5 Ways To Sleep Better During Menopause

Menopause is a complicated time for most women. If the hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, breathlessness, and other symptoms aren’t enough, it’s also a time women spend more hours counting sheep than getting much-needed sleep.

Every bit of sleep counts during menopause. Stress levels hit the roof, but the demands of work, family, and life continue. The best way to at least attempt to prepare for deep sleep is to ensure the bedroom is set up to be cool and comfortable. Temperature and airflow are critical, but more on that later.

Before we dive into the 5 strategies that may help you sleep better during menopause, it helps to understand why sleep deprivation impacts so many women during this often turbulent time.

What Happens During Menopause

During menopause, women produce much less estrogen and progesterone. Both these hormones assist with reproduction and sexuality. 

Menopause, which starts between the ages of 30 to 60, when the body stops creating the same levels of these hormones, a woman’s menstrual cycle stops. Thus begins the rollercoaster ride that is menopause. As the body adjusts to these new hormonal changes, many symptoms surface, most of which are uncomfortable.

Why Menopause Creates Lack Of Sleep

If you’re wondering what the body and mind go through during menopause, the answer is a lot. While symptoms vary from person to person, some of the more common physical dramas experienced by most during this time include night sweats, mood swings, hot flashes, and anxiety. 

The common theme among most menopause is the feeling of overheating. So when identifying the best ways to sleep better during menopause, the heat factor should be addressed first.

Here are our tips for creating better sleep during menopause.

Sleep on a cooling mattress

There is such a thing as cooling mattresses, and if you haven’t come across one, you’re missing out. Cooling mattresses are super comfortable and perfect for coping with the heat fluctuations of menopause. 

The best mattress for cooling is called a memory foam mattress. Layered with breathable foam that is not only supportive but also circulates air like no other bed mattress, memory foam mattresses are an excellent choice for women who continuously wake up in night sweats. 

Memory foam mattresses don’t absorb heat like traditional beds. Another handy benefit of a memory foam mattress is that they isolate motion. This means that if you are lost in your stages of sleep and your partner moves, you won’t feel the movement.

Open your window

Even though it sounds simple, fresh air, as opposed to air conditioning, can keep a warm bedroom much cooler. While air conditioners create cold quickly, it isn’t a sustainable solution during sensitive moments such as menopause in particular. 

Position your mattress close enough to your window to feel a breeze throughout the night. Try to ensure your window has a screen, as this will help keep fresh air circulating without gathering dust.

Get yourself some bamboo sheets

The best bed sheets are made from bamboo. They are a great option for hot sleepers. In this case, women with menopause. Bamboo bed sheets are not only silky-soft and cozy – they are also cooling. 

Cooling bed sheets are designed to help reduce night sweats and increase airflow while still being comfortable.

Give a weighted blanket a go

If you’re stressed as well as experiencing night sweats during menopause, try sleeping with a weighted blanket. These trendy blankets are nothing new, but recent upgrades mean the best weighted blankets are helping many troubled sleepers sleep better. 

Weighted blankets can also help reduce the stress that comes with the several stages of menopause. The gentle pressure stimulation of a weighted blanket creates the feeling of a hug. Not an overbearing embrace. The pressure is just enough to create calm and cool.

Try some relaxing sleep music

If the getting to sleep part is hard due to ruminating thoughts, some relaxing sleep music might just do the trick. You can get deep relaxing sleep music for free on Spotify or Youtube, also via endless sleep apps designed to help create a better sleep routine. 

Hormonal changes can create a very racy mind, and sleep music, which is often instrumental, is said to help develop a sense of calm for busy minds. 

Menopause can be a transitional testing period of life. But, life doesn’t stop when women hit menopause. A great way to cope is to try your best to get much-needed sleep. These tips are a great starting point and can help you cool down, ease stress, and create a bedroom sanctuary to sleep as soundly as possible.