Tips to Sleep Cooler During Menopause

According to the National Sleep Foundation, over 60% of premenopausal and postmenopausal women report that they suffer with insomnia on a regular basis. According to OB-GYN Montgomery County Dr. Rania Ibrahim, the most important thing is to determine what is causing your insomnia. Often there are reasons other than hormonal changes such as stress, joint pain and diseases, so it is important to talk to your OB-GYN.

A woman’s body starts producing less progesterone and estrogen when she reaches the age of 40. Unfortunately these hormones also play a role in how you sleep. If you weren’t sleeping well before the onset of menopause, your insomnia will probably get worse.

One of the most common complaints about menopause is hot flashes that typically occur at night. Approximately 85% of women experience hot flashes and sweating which interrupts their sleep numerous times throughout the night; some are so severe that clothing and bedding have to be changed.

So how can you sleep better and cooler during menopause?

Your OB-GYN Montgomery County offers the following tips.

• Maintain a cool temperature in your bedroom.
• Wear natural cotton sleepwear that absorbs moisture from your body.
• Don’t underestimate the power of exercise to regulate hormonal shifts – just don’t exercise too close to bedtime.
• Look for bedding made from natural materials instead of synthetic materials. Organic bamboo bedding is especially effective, as is pure wool.
• Check your mattress. Many mattresses, especially those more than 10 years old, contain various amounts of polyurethane foam, which retains the heat from your body.

If you are tossing and turning night after night looking for a cool spot in the bed, your mattress might be worsening the problem. Mattresses made from organic and natural latex could be a good solution because they offer better airflow, which allows you to sleep cooler. Latex has a natural open cell structure, with millions of small holes, that acts in a way similar to the ductwork in your home by circulating air throughout the mattress to cool your body down.

According to your OB-GYN Montgomery County, movements also increase the airflow. When you roll over, you compress the air in the latex beneath you, which releases air from the cells surrounding your body to cool you off. As a bonus, natural latex is anti-microbial and antibacterial, which limits the harmful effects of allergens (like dust mites) that grow in foam and other types of mattresses.

If you need relief from hot flashes or other symptoms of menopause, contact the office of OB-GYN Montgomery County Dr. Rania Ibrahim today to schedule a confidential consultation.