18 October 2023 , 13:49
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Sleeping difficulties and insomnia can plague anyone, irrespective of gender or age, but new research has shown that waking up at one specific time of night in particular is something that affects a lot of women. Conducted in light of World Menopause Day - 18 October - the study showed that 3.29am is reportedly the most common time for women inexplicably wake up when suffering from menopause or perimenopause symptoms.
The perimenopause and menopause are both unavoidable, but they're also somewhat taboo subjects, even now. Other research, from 2021, has shown that because of this sense of taboo, one of the biggest difficulties that people going through the menopause face is opening up about how much the symptoms are impacting their daily lives, particularly in the workplace.
The menopause can massively increase the risk of insomnia and other sleeping difficulties, with the study showing that 69% of women surveyed reporting that they were suffering from it.
Half the respondents didn't even know that there was a possibility of the menopause bringing on insomnia - and 60% didn't have any idea how to properly handle the sleeping difficulties they are facing. The research, conducted by Dunelm, showed that instead of turning to insomnia remedies, nearly a third of those surveyed would start scrolling on their phones when woken up in the middle of the night, a fifth turned on the television when they found themselves awake suddenly and 17% just stared at the clock - according to the Metro.
Insomnia can be a tricky thing to deal with and it comes with the increasing possibility of physical health difficulties, as well as a myriad of mental health issues, including: a lowered ability to concentrate and finding it hard to regulate mood and behaviour. Thankfully, there are avenues available to you that are much more likely to send you back to sleep than scrolling on your phone or watching a movie. The blue light emitted from our electronic devices can mess with our natural body clocks - known as our circadian rhythm.
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The circadian rhythm emits melotonin when the sunsets, which tells our bodies it's time for rest and in the morning it releases cortisol to wake us up again. The menopause impacts this natural cycle, because of changing hormone levels. Introducing electronic light into the room when you're struggling to get back off to sleep is one of the worst things you can do.
"It's concerning that many women seem to be turning to TV or screens as these are likely to overstimulate the brain and make it harder to sleep," said Dr Clare Spencer, of My Menopause Centre, said. She instead recommended: "Simple techniques, including good sleep hygiene, implementing a healthy wind-down routine, and practicing relaxation techniques while in bed are likely to be more effective."
Sleep hygiene is basically just having a good bedtime and routine, this includes picking a time when you are going to start winding down for bed and sticking to it as much as possible. Wind down time should be relaxing and in low-light, ideally not including a screen - perhaps replacing scrolling with a puzzle, a bubble bath or a good book.
Avoiding naps in the daytime is another tip for battling menopause insomnia, but perhaps most importantly for those suffering from the temperature disregulation all too common in menopause: keep your bedroom cool, but not cold. It's not just screens you should avoid too close to bedtime: caffeine, large meals, and even heavy exercise too close to going to sleep can end up keeping you up.
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