009- Sleepless in Perimenopause?

Struggling with sleep during perimenopause? You're not alone! This episode equips you with actionable tips to reclaim restful nights.

Here are 3 key takeaways to help you sleep better:

1. Prioritize Sleep for Overall Well-Being: Sleep regulates hormones, manages stress, and improves mood. Aim for a consistent sleep schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine.
2. Optimize Your Sleep Sanctuary: Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Invest in blackout curtains, earplugs, and cooling sheets for a more restful environment.
3. Mindful Eating & Habits: Avoid heavy meals, sugary snacks, and alcohol before bed. Limit caffeine intake, especially in the afternoon. Get daily sunlight exposure to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

Listen to the full episode and learn more about micro-habits to improve your sleep hygiene!

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Disclaimer: I am a registered nurse and health coach, but I am not a medical doctor. The information and recommendations provided during our coaching sessions are intended to support your overall health and wellness and are not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your physician before making any changes to your medication, treatment plan, or if you have any concerns about your health.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 3:15

Hi there and welcome to another episode of Smash the Crash. When I came up with the name of this episode, it reminded me of the movie Sleepless in Seattle. I've actually never been to Seattle. Is it really sleepless? How many of you are out in Seattle, or have you visited Seattle? Tag me on Instagram at itsmelissahinman, and tell me where you're from. Is it Seattle? Because I'd really love to take a trip out there one day.

Speaker 1: 3:46

Today we're diving into a topic that many women during perimenopause struggle with Sleep yeah, sleep, a good night's rest is essential for everyone, but during this hormonal transition, sleep can feel like a distant dream, with those hot flashes. Anxiety and night sweats can leave you tossing and turning throughout the night. But here's the good news there are ways to reclaim your sleep, and in this episode we're going to explore the importance of sleep for perimenopausal women specifically and equip you with some powerful micro habits that you can choose from and start working on today to create a more sleep supportive routine. First, let's talk about why sleep is so crucial during perimenopause. Sleep is not just about feeling rested. It's vital for our physical and mental health. Think about it when you haven't had a decent night's rest, how does the next day look and feel I find myself being more irritable and easily annoyed at things that don't normally tip my scale. Here's what happens when we sleep. During sleep, our body repairs tissue, regulates hormones and consolidates memories. For perimenopausal women, good sleep can help manage stress levels, which can worsen hot flashes and mood swings. Studies have shown that poor sleep can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression, which are also already common during perimenopause. So prioritizing sleep becomes a key strategy in managing your overall well-being and sense of empowerment and confidence.

Speaker 1: 5:33

So here are some actionable steps that you can take to improve your sleep. Don't get overwhelmed. Focus on one, one small, sustainable change, micro habits that can make a big difference over time, being consistent. Again, I'm providing multiple tips here. Choose one, just choose one, and work on that for a little while, and if there's something else you can add in, add it in down the road a little bit.

Speaker 1: 6:04

We wanna make sure we're creating a relaxing bedtime routine. Our bodies thrive on routine, and this applies to sleep as well. Setting a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day, even on the weekends. This helps regulate your body's natural sleep-wake cycle In the hour before bed, creating a relaxing bedtime ritual, and this could be taking a warm bath or a shower, reading a book, maybe some light stretching, but avoiding anything stimulating like watching the TV or scrolling through social media and bright screens.

Speaker 1: 6:43

I will admit, I don't follow this tip. Oh, melissa, why are you telling me this tip? Do as I say and not as I do. No, but for real, I don't have a TV in my bedroom. I do watch an episode of whatever show it is my husband and I are watching before bedtime Because, honestly, in my daily life, that is the only time that I have, after my kids go to bed, to sit and watch an episode with him on the couch before I move my hiney back upstairs and do my bedtime routine brushing my teeth, washing my face and snuggling into bed.

Speaker 1: 7:19

So how can you optimize your sleep environment, your bedroom, to become a sleep sanctuary? Make sure it's dark, quiet and cool. If you need to invest in blackout curtains to block out light, any earplugs to minimize noise, don't tell my husband he snores a lot. Keep and Keep the bedding cool. There are actually bedding cooling sheets, which are amazing, and I don't know about you, but I always have to have something covering me it's almost like a security thing, so I can't sleep uncovered. But having something on feels good. Cooling and wicking sheets has been a game changer.

Speaker 1: 8:13

Before bedtime we need to be mindful of what we're eating. What we eat and drink can significantly impact our sleep quality. So avoiding heavy meals and sugary snacks closer to bedtime, opting for lighter, calming foods like yogurt with berries, because that's great for protein, and a little bit of chamomile tea, which will help with relaxation. Limit your caffeine intake, especially in the afternoon evening. Caffeine can stay in your system for several hours, which interferes with your sleep, and similarly with alcohol. So avoiding alcohol right before bed because while it may make you feel drowsy initially, it can actually disrupt your sleep later, throughout the night.

Speaker 1: 9:00

And I have found I am not a big drinker. I might have a drink or two if I go out to dinner with some friends, and that's not even on a weekly basis. But I have found on my sleep tracking of my watch that on the nights that I have a drink or two with dinner, my stress levels during my sleep time is elevated. So I find that quite interesting and personally I have found that any caffeine that I have after 12 noon definitely increases my chances of waking up in the middle of the night and having trouble falling back asleep. So if I'm wanting that second cup of caffeine, I'm making sure that I get it in before noon.

Speaker 1: 9:43

And vitamin D. So vitamin D, which can also get through our milk, and exposure to sunlight during the day, helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which is our sleep-wake cycle, and makes it easier to fall asleep at night. So spending some time outdoors each day, even if it's just for a little walk, can help your overall sleep. And, importantly, don't force sleep. If you can't fall asleep after 20 minutes, get back out of bed and do something relaxing, non-screen related, until you feel tired. Laying in bed, awake, staring at the ceiling or starting to think about all the things that you have to do the next day can actually create anxiety and make it harder to fall asleep. All right, so that was a lot of stuff, right.

Speaker 1: 10:37

We want to optimize our sleep environment. We need to be careful of what we're eating and drinking throughout the day, especially before bedtime. We want to work on managing our stress levels. We need to get that vitamin D in and we don't want to force sleep upon ourselves if we're not falling asleep within 20 minutes. So be patient and consistent with your sleep routine. Make a list of the things that you would like to try to enhance your bedtime routine and start with one micro habit. Change first. Too easily we women like to take it all on at once and make a huge change all at once, and it's so overwhelming that we set ourselves up for failure. So start small. It may take some time for your body to adjust to these changes, but with consistency you should be able to find yourself with more Zs.