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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What can I do for my disturbed sleep?

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    Insomnia Menopause Sleep Medicine
    I am 55 year old female. I am reasonably fit and healthy. I am going through menopause and do not suffer with hot flushes. I take promensil daily. I do not drink alcohol, do not smoke and only drink one cup of coffee a day. I exercise daily for 1 hour usually from 4.30pm to 5.30pm and I work daily.

    I do not have any trouble going to sleep but I awake 2 to 3 times per night, I sometimes go to the toilet. I have a lot of trouble getting back to sleep. Then when my alarm sounds at 6.30am, I want to go back to sleep then. I often do not feel very refreshed. I do not snore. Can you please give me some feedback.
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    Women's Health Queensland Wide

    Women's Health Queensland Wide provides free health information for Queensland women. View Profile

    Many women experience sleep disturbances during menopause generally associated with night sweats; however you seem to have this under control. Your diet, exercise and general health seem optimal. Perhaps if you wake to go to the toilet you may have to consider how much you drink before bed-time. It is sometimes very informative to keep a chart and see if there is any correlation with fluid intake and disturbed sleep.
    Also you might need to reflect on any anxieties or worries you have all of which can be amplified in the middle of the night when you are trying to settle back to sleep.
    If you find it hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, deep breathing, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of bed. Remind yourself that although they’re not a replacement for sleep, rest a nd relaxation still help rejuvenate your body.Hypnotherapy can vbe helpful and there are sleep clinics if basics measure do not alleviate the problem. I wish you well.
    Brenda
    Women’s Health Educator
    Health Information Line, Women’s Health Queensland Wide

    Women living in Queensland can also call our Health Information Line - a free information and referral service for Queensland women - on 3839 9988 or 1800 017 676 (toll free outside Brisbane).

    Please note that all health information provided by Women’s Health Queensland Wide is subject to this disclaimer

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    Beverley Aronstan

    Psychologist

    I am a registered psychologist with many years of counselling experience in the field of relationships and fertility issues. In particular my focus is on … View Profile

    I agree with all of the above comments and suggestions
    The one thing I might suggest is changing the exercise to first thing in the morning as late afternoon exercise might act as a stimulant.
    When you wake up to go to the toilet try and do it with as minimum lights on as possible
    If you struggle to fall back asleep you might have a relaxation app or CD near your bed to listen to.
    Also rescue remedy drops in a little water might help you
    If you are struggling to sleep and have troubled thoughts you could keep a journal and write them down.
    I wish you well and as far as diet and exercise you are doing everything right.
    Acalcium/magnesium supplement at night might be helpful.

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    Lucinda Curran

    Acupuncturist

    Lucinda Curran of Eco Health Solutions offers a truly holistic approach to health by combining Building Biology and Chinese Medicine. Her work is solutions-focussed and … View Profile

    Hi!

    On a completely different angle, electromagnetic fields can disturb your sleep.

    My research, work with my clients AND personal experience supports this.

    Some things you can do to reduce this are:

    • make sure you are not sleeping near the meter box or electrical switchboard in your house
    • turn off all wifi and mobile phones
    • replace cordless phones with wired phones
    • if you have bedside lamps, alarm clocks, electric blanket… near your bed, either move them about 1.5 meters away or switch them off and unplug them from the wall
    I do hope this helps add to the bigger picture of what can be happening for you.

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