The hormones your body produces regulate functions in numerous areas, but are essential for sexual maturity and reproductive health. When your hormone production slows, so does your menstrual cycle, eventually leading to the end of your reproductive years, a time known as menopause.
In the years leading up to menopause, you may notice a range of symptoms, including sleeping problems.
Dr. Christopher Quinsey and our dedicated team in Lake Mary, Florida, can help you with all of their OB/GYN needs, including the many changes related to menopause.
During Menopause Awareness Month, we take the opportunity to explain more about the stages of menopause you can expect to go through, what causes the sleeping problems, and how you can get better rest.
Your reproductive years change significantly in your 40s, though some women experience the stages of menopause as young as their 30s for various reasons. The average time to reach menopause is around 52. This happens in three stages:
The start of your transition begins when estrogen production slows down, leading to imbalances with progesterone. Symptoms start to appear, such as:
During perimenopause, you still ovulate, but when you reach menopause, you stop having periods altogether. We consider you to be in menopause when you haven’t had a period in a year.
After menopause, some symptoms may continue. The lower amounts of estrogen also increase the risk of issues such as heart disease and osteoporosis.
The hormonal changes create many problems, including sleep-related issues, which start in perimenopause, affecting around 46% of women. In postmenopause, about half of women deal with sleep disorders.
Several factors lead to these issues, including problems with your body’s thermoregulation, metabolism, mood, and circadian rhythm.
The most common problems are hot flashes, which about 85% of American women deal with, and insomnia, affecting 64%. Conditions like sleep apnea and restless legs increase in frequency during and after menopause.
To increase the quality and quantity of sleep you get, try these options at home:
If you try these and other methods to get rest during menopause and still struggle with getting enough sleep, make an appointment with Dr. Quinsey and his team to ease symptoms and sleep more easily.
