Sleep Tips For How To Manage The Menopause For A More Restful Sleep

This World Menopause Awareness Month, Bensons for Beds is aiming to bring better sleep to perimenopausal and menopausal women, with new advice from its resident sleep expert, Dr Sophie Bostock, about achieving more restful sleep at this stage of life. The tips come as Google searches for ‘Menopause Sleep Problems’ rise by 40% in the last year.

According to independent data menopause awareness is on the rise and women are self-diagnosing more unfortunately, this year’s Visibility Report shows that in 2024 the lived experience of menopause is worsening. More women are ‘fearful’ of going through the menopause than they were in 2020, now sitting at 71% and despite increased conversations, 61% of women continue to feel ‘blindsided’ by the perimenopause, a statistic that is unchanged for 4 years.

Bensons for Beds sleep expert Dr Sophie Bostock says:
“Sleep problems such as fragmented sleep and night sweats are very common for women going through menopause and can have a huge impact on quality of life. Research suggests that more than half of women notice disrupted sleep during perimenopause, or during the menopausal transition.

“As many as 1 in 4 women will experience insomnia during this time. Fluctuating levels of oestrogen and progesterone can alter the sensitivity of the temperature-regulating centre in the brain, leading to hot flushes during the day, and intense sweats as night. Hormonal changes can also increase sensitivity to pain, promote stress and low mood; all of which – without support - can make bedtime feel like a battlefield during the menopause."

Dr Sophie has broken down her menopause sleep advice into five easily digestible tips to manage your menopause sleep issues, with further advice available on the Bensons For Beds’ website.

1. Get out of bed at the same time every day, even when you’ve had a poor night’s sleep. This anchors your body clock or circadian rhythm, and means you will automatically start to get sleepy at the same time each night. Try not to worry if your sleep has been cut short; your recovery sleep is likely to be deeper the following night if you stick to your normal schedule.

2. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer. Movement is also a powerful antidepressant. As little as 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise can help you sleep more deeply. If you’re not used to exercise, get help from an exercise specialist to gradually build up your strength and fitness.

3. Hot flushes are a consequence of the hormonal changes happening around the menopause. While not every hot flush (or night sweat) will wake you up from sleep, they are linked to increased arousal in the brain, leading to lighter sleep. Hard though it is, try not to get too frustrated if you do wake up since negative emotions such as anger or anxiety could make it even harder to get back to sleep. You could keep a fan in the bedroom, or sleep on a towel which makes it easier to change if you do end up drenched in sweat. Cutting back on alcohol and caffeine can also help some women to reduce hot flushes and night sweats. Try to keep your temperature as regulated as possible by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Speak to your doctor about options for hormone replacement therapy to reduce the frequency or intensity of night sweats.

4. Hormonal changes can spark greater anxiety than normal. When we feel stressed or overwhelmed in the evening, it can interfere with the body’s natural production of melatonin. This can delay the body clock and lead to lighter, more disrupted sleep. Take time to unwind and detach from the day before bed. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, yoga and mindfulness can all help switch off the stress response, and lead to more restorative sleep.

5. Only go to bed when you’re sleepy tired: the longer we stay awake, the more pressure to sleep we build up. If you don’t feel tired, do something relaxing until your eyelids feel heavy, and only then get into bed. If you’re feeling very fatigued, a short 20 minute nap after lunch can be a useful boost to mood and energy levels without interfering with night time sleep.