Sleep plays a very crucial role in maintaining hormonal balance during menopause. There’s a lot of chatter around weight loss, supplements, surgeries, etc., but sleep remains under represented, whether in medical advice or in casual conversations.
It could be the missing link though for a perfectly natural menopausal phase. While all hormones respond positively to good quality sleep, there are 3 main ones that i would like to spotlight-
IGF-1 - Insulin like growth factor 1, keeps your insulin resistance under check and ensures that you don’t suffer from pigmentation, high blood sugars, etc.
GH - growth hormone, maintains elasticity of the skin, prevents thinning of hair & hair loss. Also ensures that you get bang for your buck in terms of fat loss & muscle tone for the time and effort you invest in exercise
Testosterone - while it’s known for being a male hormone, it’s produced by the ovaries too and ensures that bone density, musculature and sex drive are not compromised on.
Basically, you need a sleep care routine much more than you need a skin care routine. Remember 2 main things -
1. You need 7-9 hrs of proper sleep
2. You need to sleep by 9-11pm for optimum quality
To do the above, follow 3 easy rules -
1. Fuel your sleep
- Too much or too little food will lead to a compromise in sleep quality.
- A proper homemade breakfast - poha, upma, idli, paratha, etc,. ensures optimum micro nutrient assimilation and reduces cravings later in the day
- Eat dinner by 7-8 pm. Don’t avoid homemade food like roti-sabzi, dal-chawal, by succumbing to carb fear.
2. Afternoon Nap daily
- Right after lunch and not more than 20-30 mins. Really helps in case of pelvic pain, thyroid dysfunction, long and painful periods with clots.
- While a nap of up to 30 mins improves quality of sleep in the night, anything longer and post 3pm in the afternoon leads to a compromised sleep pattern/ quality.
3. Stay away from stimulants
- like tobacco, and avoid all forms of alcohol including wine
- Regulate chai- coffee to 2-3 cups a day and don’t have post 4pm. No chocolates too.
- stay off screens an hour before bedtime
#menopause #women #health #sleep