How’s your sleep?
@dr.carriejones who’s well worth a follow if your want to learn more about your hormones. Today there’s a focus on sleep which is super-important right now to manage stress and your immunity.
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WOMEN complain of more insomnia especially as they jump from that 35-44 yo range to the 45-54yo range. 😱
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Sooooo many women like you tell me they hit their 45th birthday and boom 💥 they can’t sleep anymore. 😡
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You can’t fall asleep. You can’t stay asleep. And it is affecting your life! 🤔
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Our ovarian hormones (E2 + P) play a huge role in our circadian rhythm or sleep-wake cycle. Plus, “Sleep quality assessments are strongly influenced by anxiety, depressive symptoms, and affective disorders, which are more common in women and may contribute to a higher incidence of insomnia.” Hot flashes worsen sleep too. 😮
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“Sleep debt” accumulates more quickly in women and may be more debilitating. 😢
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What can you do? 🤗
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Wind down at night. No sugar. No alcohol. No scary movies. No news (ahem!) No caffeine. No stress (😱). No bright lights! Resist the 2nd wind at 9pm. Wear blue light blockers if you do need to have screen time.
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Get a sleep study. Check for apnea. Do you mouth breathe? Is your partner, dog or child an issue in bed? 😯
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Try a weighted blanket. Use earplugs and a sleep mask. Sleep in cool darkness! 😴
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Consider calming support: magnesium, phos.serine, skullcap, valerian, magnolia, holy basil, passionflower, chamomile, l-theonine and lemon balm. 🤩
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Do you need a new mattress? Pillow? Sheets? Blanket? 🙂
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And guess what, if you’re a candidate, you might need estradiol and/or progesterone depending on your risks and symptoms. Speak to your Dr about this. 💁🏼♀️
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Sleep is LIFE! It affects all of our systems from immune to metabolism. 😍
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Like this post and talk to me about your sleep. What’s your best sleep hack? ♥️
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Journal of Neuroscience 9 November 2011, 31 (45) 16107-16116; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4175-11.2011