HOUSTON – The Centers for Disease Control confirms suspicions from women everywhere - they can't sleep.
The CDC said the sleep duration and quality among the majority of females 40-59 is not great.
Pre- and post-menopausal women’s sleep is impacted by medications, sometimes insomnia, anxiety and almost always hormones play a role.
Dr. Sudha Tallavajhula, medical director at TIRR Memorial Hermann Neurological Sleep Medicine Center said, “These particular hormones change that particular cycling within women and as that starts to change, not only are there physical imbalances, so these are the hot flashes, these are urinary abnormalities, everything in fact starts to change around that age. Even the risks of heart attacks and strokes, which in women is lower, around menopause starts to equate with males.”
If women hit their mid-40s and start to gain weight, snore and don’t feel rested, they should check with a doctor about sleep apnea.
“Sleep apnea is a more male predominant disease but around that menopausal age group, they start to equate,” Tallavajhula said.
To diagnose sleep apnea, you may need a sleep study.
If your biggest problem is falling asleep, she said there are treatment options for anxiety and insomnia, with or without medication.
If your biggest problem is staying asleep, you may also need a sleep study.
“If something's disrupting your sleep, that's when you wake up many times, now at that point a sleep study makes a lot of sense because you're trying to figure out what is it that wakes you up,” Tallavajhula said.
She said sleep disorders can take years to diagnose, so tell your doctor. In the meantime, do not look at your phone in bed and don’t settle for tossing and turning either.
“When you are not asleep for 10 minutes, you need to get out of bed and do something less stimulating. So, not do your chores, not start working for the next day,” Tallavajhula said. “Visit the library. get a good old-fashioned paper book, and start to look at something that's not forcing you to stimulate.”
Some solution options for sleep disorders include:
C-pap machine, which is not medication, not oxygen, it just opens airways, according to the doctor.
Reduce caffeine, which lasts in your system for eight hours. Dr. Tallavajhula also said decreasing caffeine can help with restless leg syndrome.
If insomnia is coming from hot flashes, keep your bedroom cool.