Does it feel like the symptoms of perimenopause are conspiring against you? In some ways, they are. Many of them play a game of cat and mouse – one showing up and the other one chasing it – until you end up feeling exhausted, confused, and uncertain as to whether this will ever end! Good news! It will end! Maybe not as soon as you would like it to, but perimenopausal symptoms will eventually fade out. The question, though, is how long will that take? Perimenopause can last for up to 13 years. Yikes! That’s a long time to wait! Especially if one of your symptoms is perimenopause insomnia.
You may have thought you were done with sleep deprivation after your kids had grown, but then it strikes. Perimenopause! And one of the most common symptoms that women experience on the perimenopausal journey is insomnia. Insomnia can take you down for the count.
That’s because not getting enough sleep affects your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.
This therefore begs the question: Do you have perimenopause insomnia or not?
How Do You Know if You Have Perimenopause Insomnia?
Let’s start with the perimenopause part of the equation. There are a few ways that you can know if you are in perimenopause. One is by looking at your symptoms, and the other is getting tested for a hormone imbalance.
The perimenopause merry-go-round of symptoms looks something like this:
- Hot flashes at night keep you up or wake you up in the middle of the night and cause insomnia.
- Night sweats wake you up in the middle of the night and cause insomnia.
- Perimenopause heart palpitations wake you up or keep you from falling asleep and cause insomnia.
From there, things get worse because you aren’t getting enough sleep which is triggering up your perimenopause symptoms.
Many people think that the definition of insomnia is not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep. Yes, these are the two primary indicators of insomnia, but there are some other diagnostic considerations too.
If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, then you’ve got insomnia. If you don’t quite fit the bill, then ask yourself the following questions:
- Does it take you 30 minutes or longer to fall asleep?
- Do you get fewer than 6 hours of sleep on three or more nights per week?
- Do you wake up too early?
- Are you waking up not feeling rested or refreshed?
- Do you feel sleepy or tired throughout the day?
- Are you worrying about sleep continually?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then you may be suffering from insomnia.
The trouble with insomnia is that it can very quickly take a toll on your health. Insomnia doesn’t just make you feel tired. It can also leave you feeling
- anxious
- irritable
- stressed
- confused
- foggy
You may also find
- it difficult to remember things,
- you make more errors or have more accidents,
- an increase in headache frequency, and
- you experience gastrointestinal issues.
Not getting enough good quality sleep can further affect your hormone levels, including your growth hormone, cortisol, and adrenaline levels. The outcome is not good.
What Can You Do to Relieve Perimenopause Insomnia?
We’ll start with the more obvious possibilities that help!
Let the sunshine in!
Getting enough morning sunlight calibrates your internal 24-hour circadian clock. It supports the secretion of melatonin, which helps you fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
Cut out the afternoon caffeine breaks!
Whether we want to accept it or not, caffeine is a drug. All drugs have a half-life. Caffeine’s half-life is six hours. This means that if you have a coffee or red bull at 5 pm, the caffeine will still be hanging around in your body at bedtime.
Put yourself to bed like you would a child.
Just because you’re an adult, that doesn’t mean you don’t need a bedtime routine. Follow the same rituals every night – 30-90 minutes before bed – to train your body and mind to wind down.
Your routine should be relaxing and could include taking a hot bath, practicing deep breathing, meditation, reading a book using soft lighting, or writing in your gratitude journal.
Make yourself a sleep sanctuary.
- Your bedroom needs to be a place where you can get quality sleep. It should be totally dark to signal your brain to prepare for rest.
- Your mattress and bedding should be comfortable for your body.
- If you can keep the room cool enough to keep the hot flashes and night sweats to a minimum, that can help too.
- Also, keep your digital devices and screens away from your sleeping area.
What if Lifestyle Changes Don’t Relieve Your Perimenopause Insomnia?
Many women who suffer from perimenopause symptoms need something more than a lifestyle change to get relief. The reason is this. When your ovaries no longer produce adequate amounts of testosterone, estrogen and progesterone, the loss of these hormones brings about symptoms.
The symptoms can last for years, and it can feel like you’re riding a perimenopausal roller coaster because your hormones shift and change every day. We call it hormonal imbalance.
One day your hormone levels are normal. The next, they crash. The next, they go back up a little. And on and on until finally, your ovaries give up and quit producing sex hormones. Altogether. This is a big shift for your body and your mind. Keeping the hormones balanced is the solution.
Bring On BHRT
BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy) is a simple way to keep your hormones at optimal levels.
These identical human hormones derive from natural, plant-based hormones. They work more effectively and efficiently than synthetic hormones because they match up more precisely to the hormone receptors in your body. Your body knows what to do with natural hormones and welcomes them like long-lost friends.
BHRT can be delivered to your body by pills, patches, orals, and creams. Although these can be great for some people, they can also bring along the hormone roller coaster ride because you have to regularly administer them. That’s why, at Evexias Denver, we prefer to use BHRT pellet therapy when appropriate.
Pellet therapy is a reliable way to balance hormones. We insert under your skin a tiny pellet containing the hormones your body lacks. The pellet automatically releases hormones when your body needs them for several months. Once it’s done its job, it disintegrates and your bloodstream absorbs it.
Is Insomnia a Symptom of Perimenopause?
Absolutely! If you’re suffering from perimenopause insomnia, we can help.
We take an Integrated or Functional approach to patient care to get the best results for you. That means we’ll find the root cause of your insomnia and determine if you’re a good candidate for Evexipel Pellet therapy. Contact us for a consultation today!