Hormonal changes, anxiety, and sweating at night can all disrupt your sleep during menopause. Here’s why it happening and what your body is really going through.
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Do you find yourself waking up at 2 am and struggle to sleep again, no matter how hectic your day was? Or maybe you feel exhausted despite hours in bed. You’re not imagining it. Menopause is natural but it brings with it an unpleasant side effect: sleepless nights. Hormonal shifts, emotional changes and physical symptoms all disrupt sleep during this phase of your life.
Hormonal changes disrupt your body clock
Oestrogen and progesterone don’t just regulate reproduction, they can influence your sleep cycle as well. During menopause, these hormones decline significantly, making them the primary reason why your sleep cycle is affected. Progesterone promotes sleep and has a calming effect, while oestrogen helps regulate body temperature and stabilise mood.
As these hormones drop, the body’s natural rhythm becomes unstable. That’s why you may find it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, or achieve that deep sleep your body needs to restore itself.
Night sweats and hot flushes cause frequent waking
The most common symptoms of menopause are hot flushes and night sweats, which can disrupt sleep. You suddenly have a rise in temperature and need to kick off the covers sweating and in discomfort.
Even if you fall asleep again, further disruptions can prevent you reaching deep, quality sleep stages. As a result, you wake up fatigued, irritable and with a mental fog.
Mood changes and anxiety keep the mind alert
Many menopausal women report that their mental well-being is affected. Due to hormones fluctuating, anxiety is increased followed by restlessness and low mood. All of this makes it difficult to relax at night.
They experience racing thoughts at night, imagining worst-case scenarios, heightened emotional sensitivity and a sense of unnatural alertness at night when they should be unwinding. When the nervous system stays heightened, falling asleep is more difficult.
The sleep structure changes with age
Ageing itself affects sleep. As we get older, we spend less time getting deep sleep. That’s why it may feel as if you’ve become a light sleeper. Menopause speeds up this process.
The Bottom line
Sleep disruption during menopause is caused by hormonal, physical and emotional factors. It’s normal, but you can make certain lifestyle adjustments to ensure restful sleep. Cut down on screen time, create an environment that promotes sleep (without distractions), eat a balanced diet and manage your stress. You don’t have to keep tossing and turning; it’s totally possible to get a good night’s rest.
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