10 Sleep Hacks for Perimenopausal Women with ADHD
10 Sleep Hacks for Perimenopausal Women with ADHD
Navigating Sleep Challenges During The Menopause Transition
An estimated 60-80% of perimenopausal women experience sleep disturbances. Add ADHD (and its well-known sleep issues) to the mix and you may want to ask yourself how any midlife woman with ADHD manages to sleep at all!
Considering the importance of sleep to our overall health and the fact that perimenopause can last anywhere from a few years to over a decade - midlife really is the time to make your sleep a top priority.
Let’s look at what happens to your sleep during midlife and find out what you can do to improve your sleep quality.
What happens to your sleep during the menopause transition
The hormonal changes of perimenopause can disrupt sleep in a number of ways and both our friends estrogen and progesterone play a part.
Estrogen helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. As levels of estrogen decline during perimenopause, you may experience early morning awakenings, difficulty falling asleep, and more fragmented sleep.
Progesterone promotes sleep by stimulating your brain to produce a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The more progesterone you have, the more GABA you’ll produce. One of the main roles of GABA is to lower brain activity — which helps reduce stress, balance your mood, and promote sleep. Basically, GABA helps you to wind down and relax. No wonder low progesterone levels can lead to insomnia and other sleep disturbances!
And if that wasn’t enough, other perimenopause symptoms can lead to further sleep problems:
Stress and anxiety: Perimenopause can be a stressful time of life for many women. You may be dealing with changes in your career, relationships, and family life.
Depression: Perimenopause is associated with an increased risk of depression. which can cause a number of sleep problems, including insomnia, hypersomnia, and early morning awakenings.
Hot flashes and night sweats: Waking up drenched in sweat and having to change into dry clothes is not exactly going to aid your sleep quality.
The Double Whammy: Sleep in Perimenopausal Women with ADHD
Even without perimenopause, people with ADHD often have difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep. ADHD is linked to several sleep disorders including insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea and delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS).
Once we enter midlife, hormonal changes may not only disrupt our sleep as outlined above, but they may also worsen our ADHD symptoms. For example, low estrogen levels have been linked to increased hyperactivity and impulsivity. This can make it even more difficult for women with ADHD to fall asleep and stay asleep during perimenopause.
It really is a double whammy, so if you weren’t sleeping well to start with, entering perimenopause is certainly not going to help!
You’ll be glad to read that that’s the bad news out of the way. The stats may be scary but the truth is we’re not helpless. Midlife may have changed how you sleep but there are plenty of things you can do to improve your sleep quality.
10 Sleep Hacks for Midlife Women with ADHD
Establish a Regular Sleep Schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This can help regulate your body’s internal clock and improve sleep quality.
Create a Restful Environment: Make your bedroom a calm, cool, quiet, and dark space. Consider using earplugs, an eye mask, or a white noise machine if needed. If, like me, you find white noise stressful, check out brown, green or pink noise.
Limit Screen Time Before Bed: The light emitted by phones, tablets, computers, and TVs can interfere with your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Dim any bright lights in your home and turn off devices at least an hour before bedtime. And whilst you’re at it, why not switch off your Wifi at 9pm?
Get some morning daylight: A good sleep routine starts first thing in the morning. Go outside and get direct daylight into your eyes early on in the day, every day. This, alongside limiting bright lights at night can really be a game changer.
Exercise Regularly - But Not Too Late: Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep. However, try not to exercise close to bedtime as it might interfere with your sleep.
Mindful Meditation: Practices like yoga or mindfulness meditation can help calm the mind and prepare the body for sleep. Traditional meditation is very tricky for me as my body doesn’t like to be still. I prefer somatic exercises, they work much better for calming my body and mind.
Avoid Stimulants and Alcohol: Try to avoid caffeine and nicotine, especially in the hours leading up to bedtime as they can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, stop drinking it at noon. Alcohol messes up your REM sleep so if you’re struggling with sleep, try to avoid it.
Don’t Eat Late At Night: A light snack before bed can help prevent hunger from waking you up at night. However, avoid heavy meals and spicy foods that might cause indigestion.
Manage ADHD Symptoms: If you’re taking medication for ADHD, make sure it’s not interfering with your sleep. Talk to your doctor about adjusting the timing or dosage if needed.
Try some breath work: Ensure you’re breathing through your nose (consider mouth taping if you’re struggling) and add some breathing exercises to help activate your parasympathetic nervous system. My two favourite exercises are Square Breathing (sometimes also called Box Breathing) and 4, 7, 8 breathing.
If despite your best efforts, you’re still struggling with sleep, don’t hesitate to seek help from a healthcare provider or a sleep specialist. HRT can also greatly decrease sleep issues.
Good sleep hygiene can make a big difference in your energy levels, productivity, emotional balance, and overall health. But try not to get worried or stressed about sleep - it will only make things worse. Control the controllable and start improving your sleep hygiene by choosing one or two things from the list. Reflect on what works for you and what doesn’t. The last thing you want is to end up with a stressful 2-hour sleep routine!
What works for you? Any sleep hacks you want to share?