Insomnia Much?

If you've been reading this blog lately, you have already heard about hot flashes and night sweats. You might know from personal experience that night sweats are not helpful when it comes to getting a good night's sleep. But women are not the only ones who suffer from insomnia during this "change of life" period. (My husband insists that "man-o-pause" is a real thing.)

Bottom line: insomnia affects most of us at some point. And the results of not sleeping well or enough are seriously ugly. I'm not just talking about the dark bags under my eyes, either!

Sleep loss can be responsible for all kinds of problems, from irritability to impaired driving. Lack of sleep damages the immune system, making it easier for us to get sick. Tired people crave sugar and tend to eat more junk food. Weight gain is the often the result of chronic insomnia. And the frustration of numerous sleepless nights is ridiculously stressful. If you have been suffering from a lack of sleep, it is crucial to uncover the reasons why and address them.

Some of the likely culprits disturbing your sleep include caffeine, alcohol, light, technology, hormones, temperature, noise, and stress. As we age, we may become more sensitive to some or all of these disturbances. Taking steps to reduce these factors, along with practicing good sleep hygiene, can make a world of difference in the amount and quality of our sleep.

1) Caffeine. You may need to cut back on your daily consumption of coffee. I have found that drinking one single cup of coffee in the morning, then switching to green tea in the afternoon, makes a big difference. Keep in mind that caffeine could be hiding in your beverage choices. Coffee, black teas, hot chocolate, sodas, and energy drinks all contain caffeine or other stimulants. Some headache remedies and diet pills do, too. Read your labels!

2) Alcohol. Although alcohol is a depressant, and might initially help you fall asleep, it is likely to disturb the quality of your sleep. If you enjoy a glass of wine in the evening, experiment with the size of your portion. Sometimes less is more. Or substitute herbal tea or warm milk and see if you sleep better.

3) Light. Our ancestors slept when the sun went down. But today, our rooms are often infiltrated by stray beams of light: street lights, clocks, phones, computers, other appliances, all bring bits of light into our sleeping places. See if you can eliminate some or all of this excess light. Blackout curtains can help, along with unplugging or removing appliances and electronics from the bedroom. I have never tried a sleep mask, but others find them useful.

4) Technology. Screens are everywhere these days and most of us spend many hours per day (and night!) looking at them. The blue light from our screens stimulates our nervous systems and can keep us awake. There are special glasses made to cancel out the blue light if you absolutely must look at your screens well into the evening hours. Otherwise, try cutting off your screen time at an earlier hour and see if you sleep better.

5) Hormones. This is an extremely complicated issue and not something that can be instantly fixed, unfortunately. There are many supplements designed to help women through menopause, but how well these various herbs and oils will work varies from one woman to the next. You might need to experiment with a number of choices before hitting upon the best one for you. Keep in mind that herbal supplements are as potent as prescription drugs and might have side effects. Consult with your doctor, especially if you are already taking medications, as supplements can interact with other drugs.

6) Temperature. As the evening progresses, it is normal for our body temperature to fall. This slight decrease in body temperature is one of the things that cues us to feel tired and fall asleep. Activities that cause the body temperature to rise--exercise, hot baths or showers-- too late in the evening may interfere with sleep. I am never going to suggest you should skip your exercise or bathing(!!!) but you might want to adjust the timing to give your body a chance to cool down before you head to bed. Also adjusting the thermostat to keep your bedroom cooler will usually help people sleep better.

7) Noise. It is obvious that sudden, loud noises will disturb your sleep! But if you are a light sleeper, subtle noises can also be a problem. I use a white noise machine in my bedroom to cover up any small sounds that might awaken me in the middle of the night. When I travel, I use silicone ear plugs. These are usually effective in blocking out foreign sounds that can disturb sleep.

8) Stress. This is another complicated and pervasive factor which may not be easy to solve. There is no way to completely eliminate stress from our lives, nor would we really want to. But chronic stress can bring on many complications, including insomnia. Exercise (early in the day!) is a great way to de-stress. Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, qi gong, and other healing practices can soothe the nervous system. Supplements like magnesium, ashwaghanda, theonine, and melatonin can all help the body and mind relax. (Again, check with your doctor before adding any new supplements to your regime.) Listening to calming music before bed might also help.

All these solutions to insomnia will only work if they match your particular sleep issues. You might need to experiment with some or all of the above before hitting upon the corrections that solve your situation. I wish you luck!