Understanding Perimenopause Sleep Issues: Causes and Solutions
Written by: Michelle Kapler R.Ac R.TCMP
Today, we're addressing a pressing issue that frequently plagues people in their perimenopausal years—perimenopause sleep issues and insomnia. The quality and quantity of sleep often diminish during this transitional period, and understanding why can be the first step toward a solution.
My own Experience with Perimenopause Sleep Issues
Speaking from personal experience, I've grappled with sleep issues for almost a decade. My sleep patterns changed dramatically after the birth of my first child, turning me from a deep sleeper into someone who could hardly catch adequate rest. Despite medical consultations and experiments with various treatments, I only managed to find relief with lifestyle changes and melatonin. However, when I entered my perimenopausal years, I found myself back at square one.
Addressing chronic health issues like the lack of sleep and menopause insomnia is a nuanced process. And it’s often characterized by cycles of improvement and regression—that is to say, progress is, sadly, not linear. So, the goal of this article is to shed light on five of the most common causes of menopause insomnia.
There are two principal reasons for sharing this information:
Understanding your body can help to remove the stigma, guilt, and morality women are taught to associate with health issues. Contrary to the narrative pushed by health and diet culture, understanding what’s “normal” for our bodies can help us avoid the “What have I done wrong?” question we often ask ourselves.
Being well-informed about what’s normal for your body enables you to advocate for yourself during medical consultations, allowing you to steer the conversation away from “You’re old, deal with it” and toward product helpful solutions like, “Let’s investigate this further to identify the root cause.”
5 Potential Causes for Sleep Trouble in Midlife
By becoming more aware of how our bodies function, we’re better positioned to navigate the perimenopausal transition and the healthcare system to find appropriate solutions and treatments that align with our unique needs. So, let’s dive into the five most common causes of sleep trouble in midlife.
1. Hormone Fluctuations
During both menopause and perimenopause, the body undergoes significant hormonal shifts, primarily involving the decline of estrogen and progesterone levels. These changes can be incredibly disruptive, causing sleep interruptions through various symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and even anxiety. But that's not all.
Estrogen and progesterone also have mood-regulating properties. So, even if you're fortunate enough not to experience intense symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, your sleep could still be impacted simply by the absence of these mood-stabilizing hormones.
2. Life Stressors
Life doesn’t slow down when you’re going through menopause. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. You may find yourself juggling new career opportunities, dealing with aging parents, or managing dependent children.
In addition to these external stressors, you might also experience an identity crisis of sorts during your perimenopausal and menopausal years. Questions like, “If I’m no longer hot, young, or having children, then what value do I bring to the table?” or “My body’s changing; what does this mean for my self-image and intimate relationships?” may come to mind.
Because our lives are packed with career and family-related events, we often end up with very little time to ourselves. That means our only time to process our identities is when we should be sleeping.
3. Medical Conditions
A multitude of medical conditions, especially those that tend to surface around midlife, can be detrimental to your sleep. Conditions like chronic pain, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, arthritis, and clinical depression are just a few examples.
If one of these issues is making it more difficult for you to sleep, know that treatment options that can help you manage the condition are available. These treatment options may help you manage the underlying condition and potentially improve your sleep quality.
4. Medications
As we age, the likelihood that we’ll require pharmaceutical medications increases, whether they’re for chronic conditions or new concerns. As you introduce these new medications to your routines, it’s essential to understand the effects they may have on you. Insomnia and overstimulation are both common side effects that can have a direct impact on your sleep quality.
If you feel like one of your medications may have a negative effect on your sleep, consult with the prescribing physician for support. Please note you should not make any changes to your prescription habits without first consulting your prescribing physician.
5. Lifestyle Choices
Finally, lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, caffeine, and alcohol can have a noticeable impact on your sleep quality. However, proceed with caution. As women, when something goes wrong with our bodies, society has conditioned us to ask, “What did I do wrong?”
That’s why lifestyle choices are featured at the bottom of this list. You can make all the “correct” choices and still experience insomnia and sleep difficulties. So, as you consider your various lifestyle choices, don’t forget to consider other factors as well. Chances are, making adjustments to your lifestyle can and will help your sleep quality, but there are likely other factors at play too.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the complexities of perimenopause sleep issues can help you take proactive measures to improve your sleep. Recognizing the root causes of your sleep troubles is the first step in addressing the problem. Still, everyone is unique, and what I’ve featured in this list may or may not apply to your unique situation.
Book for clinical care today, to find your own unique path to better sleep.