your sleep patterns is to focus on avoiding stress where possible, particularly close to bedtime. Make it a priority to do an activity that is restless, calming and mindful, such as yoga, meditation or listening to music. Avoid alcohol late at night and difficult conversations! If you can break the cycle of fearing sleep it becomes easier to self regulate and reestablish healthy sleep patterns.
However, the insomnia could reach far deeper into your body and be connected to you at a cellular level: hormones and hormones that are out of balance. As estrogen and progesterone become out of synch and cortisol released through stress is added to the mix, natural rhythms need some support. This is where a consultation with Dr Meyer can get to the root of your sleep issues by looking at your lifestyle, diet, other symptoms and treating you on a holistic level. It may result in treatment or recommendations on lifestyle or diet changes.