Dreaming Of Better Sleep? Correct These 3 Mistakes
Night sweats. Tossing and turning. A mind that just won’t shut off. Sound familiar? These symptoms are synonymous with many women’s menopause experience.
Trust me, I know that there are countless quick-fixes and trends out there that promise a great night’s rest in an instant during menopause. Despite the noisy marketing that calls on us to invest in an aromatherapy machine or high-tech mattress, I’m here to share that the solution is right at our fingertips. Before I get into the three mistakes we can fix today, let me explain all the fuss around sleep and why our sleep hygiene is so crucial during menopause.
The fuss is warranted. Sleep is integral to our wellness and not something that we can wait to figure out “when we have more time” or once there’s less stress in our lives—the time is now, our bodies are depending on it!
Here’s a little research that proves just how important sleep is to our quality of life. Scientists conducted a study on mice to see how long they would live without sleep. The answer? 30 days. Yes, just one month. After depriving them of sleep for 30 days, the mice died. The takeaway: sleep is life-sustaining!
Losing sleep can be devastating to our health and wellness. Not getting our sleep causes increased hunger and weight gain, irritability, anxiety, and depression. Lack of sleep also has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and a host of other ailments. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, 70 million Americans have chronic sleep problems. A 2020 study found that 88 percent of Americans lose sleep due to binge-watching TV! For women, the numbers are startling: Nearly 46 percent of women report having sleeping problems almost every night. So, we are not alone in our quest for better sleep. We are a nation of non-sleepers, and it’s time to take back our zzz’s.
I know taking care of our sleep health seems difficult, especially when we’re already going through a slew of other menopause symptoms, not to mention our daily to-do’s. We might think there aren’t enough hours in the day. Maybe we feel the news is a constant source of anxiety. Maybe scrolling social media before bed might be how we unwind. But what if these habits and seemingly unimportant parts of our days are the key to the sleep we’re dreaming (pun intended) to achieve?
Anyone who knows me, especially my clients, will tell you I am passionate about sleep. I am passionate about my own, my children’s, and my clients’ sleep. I remember being a new mom of two, deep in perimenopause, and wishing for a good night’s rest. I had never felt more exhausted and defeated…until I decided to find a better way. That struggle inspired me to take control of my wellness and figure out a way to reclaim my life, so I could help others reclaim theirs. Now, with over 20 years of research, education, and dedication to finding lasting wellness solutions under my belt, I have found out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to our much-needed and vital sleep.
There are three mistakes we can cut out of our routines starting tonight:
Caffeine Overconsumption: While caffeine can give us an instant boost of energy when we need it, it also leads to a crash at the end of the day when we consume too much. Try to limit your caffeine intake to before 12pm to ensure you’re feeling restful come bedtime.
Screen Time: Blue light, or the type of light emanating from a computer, TV, or cell phone, can have negative and inhibitory effects on sleep quality. The light from our screens tells our brains that it is still daytime, even though it’s dark outside. It also decreases our melatonin! It turns out, a Netflix binge isn’t ideal for restful sleep.
Lack of a Bedtime Routine: My number one tip for getting more sleep is building a consistent, relaxing bedtime routine. This means staying in the same vicinity as our bedroom, putting away all work, shutting off electronics, and putting ourselves in a restful, relaxed mindset. For example, here is my nightly routine: 8:45pm all electronics turned off, 9pm Epsom salt bath, 9:30pm read, and 10pm bed. We can modify the routine for whatever works best for our lives, our schedules, and what makes us feel most at ease.
If not addressed, these mistakes add up to impact our mood, our waistlines, our wellness, and our quality of life during menopause.
But there is so much hope! You, too, can join my clients who have successfully mastered sleep, as well as all other areas of their wellness, during menopause. With my Small Group Concierge Wellness virtual program, you now have the opportunity to join live, facilitated sessions designed to educate and inspire you throughout your wellness journey. In these sessions, I teach the proven science and strategies behind changing your daily habits and transforming your relationship with wellness, your menopause journey, and your body.
Are you ready to reclaim your life? Consider joining one of the three new Concierge Small Groups I am creating this fall. Go to our new website, subscribe to our newsletter and send us a line if you’re interested in chatting about this highly successful program.
