Disturbed Sleep

by Diana Bitner, MD

Disturbed Sleep

Difficulty sleeping is a commonly noted symptom of perimenopause. It is thought that sleep cycles change with hormone changes, as well as nighttime hot flashes and night sweats causing sleep disturbances. When there is consistent sleep deprivation, daily life is affected. Weight loss can be slowed when a woman is fatigued, and there are definite effects on mood. Fatigue increases depressive and anxiety symptoms and also increases  irritability. Most women would not need to be told of this effect; they know.

For some women, perimenopause is the first time sleep difficulty is encountered. For others, perimenopause just compounds the problem. If you are tired during the day, more depressed or anxious, forgetting things, or just as not motivated as usual, poor sleep could be the reason. Is it due to night sweats? Perhaps, even is you do not wake up drenched, being too hot in the second half of the night can take away from your sleep quality. This can leave you ill-equipped to handle the stress of the day. Other causes for disturbed sleep include unresolved conflicts or anxiety. Think of all the changes; perhaps your relationship has gotten rocky, kids leaving the nest, parents becoming more dependent, and career issues or increased responsibilities at work. Depressed mood or anxiety can also be caused by hormone related drops in your brain chemical serotonin. When serotonin is decreased, it affects the emotional centers in your brain.

Other medical issues could be to blame, such as sleep apnea. A sleep study could be in order. Here at mmpc, we have doctors who specialize in sleep medicine and are available for consult. It is important to think about sleep hygiene; a new term used to describe pre-sleep habits. Is your room cool and dark? Do you also use you room for work and study and therefore are not able to relax entirely? And of course, it is wise to avoid large meals, caffeine, or exercise in the time before you relax. Prescription medications can be useful. Some can be addictive, and others can affect memory if used over long periods of time. They can be used by most women for a term and your provider can help to determine when the time is right. Counselors can help to tease out the unresolved issues and help with coping mechanisms. A nice hot cup of camimole tea with valerian can also do the trick. 

Contact us at whn@mmpc.com or (616) 726-8520.

Be sure to read our "Letters from the Edge."