sleep disorder

  • Sleep Health

    Menopause and insomnia: What is the link?

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    Original Post | Medical News Today

    After menopause, a person’s ovaries produce much lower amounts of certain hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. For some, this transition comes with sleep disturbances.

    Insomnia refers to the difficulty falling or staying asleep. It is a commonTrusted Source experience in menopause and may occur as a result of hormonal changes.

    It may also be a secondary result of the other symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes.

    Read on for more information on menopause and insomnia, including why it happens, how long it may last, and what medical treatments and complementary therapies are available.

    Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.

    Can menopause cause insomnia?

    The exterior of a large apartment building at night. Bright light illuminates one of the windows.
    Colin Anderson/Stocksy

    Yes – insomnia is a frequent occurrence during perimenopause and menopause. Some people only experience mild or occasional sleep disturbances, but for others, the insomnia can be severe.

    According to a 2018 article, 26%Trusted Source of people going through perimenopause and menopause experience insomnia that affects their daily activities.

    In females, the rate of insomnia increases with age. According to the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)Trusted Source, the prevalence of sleep disorders is as follows:

    • 16–42% in premenopause
    • 39–47% in perimenopause
    • 35–60% in postmenopause

    Why does menopause cause insomnia?

    Research on the exact cause of insomnia during menopause does not point to one clear cause. Several things may contribute to it, including:

    Hormonal changes

    Some evidence suggests that low hormone levels can increase the likelihood of insomnia during menopause.

    According to the SWANTrusted Source, previous longitudinal studies have found a correlation between lower levels of estradiol and poorer sleep. This is especially true if the decline in hormones happens quickly, as it does after a person undergoes surgery to remove the ovaries.

    Hot flashes

    Sometimes, insomnia happens during menopause because of hot flashes or night sweats. These symptoms can disrupt sleep, causing frequent waking.

    Hot flashes, which are one of the so-called vasomotor symptoms, are common in menopause, affecting 75–85%Trusted Source of people going through menopause.

    Hot flashes cause a sudden sense of heat around the face and neck and often occur with sweating and a fast heartbeat.

    Reduction in melatonin

    Melatonin is a hormone that plays a key role in the sleep-wake cycle, helping keep people asleep. It is especially important at the start of sleep.

    However, melatonin levels appear to decrease with age, which may cause sleep disturbances.

    It is not clear whether there is a link between menopause and a decline in melatonin. Some evidenceTrusted Source suggests that there is and that individuals during postmenopause have less melatonin than those during premenopause.

    Mental health

    For many people, menopause signals a major change. It is also a sign that a person is getting older. This, along with the symptoms of menopause, can have an impact on an individual’s mental health.

    Many mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, affect sleep. However, insomnia can also make depression more likelyTrusted Source. The relationship between sleep and mood is bidirectional, and changing hormone levels can also play a role.https://a76fa006e565d376844b91a5d5a8864a.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

    How long will insomnia last?

    How long insomnia lasts during and after menopause depends on many factors. Every person who goes through menopause has a different experience. Some will find that the symptoms last longer than they do for others.

    A person’s hormone levels can start to change 7–10 yearsTrusted Source before a person’s last period. After this point, people can continue to have symptoms such as hot flashes for several years.

    Estradiol levels continue to decline for the first 1–6 years in early postmenopause, which may result in continued symptoms.

    It is of note, however, that there are treatments and therapies available that can reduce sleep difficulties. It is also important to address any other factors that may be contributing to poor sleep quality.powered by Rubicon Project

    Medical treatments for insomnia during menopause

    The main treatment for menopause-related insomnia is hormone therapy. This works by replacing the lost hormones, which can improve many menopause symptoms. People may find that they sleep better and experience fewer hot flashes while using this treatment.

    Hormone therapy is available in topical gels, creams, and patches. People can also take it internally via tablets or an implant.

    Another potential treatment is a low-dose selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

    Doctors typically prescribe SSRIs for mental health conditions, but these medications can also reduce the frequency of hot flashes, which may help with sleep. However, it is of note that insomnia can also occur as a side effect of SSRIs.

    For those who are experiencing mood changes, anxiety, or depression, talk therapy may help them understand and cope with these feelings. Lessening the impact of mental health conditions may also benefit sleep.

    Doctors rarely prescribe sleeping pills to treat insomnia, as these can have serious side effects. Many are also addictive and are not suitable for managing a long-term sleep problem.

    Natural and complementary therapies

    According to a 2019 review, no study has found that herbal or dietary supplements consistently help with menopause symptoms. However, there are many other ways people can try to make sleep easier during menopause.

    Below are some evidence-based approaches:

    Avoiding caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol

    Smoking, consuming caffeine, and drinking alcohol can all make it more difficult to sleep. While it may seem that alcohol makes people drowsy, even a small amount reduces overall sleep quality.

    A person can try to reduce or avoid any of these, especially in the afternoon and evening.

    Aromatherapy

    Aromatherapy may be helpful in inducing relaxation and reducing hot flashes.

    In a clinical trial involving 100 women, researchers found that after 12 weeks of lavender essential oil inhalation, the participants had 50% fewer hot flashes.

    Other studies have also found that aromatherapy together with massage was more effective than massage or aromatherapy by themselves.

    Hypnosis

    A 2019 review notes that there is evidence that hypnosis may reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes by up to 50%.

    Moreover, for people whose insomnia results from hot flashes, hypnosis may be a helpful complementary treatment.

    Yoga

    Some studies have found that yoga has a beneficial impact on the psychological symptoms of menopause. If a person is having difficulty sleeping due to stress or anxiety, yoga practice may help reduce these symptoms.

    However, the results of other studies on yoga have been mixed. This is partly because there are many styles of yoga and numerous ways of practicing, which may lead to inconsistent results.

  • Uncategorized

    Addressing Sleep Could Help Women Avoid Weight Gain During Menopause

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    Original Article | Posted by Sree Roy | Apr 1, 2021

    Addressing sleep symptoms during menopause may reduce susceptibility to weight gain, according to a small study presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.

    “Our findings suggest that not only estrogen withdrawal but also sleep disturbances during menopause may contribute to changes in a woman’s body that could predispose midlife women to weight gain,” says lead researcher Leilah Grant, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass, in a release. “Helping women sleep better during menopause may therefore reduce the chances a woman will gain weight, which in turn will lower her risk of diabetes and other related diseases.”

    Woman Battling Weight Issues from Lack Of Sleep

    Rates of obesity increase in women around the age of menopause. Menopause-related weight gain is often thought to be caused by the withdrawal of the female hormone estrogen. Estrogen is unlikely to be the only contributing factor, however, since all women stop producing estrogen in menopause while only about half of women gain weight, Grant says. Another common symptom, also affecting around half of women during menopause, is sleep disturbance, which has independently been linked to changes in metabolism that might increase the risk of weight gain.

    [RELATED: Insomnia Symptoms Worsen Throughout Menopause Transition]

    To better understand the role of sleep disturbances and hormonal changes in menopausal weight gain, the researchers studied 21 healthy premenopausal women.

    They used an experimental model simulating the sleep disturbance experienced in menopause to examine the effects of poor sleep on the body’s use of fat.

    Participants had two nights of uninterrupted sleep followed by three nights of interrupted sleep, where they were woken by an alarm every 15 minutes for 2 minutes each time. The researchers then restudied a subset of nine participants in the same sleep interruption protocol after they were given a drug called leuprolide, which temporarily suppressed estrogen to levels similar to menopause.

    Compared to a normal night of sleep, after three nights of disturbed sleep there was a significant reduction in the rate at which the women’s bodies used fat. A similar reduction in fat utilization was also seen when estrogen was suppressed, even during normal sleep. The combination of low estrogen and sleep disturbance also reduced fat utilization, but the effect was not larger than either exposure on their own.

    “In addition to estrogen withdrawal, sleep disturbances decrease fat utilization,” Grant says. “This may increase the likelihood of fat storage and subsequent weight gain during menopause.”

    If you are struggling with any sleep issues as a result of a diagnosis of sleep apnea, please contact us today for a consultation. We can help ensure better nights for better days!

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Health

    Frightening Things Sleep Loss Can Do to Your Body

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    Original Post by: Sara Middleton, staff writer | December 18, 2019

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    sleep-loss

    The sleep loss some people willingly subject themselves to is doing the exact opposite of helping them gain an academic “edge,” and is in no way beneficial for stress management (NaturalHealth365) Calling all students, board executives, parents with busy families, or any other hard-working individuals: pulling all-nighters is officially no longer something to brag about!

    Case in point? Research from institutions like Texas A&M College of Medicine and St. Lawrence University finds that consistently pulling all-nighters is associated with a lower grade point average – in addition to increased anxiety, impaired performance, and a myriad of other problems.

    Pulling all-nighters will lower your grade point average and increase the risk of weight gain

    Poor grades and a low-grade point average (GPA) can be big issues, but they’re certainly not the only ones caused by staying up all night. According to research, pulling all-nighters or consistently getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night increases the risk of other serious and undesirable health consequences, including:

    • Weight gain
    • Cancer
    • Heart disease
    • Accidents
    • Depression and anxiety (even just one sleepless night can raise anxiety levels by as much as 30%, according to a recent study from the University of California Berkeley published in Nature Human Behavior)

    Of course, we’d be remiss to just harp on the negatives. For example, the same UC Berkeley study we just mentioned also determined that deep non-rapid eye movement sleep (the non-dreaming stage) can literally rewire brain circuitry in such a way as to decrease anxiety, as well as lower blood pressure and heart rate.

    We also know that consistently getting a sufficient amount of sleep (that’s 7 to 9 hours per night for adults) increases our mood and productivity, reduce our risk for diabetes, helps us manage stress, and strengthens our immune system to help us avoid getting sick.

    Psst: teens need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep, and kids between the ages of 6 and 12 need about 9 to 12!

    Do NOT ignore the health dangers linked to toxic indoor air.  These chemicals – the ‘off-gassing’ of paints, mattresses, carpets and other home/office building materials – increase your risk of headaches, dementia, heart disease and cancer.

    Get the BEST indoor air purification system – at the LOWEST price, exclusively for NaturalHealth365 readers.  I, personally use this system in my home AND office.  Click HERE to order now – before the sale ends.

    Struggling with sleep apnea or insomnia? Here are three natural tips for combating sleep deprivation

    If you have a hard time falling and/or staying asleep, you’re in good (albeit tired) company. According to the Sleep Health Foundation, 1 out of 3 people have at least mild insomnia.

    But popping a sleeping pill – whether over-the-counter or prescription – doesn’t work long-term…and, of course, poses the risk of dependency and adverse side effects.

    So, how can you ease your mind and get to sleep better without becoming reliant on drugs? Previously, we’ve shared some helpful tips for improving your sleep naturally in our NaturalHealth365 podcast.  But, for a brief refresher, here are three simple strategies you can start implementing tonight:

    1. Turn down the temp. Sleep research indicates that an ideal bedroom temperature is between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (ca. 20 °C). Surprisingly cool, but it seems to be ideal for helping your body create melatonin, a major sleep-wake cycle hormone. Plus, we all know how hard it is to fall asleep on a hot summer’s night when the A/C breaks!
    2. Power down your devices. Dim your lights and avoid using televisions, cell phones, tablets, and laptops about an hour before bed. Hard to do? Sure. But if the trade-off is better sleep and better health, it definitely seems like a challenge worth taking on.
    3. Implement a relaxing bedtime routine. Instead of scrolling on social media, try kicking back with a book or journal, deep breathing in a hot shower, or testing out that new DIY facial mask you’ve been wanting to try. Practice regular self-soothing acts that help your body wind down.

    Sources for this article include:

    Livescience.com
    Sleephealthfoundation.org
    Sleepadvisor.org
    Sciencedaily.com
    Sciencedaily.com
    Berkeley.edu
    ADAA.org
    Washingtonpost.com
    Healthfinder.gov

  • Sleep Apnea

    Sleep-Disordered Breathing Tied to Accelerated Aging

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    Original Article Medscape Medical News | Megan Brooks, June 13, 2019

    SAN ANTONIO — Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and the disruption in nightly sleep it causes, speeds up the aging process, according to preliminary research.

    SDB is a common disorder that results in oxidative stress and inflammation and is associated with several age-related health disorders. However, it hasn’t been well studied with respect to epigenetic aging.

    “To our knowledge, this study is the first empirical study that has linked sleep-disordered breathing with epigenetic age acceleration,” Xiaoyu Li, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, told Medscape Medical News.

    The study was presented here at SLEEP 2019: 33rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

    Elderly Looking Woman

    Women are particularly vulnerable. 

    The study included 622 adults (mean age 69 years, 53% women) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). All participants underwent polysomnography; DNA methylation, a marker for epigenetic age acceleration, was measured in blood samples.

    Age acceleration measures were calculated as residuals from the regression of each epigenetic age on chronologic age. The association of each SDB trait with age acceleration was estimated using linear regression, controlling for sociodemographics, health behaviors, body mass index, and study site.

    Increasing SDB severity and sleep disruption were associated with epigenetic age acceleration, independent of measured confounders, Li reported.

     

    Read The Full Article Here
  • Sleep Apnea

    Impulsive Behavior in Children Linked to Sleep and Screen Time, Study Says

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    Original Post | Sleep Review Magazine, Published on August 22, 2019

    Children and youth who do not sleep enough and use screens more than recommended are more likely to act impulsively, recent research published in Pediatrics suggests.

    Impulsive Sleep Deprived Child Jumping on Bed

    The findings come from the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group (HALO) at the CHEO Research Institute in Ottawa.

    “Impulsive behavior is associated with numerous mental health and addiction problems, including eating disorders, behavioral addictions and substance abuse,” Michelle Guerrero, PhD, lead author and postdoctoral fellow at the CHEO Research Institute and the University of Ottawa, says in a release.

    “This study shows the importance of especially paying attention to sleep and recreational screen time, and reinforces the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth. When kids follow these recommendations, they are more likely to make better decisions and act less rashly than those who do not meet the guidelines.”

    The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth recommends 9-11 hours of sleep per night and no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time per day.

    The paper analyzed data for 4,524 children from the first set of data of a large longitudinal population study called the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which will follow participants for 10 years. In addition to sleep and screen time, the ABCD study also captures data related to physical activity. Physical activity is a third pillar of the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, which recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily.

    The ABCD study allowed Guerrero and her team to look at the three pillars of the movement guidelines against eight measures of impulsivity, such as one’s tendency to seek out thrilling experiences, to set desired goals, to respond sensitively to rewarding or unpleasant stimuli, and to act rashly in negative and positive moods. The study results suggest that meeting all three pillars of the movement guidelines was associated with more favorable outcomes on five of the eight dimensions.

    Guerrero and her team say that studies using feedback devices to measure the movement behaviors in future research will help further our understanding of how physical activity, screen time, and sleep relate to children’s impulsivity.