Are you awake at 2 am and can’t get back to sleep? It’s so frustrating and you aren’t alone!
We suggest tracking your menstrual cycles with an app or on paper to record when you sleep poorly so you can see if there is a pattern and whether it’s in relation to your period for those still getting a period.
Even if you are not getting a period, track how many days in a row your sleep is disrupted, can you find a relation to food, alcohol, exercise, things on your mind? For us, seeing a semi-regular pattern helped us understand and accept this new normal. We share what we learned here.
This recent study found that “the most trouble sleeping was observed at the beginning and end of the menstrual cycle”. This is consistent with our experience.
More things to check out
An overview
Videos from WLB’s Interviews with Experts Series
Learn how to support your natural melatonin levels for better sleep from expert Dr. Paula Witt-Enderby in these videos – 1, 2, 3 and in this written Q&A.
Dr. Marcie Richardson, an ob-gyn, Director of the Menopause Clinic at Atrius Health and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Harvard Medical School discusses sleep disruption in this short video. In a second video, she talks about why it is even more important to prioritize sleep during this phase of changing hormonal patterns.
