Sleep & Menopause With TEMPUR®

Every woman goes through menopause – and most people will know someone who goes through menopause at one stage or another. Menopause therefore affects a vast amount of people. So, what is the menopause – and how does it affect sleep?

What Is Menopause?

Menopause is the stage of a woman’s life where her period comes to a stop and her oestrogen levels decline. This can lead to symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and lack of libido, as well as sleep and mood disturbance. However, it is important to remember that menopause affects everyone differently.

The stages of perimenopause and menopause may differ. Perimenopause can start to affect women as early as their mid-30s or as late as their mid-50s. Menopause, on the other hand, usually starts to affect women as early as their mid-40s. The average age however remains in the 50s.

Perimenopause refers to the years leading up to menopause, during which hormones fluctuate and your period and cycles are no longer predictable. This can be temporary or in some cases can last for years, says the Cleveland Clinic. 

Menopause and Sleep

According to the women’s health concern, the optimum amount of sleep for a healthy adult is deemed to be around seven hours. Unfortunately, women undergoing perimenopause and transitioning into menopause are known to experience trouble sleeping. Therefore, the topic of menopause and sleep is vital to discuss as according to Dr. Karen Adams, one of the two most important things that predict a great quality of life across all adults of all ages and genders is good sleep. So, is there a way to manage these symptoms of menopause?

Patient One

You will be glad to know that all menopausal symptoms are treatable. So, take a deep breath and read on.

Here is an example of one of Dr. Adams’ patients, referred to as Patient One, who has experienced symptoms of menopause. Patient One could not sleep, woke up in a pool of sweat (night sweats women are common) and became anxious, irritable, and exhausted. As treatment, Dr. Adams prescribed oestrogen which would tackle the problem of hot flushes and night sweats.

Other advice from Dr. Adams for a good night’s sleep during menopause include:

• Removing all screens from your bedroom
• Turning down the heating/thermostat
• Investing in blackout curtains

The aim of this was to create a cool and dark sanctuary to better cope with symptoms of perimenopause through to the transition into menopause.

Dr. Adams also advises retraining the brain into getting up at the same time each day as well as not going to bed until you are feeling sleepy. If you find yourself unable to fall asleep, Dr. Adams suggested to get up, take yourself into your living room, grab a comfort blanket (something soft and fuzzy) creating a place of comfort and reading until you are sleepy. It is key to avoid screen time during this time to ensure you are not stimulating the brain into thinking it's daytime.

Results: Patient One gradually found herself able to get a good night’s sleep.

TEMPUR® Sanctuary

TEMPUR® can help create your very own dark sanctuary full of comfort and offer ways to improve the quality of your sleep. TEMPUR® Material is viscoelastic, meaning it is both fluid and spring-like - achieved by billions of ultra-sensitive open cells existing between a solid and a liquid state. The cells instantly respond to your body’s shape, weight, and warmth, precisely adapting and aligning to every inch of you, which is why TEMPUR® could help menopausal women with some of their symptoms.

Moving Forward

We should continue to widen and destigmatise the conversation around women’s health and menopause, sharing more information so women feel empowered to seek help and know how to better support those who are suffering from symptoms of menopause.

In the workplace, the conversation about menopause should be normalised so people can learn how to be supportive, increasing awareness and demonstrating some real empathy.

Have you experienced menopause? What sort of remedies do you use to alleviate the symptoms?