PERIMENOPAUSE AND INSOMNIA

 

 

Imagine if you are a woman, early forties to late forties or so, and can’t remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep. Dr Steven R. Goldstein, a Perimenopause Specialist NYC has seen women come into his office with a range of symptoms that appear to have nothing to do with their menses or gynecological health. They have been to allergists, psychologists, psychiatrists and other specialists but never thought their issue was related to their gynecological health.

 

Perimenopause is the transition into menopause when a woman begins to slow the production of hormones. Some of the symptoms are irregular periods, hot flashes, and generally one of the least understood and most misdiagnosed stages of a woman’s life. One of the symptoms of Perimenopause is insomnia, the ability to sleep.

 

Insomnia generally gets worse as one gets closer to the last period. This is because night sweats – hot flashes that occur when you are sleeping – trouble many women when their bodies stop making estrogen.

 

While night sweats are a signal that you are close to actual menopause, many women complain about waking up in a sweat years before menopause happens. Or they complain that they wake up for no reason in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep.

 

Sleeping poorly is a big complaint for people, regardless of their age. For millions of people, bedtime is an invitation to hours of worry. Small annoyances like a truck driving by or a humidifier turning on interrupts sleep. Then come the worries of the day: Did I pay the gas bill or didn’t I?

 

If this is happening to you and you are a woman late thirties to late forties, then rule out stimulants such as the ones in cold medicines, some of the “natural” health pills, and diet sodas can keep you awake. Alcohol can send you to sleep only to wake up three hours later – for the rest of the night. A sedentary lifestyle and sleeping late can also be culprits.

 

Insomnia alone is not an indicator of Perimenopause. The stress of having subtle symptoms you’ve never experienced before can keep you up at night. Insomnia can exacerbate every other symptom of Perimenopause, so it’s important that if you’re having trouble sleeping, you talk to your doctor about it and formulate a plan for improving your sleep. The quality of your sleep is a major part of your sense of well being.

 

 Dr Steven R. Goldstein is a past president of the International Menopause Society, a Certified Menopause Practitioner and co author of the book “Could it be….Perimenopause?”. If you suspect you have Perimenopause, Dr Goldstein, a Perimenopause doctor in NYC  is available for consultation at his office in Manhattan