How to recognize your menopausal sleep disorder

During menopause, the constant fluctuation of your hormones, chiefly estrogen, creates all sorts of malfunctions in the body manifesting in some unpleasant physical and mental side effects.

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain that is in charge of regulating your body’s 24-hour cycle. Melatonin levels are generally highest right before you go to sleep. Its production is stimulated by darkness, while bright, artificial light has the opposite effect. Because of the chemistry between melatonin and fluctuating estrogen, a menopausal woman may experience an array of sleeping pattern upsets.

Common characteristics of a sleeping disorder are:
- Requiring more than 30 minutes to fall asleep
- Problems with memory and concentration
- Snoring
- Sleepwalking
- Waking up several times throughout the night

Though these are general characteristics for sleeping disorders as a whole, below you will find more specific traits with corresponding sleep disorders.

Insomnia

Insomnia is defined as the complaint of inadequate sleep because of one of the conditions listed above. Nearly 17% of the world’s population suffers from insomnia; many of them are women with menopause. Menopausal women may have trouble sleeping because of a combination of their other menopause symptoms such as night sweats and anxiety.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea occurs when a persons air flow stops briefly during sleep. There are many subtypes of this sleeping disorder that is common among adults. Sleep apnea increases the risk of:
• Heart conditions, such as congestive heart failure
• Insulin resistance, which can affect progesterone production
• High blood pressure

Restless leg syndrome (RLS)

RLS is characterized by feelings of uneasiness while sitting or lying and an urge to move your leg, or other limb as RLS can affect other parts of the body. RLS tends to be worse for people at night, but may completely disappear in early morning.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a disease of the central nervous system. It is not as common as some of the other sleep disorders, but may be one of the most well-known. Sufferers from narcolepsy may have; cataplexy or the sudden loss of muscle control, hallucinations between sleep and wake time, and the temporary inability to move when transitioning from asleep to awake.

More Information of Sleep Disorder

Pay a visit to your doctor; sleep is one of the greatest necessities to optimum health. Sleep is the time when the brain and body can rest, and without proper rest, your body will not function as it should. Your inadequate sleep may be due to an unhealthy diet or some other lifestyle choice. To read more about sleeping disorders in menopause, follow this link.