How Menopause Affects Your Sleep

Many women find that they struggle to sleep during their perimenopausal and menopausal years, which can have a hugely negative impact on their quality of life.

Here we look at why your sleep may be affected and what you can do about it.

Quick Summary

Menopause can significantly disrupt sleep due to hormonal changes, especially the decline in oestrogen and progesterone
Symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, sleep apnoea, and increased stress
To improve sleep, consider wearing light clothing, keeping the bedroom cool, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and developing a relaxing bedtime routine
For sleep apnoea, consult a GP for potential treatments like a CPAP machine
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) may help improve sleep by balancing hormone levels
Always seek personalised advice from a healthcare professional

Why is Sleep Impacted by Menopause?

Menopause occurs when your ovaries stop producing oestrogen and progesterone. Both of these hormones are linked to bodily functions that affect sleep.

Oestrogen helps keep our body temperature low, which helps us get a good night’s sleep. It also manages serotonin levels, commonly known as the feel-good hormones.

When oestrogen declines, you may experience hot flushes, night sweats and a low mood, which all contribute to a bad night’s sleep.

In addition, lower levels of progesterone can lead to sleep apnoea, which is when the walls of the throat relax and narrow, interrupting normal breathing.

And to top it off, other life stresses and medications can impact your sleep. Children leaving home and elderly parents needing more support while you’re still trying to work can all take a toll on your mental health. You may also be suffering from aches and pains associated with ageing which make sleeping more difficult.

How Can We Improve Sleep?

If hot flushes and night sweats are the problem, you should consider:

Wearing light clothing
Keep your bedroom cool at night
Having a fan by your bedside
Avoiding alcohol, spicy food and caffeine
Staying hydrated

If you’re suffering from insomnia or are waking frequently, you should try:

Developing a relaxing bedtime routine that could involve taking a bath, listening to music or meditating
Avoiding getting out of bed and switching lights on when you wake – finding a routine for falling back to sleep will help
Reduce taking stress to bed by exercising or meditating
Cut down on your caffeine and alcohol intake, especially before bed
Keep your bedroom temperature at a comfortable level
Try herbal teas to help you relax before bed

For sleep apnea, it’s important you see your GP. They may advise you on lifestyle changes that can help or, in severe cases, give you a device called a CPAP machine that will help improve your breathing and the quality of your sleep.

Will HRT Help Improve Sleep?

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a treatment to help relieve the symptoms of perimenopause/menopause by replacing your body’s lost levels of oestrogen and/or progesterone.

As these hormones contribute to factors that ensure you have a good night’s sleep, taking HRT should help.

Speak to your GP to determine what form of HRT is right for you.

As always, if you have any questions you can use our Menopause Q&A where you can ask for more advice.

We have lots of Menopause FAQs, Menopause videos, Menopause reviews, and Menopause before and after images for you to do more research.

If you want to look for your nearest verified Menopause clinic, your local menopause clinics are listed below.