Menopause is not just a moment, it is a phase of life, a transition that can last up to 10 to 15 years in total. Hormonal changes in the female body underlie it. Sleeping during menopause can be a real challenge.
The consequences are quite irritating and can turn life upside down. After the so-called perimenopause, with sharply fluctuating and declining hormone levels, the actual menopause begins. Meanwhile, the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates temperature, becomes unstable. Not always easy, sometimes resulting in nighttime heat spikes, sleep problems and sometimes insomnia. By the way, these symptoms are bundled under the heading of “vasomotor symptoms,” or VMS.
During the actual menopause, hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone, among others, stabilize in the body, but from then on the female body must adjust to these permanently lower levels.
Why can sleeping during menopause be such a drama?
In order to fall asleep, your body temperature must drop a little, about 1 to 2 degrees Celsius on average. This drop, by the way, is similar in men and women. In menopausal women, however, that “comfort zone” is much narrower.
This leads to so-called“micro-wake-ups. Even a small rise in temperature can put your brain into ‘wake mode’ . This can eventually create a vicious circle cause: you wake up from a hot flash, the bed is soaking wet and blood hot, and because of the adrenaline and heat, it takes exactly ages before you sink back in. This is not without consequence as about 75% of women suffer from this, leading to less deep sleep, fatigue and a shorter fuse during the day.
What can you do about poor sleep during menopause?
There is a range of perspectives and therefore a wide range of possible solutions, or at least illuminating forms of approach.
Lifestyle, especially stress, has an impact. Scheduling a mulling moment before going to bed can help. For example, make a small half-hour every day to mull over solutions. Write down your ideas (journaling) and make a choice that you support. That way you wrap things up before you go to bed. Not everyone succeeds, but when you do, a lot of stress often falls off your shoulders. Finding distractions and making space to be grateful for your day also help de-stress your brain and get you ready for a peaceful night. In other words, take time to wind down your day.
That the body experiences more stress, by the way, is not surprising. During menopause, cortisol levels (stress hormone) often rise as the adrenal glands try to take over the production of estrogen. In addition, when you sleep worse, you also experience higher cortisol levels in the morning.
It is known that when you experience insomnia and could use help with this, cognitive behavioral therapy insomnia (CBT-i) can be a very valuable tool. So really don’t hesitate to seek help!
When vasomotor symptoms predominate, a conversation with your family doctor or gynecologist is highly recommended. Be sure to talk about HST or hormone replacement therapy. It helps make up for the lack of estrogen and progesterone and effectively reduce bothersome menopause symptoms. Hormone therapy improves quality of life, helps with osteoporosis and is usually administered with low doses of natural hormones (via tablets, gel or patches).
It is best to start HST as soon as possible after the onset of menopause and preferably before the age of 60. Always consult a physician to weigh the pros and cons.
Can a mattress save you?
Fortunately, some solutions do exist in terms of sleep comfort. There are many ways to optimize your sleeping environment. Here is a summary:
High Heat Capacity Materials (HHCM) distribute body heat .. This leads to much better thermoregulation. Many mattresses (especially made of (memory) foam) act as an insulator: they retain your body heat. Mattresses equipped with HHCM do not do this. They diffuse heat.
A prominent example of an HHCM mattress is Technogel®. This unique polymer gel has a high thermal conductivity, allowing heat to quickly move away from the body and diffuse horizontally. Instead of retaining heat, this gel absorbs heat and spreads it horizontally across the surface. Studies show that mattresses with Technogel® (thickness min. 1.7 cm) make you fall asleep up to 33% faster and giveyou up to 45% more time in deep sleep (NREM-3). Other research, specifically on menopausal women, also offers very powerful results in individual sleep experience.
Mattress covers with PCMs (Phase Change Materials) have microcapsules inside the mattress cover. These microscopic capsules contain materials that change phase when it gets too hot (solid to liquid or vice versa). In this way, heat is temporarily stored. When the temperature drops, the heat is released again. Many brands use this technology and often give it their own name. The technology itself is being developed by major textile players such as HEIQ(Smart Temp, Cool) and Devan Thermoregulation (Thermic, Cool).
Highly breathable materials or fibers such as wool (sheep, camel, alpaca), linen, cotton, coconut, flax or horse hair incorporated into the mattress cover or mattress may also offer a solution. This can also be a synthetic material, such as Labyrinth(ENKEV) which is up to 97% breathable. These materials allow heat to disperse very quickly.
An active cooling system may also be a solution. In this case, a ventilation system is incorporated into the bed. So electricity is used to ventilate or to let cool water flow through the mattress. Dutch company Fresh Bed thus developed an active ventilation system that also purifies the air around the body at the same time. The American Eight Sleep uses water to cool, through its Pod technology. Be careful, because these systems consume energy and can make noise. Passive cooling technologies do not have these drawbacks.
Be sure to look beyond your mattress to sleep better!
Know that 80% of your sleep environment is controlled by the duvet and your bedding! Invest in duvets that are strong in both thermal insulation, moisture control and ventilation!
For most women, this means that natural duvets in wool (sheep, camel, alpaca …) , linen, kapok or natural hair are the best choice, as they score very strongly on these three characteristics!
Real down is a dime on its side. The thermal insulation is top notch! But the success rate is highly dependent on the down cover used and the fill weight – meaning also the fill power – of the duvet. When these factors are properly matched, this can be a godsend.
Synthetic hollow fibers are less strongly recommended for women in transition. Unless they really match your personal heat regulation. Often these duvets are good at one or two of the sleep climate controls, but they rarely score top on all three. Advansa is a manufacturer of fibers for synthetic duvets and, like its competitor 3M, developed specific fibers that go the extra mile. Certain comforter brands use this technology in their products. Therefore, pay close attention to the logos.
5 Tips & tricks: this may be how to hack menopausal nights!
Want to survive the night without waking up like an ice cube or steamed noodles? Combine technology with these habits:
Choose your materials: Use breathable bedding made of cotton, linen or wool rather than synthetic fabrics that trap heat.
Houd your room cool: This should ideally be around 18°C, but don’t make it too cool! So be careful with open windows during the day. Better close them and open them just before you go to sleep.
Avoid triggers: Caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods can trigger evening hot flashes.
Wear layers: Wear thin, cotton nightwear. If you get too hot, you can easily take something off.
Go to sleep with warm feet: Your feet are an important trigger for your brain. When your feet are warm, the temperature drop is initiated. Cold feet prevent that from happening.
- Check thoroughly with your doctor or gynecologist when considering HST or other treatments.
