Tips For Better Sleep for Women

Sleep is an issue for so many menopausal and older women.

Often they think the only way to get better sleep is with supplements or prescriptions. In some cases, this may be true, or your poor sleep may be due to circumstances beyond your control like caring for an aging parent or and unwell partner - but in many cases better sleep comes down to some very actionable things you can do that cost nothing and are not 'another pill to swallow'. This is the best first place to start!

Here are the 10 Commandments of Sleep, adapted from the work of Dr. Adam Moscovitch, formerly of the Foothills Hospital’s Sleep Centre and Deepak Chopra’s book Better Sleep

1.Schedule a relaxing period before going to sleep to separate your body and mind

from the day’s hassles.

2. Use your bedroom primarily for sex and sleep and not as an all-purpose activity

area.

3. Your bed should be comfortable, large enough, in a quiet, dark room and at the

right temperature.

4. Keep a regular schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same time each

day. Learn to relax in bed until you fall asleep. Train yourself!

5. Be consistent about taking naps. Take one regularly or not at all.

6. Exercise regularly in the morning or early afternoon, but do not engage in strenuous activity late in the evening. A relaxing, mild physical activity might be helpful close to bedtime.

7. Avoid caffeine in all forms. Smoking close to bedtime or at night causes

further sleep disruption so quit now to help your adrenals!

8. Don’t use alcohol or street drugs as sedatives. While they might help you

fall asleep initially, they lead to sleep disruption and deprive you of deep sleep,

sometimes for years after stopping heavy use.

9. If you feel hungry in the evening, have a light snack that includes a light protein.

Heavy meals close to bedtime can result in discomfort and bizarre dreams.

10. Above all, don’t try too hard. If you can’t fall asleep, just lie in bed focusing

on relaxing your body and clearing your mind. There is some rejuvenation in

resting.

If putting all of these into place is not having the impact you want – stay tuned for the next issue where we’ll look at some other potential sleep influencers in menopause and post menopause.