Sleep Disorders in Postmenopausal Women
 Many postmenopausal women report suffering sleep disorders after menopause. If you happen to find yourself suffering from sleep disorders it is well worth reading up on some of its related symptoms and causes. There is a wealth of information - gained from the experience of others - that can help you get a good night´s rest. Read the following paragraphs to get a fuller summary of sleep disorders affecting postmenopausal women.
What constitutes sleeping disorder? How do I know my sleeping disorder is related to menopause?
Sleeping disorders in general refer to any ailments that affect the normal sleeping patterns of a person. Accounting for variations in the severity of the disturbance, sleep disorders can affect psychological and physical function, resulting in insomnia, snoring and sleep apnea.
Quick Fact:
If you have previously struggled with sleep problems, then postmenopausal sleep disorders can be a real nightmare because your sleep becomes even more troubled.
Many women find that their sleep is restless and disturbed after they experience menopause. Symptoms may include waking up more often than normal, tossing and turning all night, and just a general inability to fall asleep. In order to address the problems associated with sleep disorders and menopause, one should be informed about the causes of this affliction in the first place.
What cause sleep problems during menopause?
The causes for sleep disorders in postmenopausal women can be divided broadly into the psychological and physical. However, changes in sleep patterns after menopause are frequently the result of physical factors.
 Psychological: Overwork, emotional daily stress, and tiredness can cause sleep problems at night, regardless of being postmenopausal or not. Luckily, cases resulting from stress are mostly temporary and the sleeping problems disappear when the stressful time ends.
Physical: Postmenopausal sleep disorders are mostly caused by disturbed hormone levels. That is because a decline in estrogen causes a variety of side effects, including a decrease in the hormone serotonin, which is used to create melatonin (a sleep hormone).
Because sleeping disorders post menopause tend to get progressively worse without treatment, it is helpful to have a strategy to prevent them occurring. Given that imbalanced hormonal levels as a result of going through menopause are the common cause, there are a variety of tips and measures available to combat them.
What can postmenopausal women do about sleep disorders?
Tips on reducing the affects of sleeping disorders:
• Keep your bedroom well-ventilated.
• Staying cool by wearing loose clothing to bed.
• Exercising regularly but not right before sleep.
• Avoid food right before bedtime.
• Maintaining a regular bedtime schedule.
• Avoiding excessive caffeine.
• Avoiding naps during the day, which can prevent you from sleeping well at night.
Sometimes a simple change in habit or lifestyle can provide significant relief for sleep disorders in postmenopausal women. Having established that the sleep problems are linked to a drop in estrogen hormones in the body, the biggest practical step in dealing with them is through maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine. The body needs to be healthy in order to have the best chance of maintaining stable hormonal levels. In addition to lifestyle choices there are a range of pharmaceutical and alternative medicine remedies that help to reduce sleep disorders. These remedies will often target the issue of hormonal imbalance itself, and therefore can prove effective in dealing with the consequences of hormone imbalance. Click on the following link to get more information on some of the treatments available for sleep disorders relating to postmenopausal women.
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