How to Sleep Well in Menopause Without Drugs, Part 1
One of the obvious things that can affect our energy levels is our quality of sleep.
Much like weight gain, sleep is another BIG one to bite off. It is one of the three pillars of life in Ayurveda– a cornerstone for a healthy life.
We’re continuing down the road of those mid-life, perimeno/menopause experiences. If you’ve missed any in the series, they’re here:
When I was in my 20s, I could sleep literally anywhere. Put me in the corner of a room and I could take a nap. (This is a lovely kapha quality, by the way!)
In my early 30s, I could come home from working late, brush my teeth, slip into bed and pass out.
As I got into my late 30s, this changed, and now in my 40s, I need a whole routine, and I have also learned to be in bed by 10 pm. (Yes, I am a reformed night owl).
My sleep tends to be better in the cooler months, and I think it’s because I can do self-oil massage and take a bath with epsom salts.
In the summer, I typically have too much pitta to do this and it’s a sure way to get hot flashes going and restless sleep. So sad!
I've had my struggles with sleep over the last couple of years, and it's required tweaking and shifting. At this point, most nights I sleep deeply and for the entire night. One thing I did, among many others, was give up coffee (and this was SO hard).
If you’ve ever experienced being unable to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get an uninterrupted night’s sleep for any reason (including being a new parent), I don’t have to explain to you how visceral it can feel to be without it on a daily basis.
Sleep affects EVERYTHING.
It affects our moods. It affects our ability to focus, remember, and be present. It affects what and how we eat (not getting enough sleep stirs up vata, and eating is a way to ground the body).
I was recently reading a new popular book on menopause by an MD. I was deeply disappointed in the the solutions it offered for sleep: a handful of meds, and a couple supplements. Hardly anything else.
As a side note, unfortunately, most medications for sleep ruin REM sleep. So we don’t wake feeling refreshed, and we don’t get the benefits of a restorative night of sleep.
There is also some trendy stuff out there. I’ve heard so many women tell me they’re taking magnesium at night, one brand in particular. That was some good marketing. Magnesium, as with anything, is good for some, but not for all.
There are many, many practices in Ayurveda that can help restore sleep. Sleep trouble is also connected to the liver, which is mainly a shorthand to say we need to slow down and process our days, lives, and hormones (more on supporting this next week).
Today, I'm focusing on the creation of a wind down routine. I think this is in the zeitgeist enough that you've probably heard of it. As usual, Ayurveda has thousands of years of wisdom to back it up.
The point of a wind down routine is that at its completion, you are sleepy and ready to drift off.
This can be done in thousands of different ways, to your preference.
Here's an example of what this might look like:
Start an hour before bed by shutting off all screens (TVs, phones, etc).
Do 5 minutes of alternate nostril breathing
Write without stopping in a journal for ten minutes to release the day
Spend 20 minutes doing a self-massage with oil
Read a book that is mild and entertaining (no hard hitting non-fiction please!) until feel ready for sleep
You could also spend time meditating, drawing, knitting, doing legs up the wall, petting your dog, taking a bath, yoga nidra, or any other activity that doesn’t rev you up and slows down the mind.