Menopause and sleep disorders – better bones

Most of us know from experience that tossing and turning at night means you’ll feel bad the next day. And many of us understand that there are long-term health consequences when we get too little sleep.

But recently I discovered something new from a fascinating study into sleep and its effect on how quickly women’s genes age after menopause – what’s known as their ‘epigenetic age’. (Carroll et al. 2017)

In the study, postmenopausal women with five insomnia symptoms were biologically almost two years older than comparable women without insomnia symptoms. The more symptoms of insomnia – Waking up during the night, not being able to fall asleep, disturbed sleep and so on – the greater the effect. However, if you only sleep six hours a night, it appears that your epigenetic age does not increase, as long as it is a good night’s sleep. And that, of course, is what many of us have problems with.

So what can we do about this? I would like to point out that the research shows that our genes are not completely out of our control, and that we can influence how they respond by taking better care of ourselves. For those of us who have gone through menopause and may be having trouble sleeping, this means looking at ways we can improve our rest.

4 sleep tips to try

• Keep a regular schedule. Your brain likes consistency, so go to bed at 11 p.m. and at the same regular time every night and in a dark room. When you get up, immediately soak up the morning light by going outside or opening a window. Ensuring good light health is key to your circadian health.
• Turn off the electronics! Computers, TVs, phones: they’re all the enemy of sleep. Even a short duration of light shining into your eyes tricks your brain into thinking it’s time to wake up. Every night at least an hour before bed, turn off the phone and put it on the charger in another room so you aren’t tempted to look at it when you can’t sleep.
• Eat early and in moderation. Heavy meals just before bed disrupt sleep, while avoiding caffeine and stimuli (such as dramatic/stressful TV shows) can also help with sleep.
• Once you’re in bed, stay relaxed. Once you’re in bed, consider practicing relaxing belly breathing or guided visualizations like that of Yoga Nidra.

In the checklist above you will see some of my favorite sleep remedies, including of course L-Tryptophan, which can be combined with magnesium for an even more relaxing effect.

Reference:
Carroll, JE et al. 2017. Epigenetic aging and immune aging in women with insomnia symptoms: findings from the Women’s Health Initiative Study, Biological Psychiatry 81(2):136-144.