Sleep Management

“Sleep difficulties in midlife women are often
caused by hot flashes. Strategies to treat sleep disruptions
should consider this unique instigating factor”.1

Umbrella
What may the Sleep Management Umbrella include?Sleep Management Sleep Management Sleep Management

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Sleep Hygiene
  • Sleep Management
  • Sleep Routine

Sleep Hygiene

What is sleep hygiene?

DotS the definition of sleep hygiene may vary. In Healthy Sleep Habits the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s (AASM) definition is:

“The term “sleep hygiene” refers to a series of healthy sleep habits that can improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. These habits can help improve your sleep health. When people struggle with insomnia, sleep hygiene is an important part of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the most effective long-term treatment for people with chronic insomnia. CBT for insomnia can help you address the thoughts and behaviors that prevent you from sleeping well. It also includes techniques for stress reduction, relaxation and sleep schedule management”.2

Sleep Hygiene Tips

What are some sleep hygiene tips?

In Healthy Sleep Habits: Quick Sleep Tips the AASM elaborate on these tips and more:

Sleep Management

  • “Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
  • Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep
  • Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy
  • If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Go do a quiet activity without a lot of light exposure. It is especially important to not get on electronics
  • Establish a relaxing bedtime routine…”.3

In Healthier Sleep In Adults the World Sleep Society elaborate on:

Sleep Management

  1. “Establish a regular bedtime and waking time
  2. If you are in the habit of taking siestas, do not exceed 45 minutes of daytime sleep
  3. Avoid excessive alcohol ingestion 4 hours before bedtime, and do not smoke
  4. Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. This includes coffee, tea and many sodas, as well as chocolate
  5. Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4 hours before bedtime. A light snack before bed is acceptable
  6. Exercise regularly, but not right before bed
  7. Use comfortable, inviting bedding
  8. Find a comfortable sleep temperature setting and keep the room well ventilated
  9. Block out all distracting noise and eliminate as much light as possible
  10. Reserve your bed for sleep and sex, avoiding its use for work or general recreation”.4

Still Awake

 

 

Sleep Management Sleep Management Sleep Management Sleep Management Sleep Management

 

 

What if I cannot fall asleep?

In Insomnia: What Can I Do To Sleep Better? the Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services include:

  • “If you still cannot sleep after about 15 minutes of getting into bed and turning out the light, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy”.5

Alcohol

Is there an association between alcohol and sleep?

In Your Back-To-Sleep Guide for 3AM Wake-Ups (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s elaborate on:

“With its power to send us to sleep quickly, alcohol appears the perfect sleep aid. But according to Steve Allsop, professor at Curtin University’s National Drug Research Institute, “we do not get quality sleep under alcohol’s influence”.

Alcohol can “increase the speed of falling asleep, [but] it suppresses or reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is essential to sleep health and waking refreshed”, he says. The drink also increases urine production, meaning night-time trips to the loo, plus large amounts can affect the respiratory system, promoting snoring and poor sleep, adds Prof Allsop”.6

Hot Flushes

Is there an association between hot flushes and sleep?

Yes. On page 14 in Women & Sleep: A Guide for Better Health – 07. What Is the Role of Menopause In Sleep Disturbances In Midlife Women? the (United States) Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) note:

  • “Sleep difficulties in midlife women are often caused by hot flashes. Strategies to treat sleep disruptions should consider this unique instigating factor”.7

On page 14 in Women & Sleep: A Guide for Better Health – 07. What Is the Role of Menopause In Sleep Disturbances In Midlife Women? the SWHR also note:

  • “Midlife women have an increased risk of sleep apnea compared to younger women, particularly post-menopause. Midlife women with symptoms of sleep apnea should be screened and appropriately treated”.8

Health Care Provider

What if I would like help with my sleep management?

If you would like help with your sleep management, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. The NAMS note:

“Any treatment should first focus on improving your sleep routine—use regular hours to sleep each night, avoid getting too warm while sleeping, avoid stimulants such as caffeine and dark chocolate. When lifestyle changes fail to alleviate sleep disturbances, your clinician may want to refer you to a sleep center to rule out sleep-related disorders before initiating prescription treatment. If your sleep disturbance is related solely to hot flashes, hormone therapy may help”.9

In Sleep Problems and Menopause: What Can I Do? the (United States) National Institute on Aging note:

“Talk to your doctor if you are having trouble sleeping. If these changes to your bedtime routine don’t help as much as you’d like, you may want to consider cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. This problem-solving approach to therapy has been shown to help improve sleep in women with menopausal symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be found through a class or in one-on-one sessions. Be sure that your therapy is guided by a trained professional with experience working with women during their menopausal transition. Your doctor may be able to recommend a therapist in your area”.10

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics related to Sleep Management?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Sleep Management?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

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    Sleep Management
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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Network on Sleep. Women & Sleep: A Guide for Better Health – 07. What Is the Role of Menopause In Sleep Disturbances In Midlife Women? 2017: 14. https://swhr.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SWHR_Women-Sleep-Guide.pdf Accessed: 06 March 2023
  2. Healthy Sleep Habits. Updated: August 2020. American Academy of Sleep Medicine http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits Accessed: 06 March 2023
  3. Healthy Sleep Habits. Updated: August 2020. American Academy of Sleep Medicine http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits Accessed: 06 March 2023
  4. Healthier Sleep In Adults. World Sleep Society https://worldsleepday.org/tips-for-adults Accessed: 06 March 2023
  5. Insomnia: What Can I Do To Sleep Better? Page Last Updated: 22 February 2021. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services https://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/insomnia.html Accessed: 06 March 2023
  6. Your Back-To-Sleep Guide for 3AM Wake-Ups. 14 June 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/news/your-back-to-sleep-guide-for-3am-wake-ups?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrrW5p-nW-AIVTisrCh1gTgWzEAMYAyAAEgIp7vD_BwE Accessed: 06 March 2023
  7. Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Network on Sleep. Women & Sleep: A Guide for Better Health – 07. What Is the Role of Menopause In Sleep Disturbances In Midlife Women? 2017: 14. https://swhr.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SWHR_Women-Sleep-Guide.pdf Accessed: 06 March 2023
  8. Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Network on Sleep. Women & Sleep: A Guide for Better Health – 07. What Is the Role of Menopause In Sleep Disturbances In Midlife Women? 2017: 14. https://swhr.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SWHR_Women-Sleep-Guide.pdf Accessed: 06 March 2023
  9. Menopause FAQs: Menopause Symptoms – Q. I’m having trouble sleeping, and I’m tired all the time. Is this because of menopause? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-menopause-symptoms Accessed: 06 March 2023
  10. Sleep Problems and Menopause: What Can I Do? Content Reviewed: 30 September 2021. National Institute on Aging https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/sleep-problems-and-menopause-what-can-i-do” Accessed: 06 March 2023
Topic Last Updated: 18 March 2023 – Topic Last Reviewed: 06 March 2023

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