Does Menopause Cause Sleep Problems?
Key Takeaways
- It is very common for those going through menopause to experience negative side effects like night sweats, hot flashes, and more, leading to trouble sleeping.
- Menopause causes several changes in the body and can adjust sleep patterns, sometimes resulting in sleep disorders like sleep apnea.
- Learn about the sleep problems menopause can cause in this blog article by The CPAP Shop.
Menopause brings many challenges to women as they age, including changes in sleep. Sleep disorders affect 39% to 47% of perimenopausal women and 35% to 60% of postmenopausal women.¹ While menopause is a normal stage in the aging process, you should address sleep issues to help maintain proper health with changes in life.
Why Does Menopause Cause Sleep Problems?
Hormones
During menopause, a woman’s ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone. This decline of levels in the primary female reproductive hormones can significantly impact sleep. It also causes negative side side effects, including hot flashes, night sweats, changes in mood, breathing, and sleep and more. These symptoms can cause difficulty falling or staying asleep at night and is due to to the disruption in the body's temperature regulation caused by lower estrogen levels.
Sleep Apnea
As perimenopause begins, the risk for sleep apnea increases, by as much as 4 percent each year.² Lower progesterone levels are considered a contributing factor to sleep apnea. Additionally, the older a person gets, the more likely they are to snore, which is a common symptom of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which a person repeatedly starts and stops breathing throughout the night. This leads to many negative side effects but can be treated using CPAP therapy. CPAP equipment uses pressurized air to keep a person's airway open at night, allowing them to breathe normally while asleep.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
RLS is a sleep disorder that causes an uncomfortable feeling in the legs and an urge to move them and is very common for those experiencing menopause. Erratic leg movements during sleep may also start to occur during menopause and may also be related to hormonal changes. These disruptive movements are uncomfortable and can keep you up at night, potentially leading to insomnia.
How are Menopause and Sleep Related?
Hot Flashes and Lack of Sleep
Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause. They can occur during sleep, which can be disruptive. Sudden rises in body temperature and heavy sweating can prevent normal sleep if the hot flashes occur nightly.
Insomnia
Insomnia also increases during menopause. Women may find it harder to fall asleep at bedtime or to stay asleep for a full night.
Bladder and Veginal Symptoms
Vaginal irritation and burning and frequent urination are also symptoms during menopause. These symptoms, if frequent enough, can prevent healthy sleep. Discomfort and constant trips to the bathroom can prevent someone from getting the rest they need.
Mood Swings
Menopause can dramatically affect mood. Women may feel depression, anxiety, irritability and even anger without any clear cause of their heightened emotional state. These feelings can carry over into bedtime and prevent healthy sleep.
Sleep-Disordered Breathing
Sleep-disordered breathing like sleep apnea or louder or more frequent snoring may begin in menopause. Reduced progesterone levels can affect the airway, increasing disruptive breathing during sleep.
Menopause Stages and Sleep
- Perimenopause: Perimenopause is the time leading up to actual menopause. During this time menstruation becomes irregular and erratic sleep patterns may begin. Women may experience insomnia or frequent wakening from sleep.
- Menopause: During menopause, women cease menstruation. With the decreased decline in hormonal production, sleep cycles can change and changes in mood may begin to affect normal sleep patterns. Hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause including sleep apnea may also interrupt sleep.
- Pose Menopause: After menopause, women may still experience difficulties with sleep. The National Institutes of Health indicates that sleep disturbances vary from 35% to 60% after menopause.³
Treatment for Sleep and Menopause
Some lifestyle changes can improve sleep.
Stick to a sleep schedule. Consistent sleep patterns help your body adjust to a regular sleep routine.
Avoid naps. You may be affecting your normal sleep pattern by getting sleep during the day. Frequent napping can lead to wakefulness and lessen the quality of sleep at night.
Avoid blue light devices. TVs, phones, and computers all emit blue light which can trick the brain into thinking it is daytime. Avoid these devices a few hours before bed to improve sleep.
Exercise. Exercise during the day can help relieve some of the emotional stresses of menopause and can also exhaust excess energy that can keep you up at night.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeinated beverages will overstimulate you before bedtime and alcohol disrupts normal sleep patterns. So, say no to a night cap.
Avoid big meals before bed. Late night snacks or big meals around bedtime may seem appealing, but can put your digestive system into overdrive, which can keep you up at night.
Learn More
If you have sleep apnea and looking to learn more about this sleep disorder or need assistance shopping for CPAP equipment, The CPAP Shop would be happy to help! Call our expert team at 866-414-9700 or email us at questions@thecpapshop.com today!
References
- Pacheco Danielle, December 2024. Sleep Foundation. Menopause and Sleep.
- Mirer, A. G., Young, T., Palta, M., Benca, R. M., Rasmuson, A., & Peppard, P. E. (2017). Sleep-disordered breathing and the menopausal transition among participants in the Sleep in Midlife Women Study. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 24(2), 157162.
- Jinju Lee, Youngsin Han, Hyun Hee Cho, and Mee-Ran Kim (2019) National Library of Medicine. Sleep Disorders and Menopause
