Managing Sleep and Hot Flushes
When it comes to people struggling with their sleep during menopause, hot flushes and panic are often the key triggers for them seeking help.
When we have hot flushes during or before menopause, it can often disrupt our sleep and we can wake up feeling really panicked. So, perhaps your heart will be racing, or you will be feeling hot, sweaty and panicky.
This is really common, because when we get that hot suddenly, the body isn’t sure how to react, and this can trigger adrenaline. If you then spend time in bed when you’re stressed and anxious, this can then lead to an unhealthy connection with your bed - leading to a negative cycle of poor sleep.
So, instead, you can break this cycle. When you have your next hot flush, instead of jumping out of bed, having some water, getting some air, and trying to cool down, just sit with those feelings for a moment or two.
This can feel really hard because it’s so unpleasant and a panic attack can be a very physical thing. However, if you just step outside of yourself and start labelling the feelings, for example, ‘my heart’s racing’, ‘I’m too hot’ or ‘I feel really panicked’, then you’re then teaching your body that while this is unpleasant, it’s not life-threatening.
This will reduce the panic in the long term and make it easier to manage and get back to sleep.
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