Keep a journal or notebook beside your bed to jot things down if you wake during the night. This will help you calm down and means that you do not have everything rushing around in your mind as you try to go to sleep. Make a list of things you need to do the next day before you go to bed, and then try and forget them. If you are waking during the night and feeling anxious try to anticipate this problem by writing down worries that are on your mind.Spend time relaxing before going to bed - this helps to stop the mind from buzzing and we are less likely to be kept awake by stressful thought patterns and their effect on our adrenal glands. Avoid stressful discussions or difficult phone calls near bedtime. Don’t surf the web or read, watch, or listen to anything that might be disturbing or thought-provoking before bedtime. Develop good pre-sleeping habits: a regular sleeping ritual each evening helps set the tone for good sleep.If your digestion is working properly, you will probably sleep better. Eat early in the evening and ideally don’t eat after 6 pm. Eat plenty of lean protein, green vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. Look to make changes in diet and nutrition.Make sure that your bed is a glorious haven! Visit Anna's post to find out more about mattress choice and care. Maybe indulge in some nice new bed linen. Don’t forget that you spend one-third of your life asleep!! Most mattresses need to be replaced every at least every 10 years. Many people realise that their mattress has lost support and needs to be replaced. Your mattress: You may need to improve your sleeping environment.Use calming herbal teas such as chamomile and lemon balm to relax your mind. Avoid all caffeine, not just at night but during the day as well.If night sweats are the main cause of your night time waking then the first thing to do is to try to reduce or eliminate night sweats - click here for some practical solutions.Try these simple ways to enhance your chances of getting a good night's sleep: Some women find daytime naps help during the transition. Typically, this changes again after menopause, when we tend to need less sleep than during our 20s and 30s. Other sleep problems may be related to the fact that perimenopause, like adolescence, is a time of transition in sleep patterns. This continuous lack of sleep can cause us to become depressed.Ī relaxing bath can be a great way to unwind. Women often say that they can put up with night sweats, but they can’t cope with the lack of sleep. It is also common to wake in the early hours of the morning, particularly if we go to sleep in an anxious state of mind with niggling worries and concerns. Our sleep may also be disturbed by having to get up during the night to go to the toilet.

Anxiety and worry can prevent us getting to sleep, and when we finally get to nod off hot flushes can wake us again. Some of this waking can be linked to menopausal symptoms. What causes insomnia during menopause? Do hormones cause insomnia? Sleep changes include difficulty going to sleep or falling asleep quickly only to spring wide-awake several times a night or every hour on the hour. Insomnia is a very common symptom of menopause, but may not always be recognised or identified as such. Order Now Difficulty sleeping can be one of the more challenging symptoms of menopause NEW TO MENOPAUSE? Try our e-book - The Best Friend’s Guide to the Menopause - €8

Menopause and insomnia help