Improving sleep in perimenopause
Creating sleep rituals can help you find a way to better quality sleep in midlife
Hormone change and busy, stress full lives can get in the way of a good night’s sleep in our 40s and 50s.
We might find ourselves going to bed late because we are desperate for some downtime to ourselves in the evening. Or we wake up at 3am with busy thoughts in our head or feeling hot and bothered due to night sweats. Perhaps we go to bed in good time but find ourselves tossing and turning for what feels like hours before our busy brain switches off. Or perhaps a full bladder and weak pelvic floor wakes us repeated.
Sleep disruption comes in many shapes and forms, but creating supportive rituals can help.
What do I mean by a sleep ritual?
This will be as individual as you are, but here are some suggestions.
Create a ritual that you look forward to, that encourages you to get to bed. Perhaps it’s a good book, perhaps you love spending time cleansing and moisturising your face, perhaps you journal and enjoy downloading the day so you have a clear head when you hit the pillow.
Create a ritual that feels easy to do. Not complicated. Not too time consuming.
If you struggle to get to sleep when your head hits the pillow think of ways to calm a busy mind. Writing your to-do list for the next day can be helpful, or finding 3 positive things that have happened that day. A meditation, or restorative yoga stretch can help calm the nervous system. I’m a fan of the legs up the wall stretch, especially if I’ve had a busy day on my feed.
If waking in the night is a problem for you, consider how the rest of your day is setting you up for success. Your ritual might need to be around drinking enough water during the day to feel both well hydrated at night, as well as not having an overfull bladder at bedtime. Or it might be that your ritual involves cutting out caffeine after 12 noon, and avoiding alcohol most nights.
If you feel tired and wired at the end of the day, see if you can find moments of downtime during the day. It could be a morning meditation. A mindful moment with a cup of tea. A 5 minute lie down when you finish work for the day.
Perhaps your ritual is about connecting and communicating. Finding time for a conversation with a friend or partner to help you digest your day.
All of these help with regulating your nervous system, reducing stress, and removing the stimulants that might prevent a good night’s sleep.
It’s also helpful to give yourself the right sleep opportunity. How much sleep do you need? It’s likely to be between 7 and 9 hours. I know I need 7 and a half to function well, so I know if I’m on my way to bed after 10:30pm that I’m not allowing myself quite enough time for sleep.
What would you do differently today to boost your sleep tonight?
If you’d like to access my workshop on sleep in perimenopause drop me a line below.