\n
<\/p>\n
March is Sleep Awareness Month.<\/em><\/p>\n Do you toss and turn all night? Do you wake up before dawn and can\u2019t fall back to sleep? Do you have trouble drifting off? <\/p>\n As women age and experience different phases of life, hormonal changes can disrupt both sleep quantity and quality, impacting mental and physical health. The good news? There\u2019s a lot you can do to improve your sleep with just a few tweaks to your lifestyle.<\/p>\n According to a recent study, midlife women should aim to get seven hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep every night. Just like eating healthy and exercising regularly, getting enough sleep should top your list of healthy habits. But with the stresses of daily life \u2014 and physical curveballs, including menopause \u2014 how can you boost your chance of getting adequate, quality sleep on a consistent basis? <\/p>\n It starts with healthy sleep habits. If you\u2019re struggling to fall asleep \u2014 or stay asleep \u2014 bad sleep habits might be the culprit. If so, consider giving your sleep hygiene habits a reboot. <\/p>\n We asked The Sleep Doctor, Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, to share his top healthy sleep habits for catching quality ZZZs. <\/p>\n Forget about \u201cweekend catch-up sleep.\u201d Quality sleep is all about consistency. \u201cIf possible, wake up based on your chronotype \u2014 your internal genetic sleep schedule,\u201d Breus said. Keep in mind that you don\u2019t choose your chronotype. It chooses you. \u201cYour body has a preferred time it likes to wake up and go to bed,\u201d Breus said, such as an early bird or night owl. (Take this quiz to discover your chronotype.) But your chronotype changes over time. \u201cAs women approach and enter menopause, they start waking up slightly earlier than they normally would,\u201d Breus said. This affects both sleep quantity and quality. <\/p>\n Breus pointed out that, compared to younger women who typically experience the highest sleep quality, older women tend to sleep fewer hours per night. Meaning, because of physical changes in the body as women age, they naturally start waking up earlier \u2014 even if they don’t want to. That\u2019s why Breus stresses the importance of keeping to a consistent wake-up time, even if this wake-up time changes as women age. For example, if, in your 50s, you\u2019re now automatically waking up at 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. (like you did in your 40s), don\u2019t try to \u201csleep in\u201d on the weekend to play catch-up. The 6 a.m. becomes your \u201cnew normal.\u201d <\/p>\n What you do during the day sets the stage for better sleep at night, and it starts with your morning wake-up habits. Simple things like getting exposure to light, moving your body and taking deep breaths help your body transition from feeling sleepy to feeling awake. And, according to the National Sleep Foundation, healthy daytime habits also lead to lower stress levels and better overall health. And the National Alliance of Mental Illness says that a good morning routine can increase your energy, productivity and positivity.<\/p>\n Caffeine has a half-life of between six and eight hours, meaning half of it remains in your system after that period of time. For example, if you drink three cups of coffee throughout the day (the last one at 2 p.m.), roughly 50% of that caffeine is still in your body at 10 p.m. Breus said caffeine significantly affects your ability to enter slow-wave sleep, or deep sleep, so not only can you not fall asleep, but you\u2019ll have poor sleep quality. \u201cWomen going through menopause tend to feel exhausted, so they might over-caffeinate,\u201d Breus said. Stopping caffeine by 2 p.m. at least gives you a fighting chance. This holds true for any caffeinated food or drink, including coffee, tea, soda and especially energy drinks.<\/p>\n Ditto for alcohol. Stop alcohol three hours before bed and limit yourself to two drinks. \u201cAlcohol is the number-one sleep aid in the world,\u201d Breus said, citing how more people drink themselves to sleep than anything else they do to help them fall asleep. This is problematic because alcohol negatively affects sleep. \u201cAlcohol initially gives you some slow-wave sleep, but then it bottoms out and you lose a lot of REM [rapid eye movement] sleep,\u201d he said. REM sleep plays an important role in learning, storing memories and stabilizing your mood. <\/p>\n Watch: How to Get a Good Night\u2019s Sleep >><\/em><\/p>\n You should exercise daily for many reasons, and Breus said that it\u2019s one of the easiest ways to improve sleep quality. Why? Because exercise helps you fall asleep faster, enjoy more restorative sleep and wake up less frequently. \u201cHowever, if it\u2019s too close to bedtime \u2014 within four hours \u2014 it increases core body temperature,\u201d Breus said. To fall asleep, your core body temperature must go down, not up \u2014 hence the fitness cut-off point.<\/p>\n Shifting estrogen levels during perimenopause can contribute to a range of symptoms (think hot flashes, night sweats and mood changes), all of which can interfere with sleep. To alleviate sleep-disrupting hot flashes, Breus suggested keeping the bedroom temperature cool, turning on fans and using lightweight bedding. Other cool tips: Avoid taking a hot bath or shower right before bedtime, wear loose clothing made of natural fiber to bed, and avoid eating spicy foods (they might trigger sweating).<\/p>\n Read \u201cTop 10 Menopause Symptoms\u201d >><\/em><\/p>\n According to Harvard Medical School, exposure to any light stops your body from producing melatonin, a hormone that affects your sleep\/wake cycle, which is known as the circadian rhythm. But the blue light emitted from electronic devices (such as cell phones, tablets and TVs) affects the production of melatonin even more. Aim to put away your devices about two to three hours before bedtime to limit your blue light exposure.<\/p>\n Just like a morning routine helps you wake up, a nighttime routine helps your body and brain transition to sleep. Incorporate some personal hygiene habits (like brushing your teeth and washing your face) with some relaxing self-care habits. Some people enjoy meditating, reading a book, practicing gentle yoga or stretching, or listening to calming music. Find what works best for your needs.<\/p>\n Following this sleep hygiene checklist can help improve your ability to drift off to get a good night\u2019s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed the next morning.<\/p><\/div>\nSleep Hygiene Checklist<\/h3>\n
1. Choose one wake-up time and stick to it seven days a week
<\/h3>\n2. Follow a morning wake-up routine <\/h3>\n
Need some ideas? Breus suggests this sample morning routine. <\/h4>\n
\n
3. Stop your caffeine and alcohol intake early <\/h3>\n
5. Stop exercising four hours before bed <\/h3>\n
6. Keep your cool <\/h3>\n
7. Put away the devices <\/h3>\n
8. Create a bedtime routine <\/h3>\n