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4 questions for better sleep during the menopause

In today’s issue, we’d like to introduce you to our 4-question process for improving your sleep during the menopause.

There are many tips for improving your sleep. But today we’re going to look at it as a system – an unconventional approach.

If you can emulate this process, you’ll be much less prone to insomnia and much more able to be active during the day.

Sleep is a question of systems that impose good behaviour.

In the absence of adequate sleep systems, a number of challenges arise:

Challenge 1: Lack of sleep rhythm and inappropriate sleep environment: going to bed at a different time each day. The sleep environment is not adapted to sleep. Your body reacts to this with a nocturnal «revolution».

Challenge 2: Eating and drinking: eating and drinking at the wrong time leads to bodily activity that makes it difficult to sleep.

Challenge 3: Thoughts and movement: Thoughts go in circles and don’t stop. Intense activity at the wrong time (for example, playing sport intensively in the evening) keeps you awake.

You can overcome all these challenges by setting up a better system to improve your sleep during the menopause.

Here’s the four-question process.

Question 1: What can I eliminate?

We do so many things that can disrupt sleep. The next morning, we wonder why the night was still so trying.

If we could pass on any wisdom to you today, it would be this: Eliminate the things that disrupt sleep. To do this, use a checklist like this one:

– Am I hungry when I go to bed? Eat at least three hours before you go to bed. Don’t go to bed hungry, because that puts your body under stress. And stress means: more cortisol, less melatonin. 

– Do I drink or eat drinks containing caffeine or alcohol in the second half of the day? Caffeine causes more restless sleep. Reduce your coffee consumption in the morning.

– Do I engage in stimulating activities such as strenuous exercise? This keeps you awake and reduces melatonin secretion. If possible, do this in the morning.

– Do I work in bed? Your brain regards bed as a place to work, which automatically keeps it awake. Work at the table.

– Do I go to bed late? The later you go to bed, the higher your cortisol level and the lower your melatonin level. Eliminates delaying going to bed.

Question 2: What can I simplify?

Once things have been eliminated, we start to simplify.

Simplification generally takes the form of systematic processes. An example is a new sleep hygiene routine. The process of going to bed is always the same and lasts the same length of time. Going to bed then becomes a habit and is enjoyable.

An example would be :

– last meal and last drink at 7 p.m, 

– all electronic equipment is put away by 8pm and the bedroom is cooled,

– until 9pm, I read a soothing book (not an exciting detective story), 

– Then I meditate for 30 minutes,

– at 9.30pm I get ready for bed,

– at 10pm, I go to bed.

Processes and systems contribute to simplification. They help to make activities a habit.

Question 3: What can I automate?

Next, I look for obvious opportunities to introduce automation!

A perfect example would be my alarm clock. Here’s my old process:

– Step 1: I set my alarm clock for a specific time.

– Step 2: I wake up when the alarm goes off and press the snooze button.

– Step 3: I repeat step 2 several times until I finally get up.

– Step 4: I feel sleepy and stressed because I’m late.

That’s almost half an hour of my time wasted and I feel awful. 

The solution is to automate all this by using a smart alarm clock that gently wakes me up with light and music when I’m in a light sleep phase. Now I don’t need a snooze button and I get up much more easily.

Question 4: What can I delegate?

Finally, I’m looking for ways to delegate certain things.

A good example would be my activities that weigh me down mentally in the evening but aren’t really important.

You can delegate these tasks to a virtual assistant. You can find a virtual assistant on Upwork or Fiverr.

Now that you’ve delegated these tasks, your mind is freer and it’s one more piece in the mosaic of better sleep.

Prioritise your sleep

British neuroscientist Matthew Walker once said, «It is more likely to be struck by lightning than to have full energy after less than 7-8 hours of sleep».

We hope that this information from Meno Health will help you to organise your sleep better, or that you will take with you a few tips to help you sleep better.

We wish you a good night’s sleep.

Joëlle & Adrian