How To Cure Menopause Insomnia and Sleep Problems Naturally

Insomnia can affect anybody at any stage of life but during menopause, even women who've slept soundly for years can suddenly find themselves in a string of restless nights. The reason for this, as with so many things in life, is down to hormones. As perimenopause progresses, ovaries begin producing lower amounts of some hormones - specifically oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone - sleepless nights become all the more likely. Then as a woman reaches menopause, defined as when her last menstruation was over a year previous, these hormones are at an all-time low, which often triggers menopause insomnia.

Menopause sleep problems can manifest as trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, or both.

Insomnia is a complex beast because it presents in different ways and can be caused by many health reasons, thus making it difficult to cure completely. However, there are natural remedies and steps you can take to mitigate its effect and improve the quality of your sleep. Read on to find out how to treat menopause insomnia and enjoy a better night’s sleep.

If menopause and imbalanced hormones are causing your sleep issues, addressing your hormone levels is a solid place to start. Doctors most commonly suggest hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a low dose of birth control either in pill form or in the form of an injection, or occasionally a low dose of antidepressant medication.

For better odds at a good night’s sleep, you can also bring your body back into balance through a hormone-friendly diet. Foods to focus on include healthy fats from fish, nuts, seeds, plant oils, coconut products and avocados. The bad news is that you my need to avoid dairy and any non-organic animal products if you’re looking to bring your hormones back into equilibrium.

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that also goes by the aliases of ‘Indian Ginseng’ and ‘Winter Cherry’ and it's a bonafide natural wonder for sleep. A botanical member of the nightshade family, it's been used for centuries by Ayurvedic practitioners to help support people’s sleep-wake cycles and return balance to the endocrine system, that which is responsible for hormone production and stabilising reproductive cycles, but also touches sleep and mood too.

Ashwagandha is a member of the species ‘somnifera’, or ‘sleep-inducing’ in Latin. It contains something called ‘triethylene glycol’; a compound that’s heavily implicated in transporting sleep signals to the body and brain.

So how do you get hold of it and more crucuially, absorb it effectively into your body? The full spectrum, root extracted, KSM-66® Ashwagandha in the LYMA Supplement is the most bioavailable form of this adaptogen, meaning that we are able to absorb all of its myriad benefits efficiently and effectively. KSM-66® is formulated in LYMA at a clinically backed daily dose of 600mg and has been proven to be supportive in improving up to 22 areas of health, menopause insomnia included.

There are a few steps you can take to promote healthy sleep and reduce the likelihood of insomnia kicking in:

1. Turn off all technology an hour before bed and don’t bring phones, laptops or tablets into the bedroom with you. The blue light emitted by these devices can (and will!) wreak havoc with your internal diurnal clock.
2. Aim to finish eating at least two hours before you hit the hay as digestion is a protracted affair, the effort of which can lead to trouble falling asleep or interrupted sleep.
3. Ditto water. Try to avoid liquids in the hour or so coming up to bedtime. Getting up repeatedly in the night to use the bathroom can be disruptive to your sleep cycle and can prevent you from falling into that all important REM sleep.
4. Keep your bedroom clean and tidy and prioritise pastel colours, low lighting and relaxing scents such as lavender.
5. Keep your bedroom cool and comfy: get yourself some temperature-control linens, ensure your mattress is fully supportive and your pillows are the correct height and firmness for your neck.

It’s important to get your body into a regular routine when it comes to sleep. You’ll see that by repeating behaviours over a certain period of time, your body and mind will subconsciously know that it’s time to sleep and will begin winding down accordingly. You should aim to head to your bedroom at the same time each night, and to carry out the same routine before bed every evening. Repetition of behaviours will invoke a subliminal sense of impending rest. That routine could be reading for half an hour, enjoying a nightly skincare regimen, meditating or carrying out a journaling or gratitude activity. Whatever works for you and helps you to wind down is fine, just try to make sure it doesn’t involve a screen.

It might be the understatement of the decade but menopause can be a really challenging time, though it can also be incredibly liberating. The LYMA Supplement formula contains four vital menopause-supporting ingredients that can help you to get you back on track and feeling more confident:

• KSM-66® Ashwagandha to support all aspect of sleep
• Vita-algae D3™ and K2 VITAL® to support bone health, mood and metabolism.
• Cognizin® to support brain health and improve focus (a lack of focus being one of the main complaints from women going through menopause).

Read more

Menopause Report: the myths and the science

The truth about HRT and menopause pharmaceuticals

The psychological fallout of the menopause, and how to treat it

The truth about menopause supplements

What to eat pre and post menopause