You had a stressful day, longing for your bed all day. After a cool shower, you get in bed, expecting to go far away into dreamland, but sleep evades you! Ouch! Has this been happening time and time again? That is a symptom of insomnia.
It is a persistent inability or difficulty in falling and staying asleep. It is more common in women than men and happens throughout every phase of her life, including pregnancy and menopause.
Other insomnia symptoms may include: waking up during the night or waking up too early, not feeling well-rested after a night’s sleep, tiredness or sleepiness during the day, attention difficulties and memory lapses, irritability, depression or anxiety, and errors in seemingly easy tasks.
Research says that an average adult needs about 6-9 hours of sleep, people above 65 years need about 8 hours, and pregnant women need several more hours of sleep.
Studies have also shown that women generally take longer to fall asleep, may sleep for a shorter period, and wake up too early and feel tired once they wake up compared to men. You wonder why?
Research has classified Insomnia into three groups:
Mood: Anxiety, stress (including mental stress), and depression.
Hormones are chemical substances produced by the body to act as messengers and are transported through the bloodstream. They regulate mood, sexual functions, metabolism (how the body makes energy from the food we eat- which is slower in some people and faster in others), growth, development, and reproduction. The flux of hormones in ladies would occasionally cause insomnia.
The flux of estrogen and progesterone levels changes during menstruation and pregnancy. This process influences mood, complexion, weight gain, appetite, and ultimately sleep, especially if you experience premenstrual syndrome (which includes mood swings, fatigue, depression, irritability, tender breasts, sore nipples, mood swings, and even cramps).
Women commonly complain of sleep challenges in the days before their period and even in the early and late pregnancy stages.
Health conditions that can cause insomnia
Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control because of the changes in the reproductive system resulting from menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth, which causes the urge to go to the bathroom several times at night.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): It causes an increase in testosterone levels and decreases progesterone levels. The imbalance of the hormones causes sleep problems.
This syndrome also leads to irregular periods and increases the risk of sleep apnea, making you stop breathing for a short time during sleep, causing you to wake up several times throughout the night.
Depression and anxiety: These mental conditions and insomnia are direct causes of each other. Women are more likely to have symptoms of depression than men, and insomnia is one of the symptoms.
On the other hand, if you have insomnia, you’re ten times more likely to have depression and anxiety. You can talk to your doctor if you experience this, and he will give you the best treatment according to the specific cause.
Other insomnia triggers are socioeconomic factors such as employment, income, the standard of living, food choices (eating food that may give you heartburn just before bedtime), and Lifestyles such as smoking, diet, alcohol, and traveling (which may cause irregular sleep schedules).
What should you do?
- If your insomnia results from health challenges and medications, see your doctor, who may prescribe a suitable treatment.
- Exercise: Exercising on the days leading to your period, like brisk walking, reduces the severity of your symptoms and will help you sleep better. Also, exercising an hour or two before bedtime will help you relax and feel better.
- Get busy
- Avoid taking long naps during the day.
- Take cool showers just before bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine, smoking, and foods that give you indigestion or heartburn at night.
Developing a healthy sleeping habit can help some ladies, but if your symptoms have lasted for more than three months, it’s chronic, and we advise that you see a doctor.
