The story of women lying awake for hours while their male partner manages to enjoy a sound restful sleep is all too familiar.The impaired quality of a woman’s sleep is often in response to hormonal fluctuations, PMS has often been blamed for causing abnormal hormone levels, however, it’s not always because the hormone level is abnormal, but rather that the woman’s response to the change is abnormal. Correcting PMS may require lifestyle changes, reduction of stress levels, and dietary improvements. Although theories abound as to the possible causes of PMS, a cure with the normal medical approach seems a long way off.
It is far better to treat the sleep disturbances by natural means rather than resort to prescription medications such as Ramelteeon which is a melatonin agonist used for people who have delayed sleep onset. Often the side effects of the drug are far worse than the initial symptom which required treatment.
Pregnancy brings with it many problems connected to sleep, these are mostly related to physical changes which cause urinary frequency, back ache, increased size , cramps, fetal movements, and indigestion. These discomforts are best dealt with by natural means, which include, maintaining a regular sleep pattern, eliminating daytime napping, eating light meals at night, possibly having a bedtime snack of a high protein spread with a thin slice of toast. The combination of protein with carbohydrate will assist the passage of tryptophan across the blood brain barrier and so assist sleep.
If daytime sleepiness is excessive, then it may be necessary to have your sleep monitored, to check for sleep apnea. If this condition exists, then it may be necessary to have a CPAP machine fitted which will alleviate any breathing difficulties.
Post partum sleeping problems are universal, what’s needed here is some sort of adaptive process to the upheaval caused by the arrival of the baby. Once baby arrives home everything changes, stress levels may increase exponentially as a result of hormonal changes, physical changes, family relationships, and overall lifestyle changes. Disrupted sleep may be something the new mother has to cope with for many months, and in some case much longer.
Peri menopausal and post menopausal women may experience many sleep disturbances, again resulting from hormonal fluctuations. Not all women will experience problems, some appear to have better coping mechanisms in place, either because their home life is more stable, or because their career interests are all absorbing, or both.Some of the changes may be mood disorders, increased anxiety, fatigue, migraines, depression, and many tissue changes as a result of declining estrogen levels.
There appears to be no doubt that women experience far more insomnia and other sleep disturbances in response to the fluctuations in their hormone levels throughout their lives. Once having passed menopause, sleep disturbances appear to occur equally in both men and women, according to the health of the individual, and their life interests.