Managing Sleep and Hot Flushes
When it comes to people struggling with their sleep during menopause, hot flushes and panic are often the key triggers for them seeking help.
When we have hot flushes during or before menopause, it can often disrupt our sleep and we can wake up feeling really panicked. So, perhaps your heart will be racing, or you will be feeling hot, sweaty and panicky.
This is really common, because when we get that hot suddenly, the body isn’t sure how to react, and this can trigger adrenaline. If you then spend time in bed when you’re stressed and anxious, this can then lead to an unhealthy connection with your bed - leading to a negative cycle of poor sleep.
So, instead, you can break this cycle. When you have your next hot flush, instead of jumping out of bed, having some water, getting some air, and trying to cool down, just sit with those feelings for a moment or two.
This can feel really hard because it’s so unpleasant and a panic attack can be a very physical thing. However, if you just step outside of yourself and start labelling the feelings, for example, ‘my heart’s racing’, ‘I’m too hot’ or ‘I feel really panicked’, then you’re then teaching your body that while this is unpleasant, it’s not life-threatening.
This will reduce the panic in the long term and make it easier to manage and get back to sleep.
Want to find out more about how to improve your sleep during menopause? Why not join my free menopause sleep webinar?
Free Sleep Webinar:
How to Sleep Well During Menopause.
Is menopause impacting your sleep? If so, my new FREE webinar will help you. Here’s some of what you’ll discover:
3 Simple strategies to improve your sleep no matter how bad your menopause symptoms
How to fall asleep quickly (and stay asleep) even if you suffer from hot flushes throughout the nightt
How to reset your body clock
How 'sleepy teas', yoga and other sleep hygiene tactics can worsen your sleep