MENOPAUSE
If you’re struggling with sleepless nights, hot flushes, irritability or anxiety, Dr Mindy Pelz is here to help you understand what’s happening and take back control!
My relationship with sleep dramatically changed during my forties. I could no longer stay asleep all night long. Then, instead of effortlessly falling back to sleep as I did in my younger years, I would toss and turn for hours while my brain hyper-focused on solving problems. Just when I thought my sleep challenges couldn’t get any worse, the night sweats kicked in. Trouble falling asleep, small noises waking me up and nightly hot flushes left me an insomniac. So, I set out to find new tools to discover what the menopausal body needs to get a consistent, restorative night’s sleep.
REGULATE YOUR TEMPERATURE
As the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone start to decline, the simple act of falling and staying asleep dramatically shifts. Oestrogen loss is to blame for night sweats or hot flushes, and during your menopausal years, oestrogen dramatically swings from full force to plummeting. This oestrogen rollercoaster ride is very common in early perimenopause, and the drop in oestrogen levels initiates hot flushes, especially at night, because the sharp decline in oestrogen signals your hypothalamus to turn up the heat. These highs and lows of oestrogen can be extreme, leaving you drenched multiple times at night.
In fact, your body is meant to sleep when your core temperature drops – just as our ancient ancestors slept on the cold, hard ground, your body was designed to sleep well in the cold. This is key for menopausal women with hot flushes. Your brain signals it’s time to sleep when your core temperature drops five degrees, so open a window to let the cold night air into your room. If the air is warm, I recommend a cooling mattress cover, which lets you set the temperature to the coldness you desire. I promise you that a small shift in your core body temperature is magic for your sleep.
TAKE MAGNESIUM
Progesterone activates GABA receptors in your brain, which allow body and mind to relax. During menopausal progesterone decline, GABA levels can plummet, leaving you restless and struggling to sleep. Magnesium is a key mineral that you need to make many of your hormones, but most importantly progesterone.
There are different types of magnesium available with varying benefits. For example, magnesium citrate relaxes your intestinal tract, making it a great supplement for constipation, while magnesium threonate calms your brain during those anxious moments.
For sleep, I recommend a supplement with a complete mix of different types of magnesium. You may have to try a few different varieties to find the one that works for you. Because much of our food is grown in mineral-depleted soils, most of us are walking ar
