Sleep issues are frustrating at any age; rest is an essential part of our overall wellbeing, and if you’re not getting enough of it, you could run into a range of issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, mental health issues, and more. There are several reasons you may have trouble falling asleep and sleeping through the night as a woman over 50, including the symptoms that come with perimenopause, menopause, and the post-menopausal transition.
As Chester Wu, MD, who is double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine says, “If menopause symptoms and age-related changes are cutting into your sleep, you want to ensure nothing else keeps you awake ant eh sleep you do get is as restorative as possible.” Luckily, there are many steps you can take to achieve a more restful sleep. Dr. Wu outlined a few of them for us. Find all of his expert advice below!
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1. Have a consistent schedule and relaxing bedtime routine
No matter what age you are, one of the first steps you should take if you want to improve your sleep is to get a consistent sleep schedule in order. This is because, as Dr. Wu explains, “Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day will help regulate your circadian rhythm.” Additionally, you should pay attention to and regulate the amount of light you get throughout the day. Dr. Wu recommends making sure you get some sunlight early in the morning, but avoid it close to bedtime. “Light early in the day will reset your circadian rhythm, helping you feel sleepy at the right time that evening. But too much light in the evening can make it hard to drift off,” he says.
Blue light exposure is another factor to consider, as blue light from screens before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep. He recommends you “dim the lights and put on blue-light blocking glasses 90 minutes before bed, and use a low-powered red light night light if you wake up during the night to use the bathroom to avoid waking yourself up too much.”
In addition to avoiding blue light 90 minutes before bed, you may want to consider implementing other measures to help you relax and unwind before you hit the hay. Whether you like meditating, reading, or going through your skincare routine, a relaxing bedtime routine will “help slow your brain and body down for sleep and reduce anxiety, which can keep you up.”
2. Manage nighttime hot flashes
Part of the reason you may find it difficult to sleep through the night over 50 is the occurrence of nighttime hot flashes. Luckily, while Dr. Wu points out that you unfortunately may not be able to avoid them altogether, there are a few measures you can take to reduce them as much as possible. First and foremost, that means creating a cool environment for yourself in your bedroom. You may want to lower the temperature before you go to sleep, for example. Dr. Wu also recommends “investing in a cooling pad or mattress, keeping your bedroom cool, and practicing yoga, tai chi, and meditation, which research shows can improve hot flashes and overall menopause symptoms.” Got it!
3. Consider CBT-I and HRT
If the above steps don’t work for you and you’re still unable to sleep through the night, there are a few additional steps you can take with the help of a healthcare provider. CBT-I, or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, is a type of therapy that Dr. Wu says is “very effective in helping with insomnia symptoms and may help reduce the number of hot flashes you have.” It’s definitely worth a shot if your insomnia is negatively affecting your daily life.
Another option (which you can use in conjunction with CBT-I) is to try hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. “HRT can increase levels of estrogen and progesterone, alleviating some of the symptoms low levels of the hormones cause,” Dr. Wu explains.
Of course, at the end of the day, the best thing you can do to sleep through the night is get down to the bottom of your sleep issues and figure out what’s causing them; talking to a professional is always a good idea if the problem becomes chronic. However, giving Dr. Wu’s tips a try is a great place to start!
