Insomnia

Insomnia or habitual sleeplessness is a typical problem for women in their menopausal and perimenopausal years. In addition, almost 15- to 17-percent of people all over the world suffer from it. The problem can cause both having difficulties falling asleep or waking up during the night and being unable to fall back to sleep.

In the past, people believed that insomnia was a result of night sweats. However, recent studies have shown that you can experience insomnia because of other factors - such as decreased estrogen levels or changes in your hormones. The frequency of insomnia often doubles during menopause compared to what you experienced during perimenopause. Its reported that women begin to experience regular restless sleep patterns as many as 5 to 7-years before menopause hits.

Not getting a good nights sleep continuously can drain your body and make you extremely frustrated, and even depressed. While insomnia is often combined with night sweats, depression and anxiety disorders can cause chronic insomnia as well. Sleeping pills can help you experience a few peaceful nights of sleep, but they only work for short term and prolonged consumption can lead to a sleeping pill addiction. Worse still, most sleeping pills tend to cause some pretty serious side effects, which can in turn bring on more bouts of sleeplessness in the long run.

There are some helpful hints for improving your sleep patterns:

• Reduce the amount of caffeine you drink. Caffeine in coffee, tea, soda and chocolate disturbs your sleep patterns by flushing the body of vitamin B - the nutrient responsible for calming you down and relieving stress.
• Eat healthy snacks that wont hinder you falling asleep in the evening. Turkey, tuna, bananas, grapefruit, yogurt, milk, figs, dates and whole grain crackers with peanut butter are all high in tryptophan, an essential amino acid that promotes sleep. Try to avoid foods like cheese, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, spinach and wine close to bedtime, as these foods contain tyramine, an amino acid which raises the release of the brain stimulant norepinephrine and promotes alertness.
• Taking herbs like chamomile, valerian or catnip in the form of tea can help you relax. Just make sure the tea you choose doesnt conflict with any medications youre taking.
• Get adequate calcium and magnesium from leafy green vegetables, broccoli, tomatoes, citrus fruits, nuts, yogurt, whole grains and soy products to keep your muscles relaxed and functioning properly.
• Perform exercise regularly. Fresh air and sunshine can energize and distress the body, making it easier to fall asleep after an eventful day.