Some nights I would have trouble going to sleep, tossing and turning for what seemed like hours before eventually dropping off. Some nights I’d drop off ok, but I’d get up for a wee or ping wide awake at some ungodly hour and not be able to go back to sleep. ⠀

I religiously practised good sleep hygiene, no devices before bed, a bath, relaxing music, sleepy teas, reading, but it made no difference as to what would happen when my head hit the pillow. ⠀

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Desperate for a good nights sleep, I tried sleeping tablets but the drowsiness the next day made me feel worse than the lack of sleep. I also think I was harbouring an underlying anxiety about relying on them and then getting addicted to them.⠀

 

One of the main causes of sleep disruption during the perimenopause is the gradual depletion of our progesterone production. Progesterone is the sleep-inducing hormone and it is our body adjusting to cope with the dwindling levels that makes it harder for us to fall asleep and to stay asleep. ⠀

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So many of the perimenopause symptoms are exacerbated when we have a bad nights sleep, anxiety, stress, irritability, our ability to focus and concentrate. Tiredness will have us reach for sugary snacks to boost our energy and that in turn will play havoc with our blood sugar levels, our gut health and digestion. Sleep deprivation is a vicious circle of doing what it takes to get through the day, hoping by the time it’s bedtime again you are so exhausted you go to sleep and stay asleep.⠀

 

But I have hope for you if you are in the same position I was, I made one simple change to my daily routine and I’ve got my sleep back. Read about it here