We don’t have to tell you why sleep is important, but we can tell you that you’re not the only one losing sleep during that time of the month. The National Sleep Foundation found that 23% of women report disrupted sleep in the week before their periods and a full 30% report disrupted sleep during periods. Why? It’s not just the worry that their pads will slip mid-sleep and leak all over the sheets; it turns out there are several reasons and sleep health benefits for women looking to heal the sometimes stressful symptoms of menstruation!
1. Sleep is a natural mood elevator.
And I’m sure many of you can attest to the mood swings associated with PMS! Forget alcohol and anti-depressants; they can sometimes actually make the symptoms worse! One of the best things you can do for your body and mind is to sleep at least seven hours a night. Some research has found that women who sleep more than 8 hours a night are less prone to feeling anxious, depressed, agitated and angry throughout the day. Sleep also reduces overall stress levels, increases energy to take on whatever tasks come your way, and increases creativity. If your job requires you to get up early, sleep early too! Avoid caffeine and sugar after 5 PM, make sure your room is dark (or buy yourself a sleep mask), and consider keeping aromatherappy lavender oils near the bed to induce deeper relaxation at night.
2. PMS and periods can cause insomnia.
In the first phase, before ovulation, your level of estrogen is at its highest . After ovulation the level of estrogen falls, causing a slight rise in body temperature of about 1°F. For some women, this increase in body temperature can make getting to sleep in the second half of their cycle more difficult. Ways to counteract this naturally are to lower the temperature in the room before sleeping, using less covers, and having a glass of ice water by the bed to drink throughout the night.
During your period your body’s levels of progesterone drop dramatically, which can make it hard to sleep because progesterone is a “soporific” hormone, meaning it has a sedative effect. Higher than average progesterone levels are also why you may feel sleepy the week before your period, during PMS. Ways to counteract this are making sure to work out, to tire out muscles and relieve potential cramps, drink lots of water, and consider taking a small dose of melatonin at night to stabilize your body’s natural sleep pattern. If you still feel like a zombie every morning, it might be a good idea to get tested for anemia (your body’s ability to absorb iron), which can contribute greatly to lethargy.
3. Your cycle can also cause anxiety and depression.
Because of altering levels of various hormones throughout the month, women are more prone to anxiety, stress, and depression during PMS and their actual periods. Not only are we more prone to these negative feelings, but research indicates these feelings are felt more strongly than normal as well. Because of this, some women have trouble falling and staying asleep. Doctors recommend going to bed 20-40 minutes earlier to counteract this effect, staying off your cell-phone so that that light doesn’t affect your body’s circadian rhythms, and practicing meditation or deep-breathing before sleep.
4. Beauty Sleep IS a real thing.
After a poor night of sleep, your body releases cortisol the next morning, AKA the stress hormone. Extra cortisol in the body causes it to crave extra calories to make up for the lack in energy, leading to weight gain over time in people with sleeping disorders. It also leads to a breakdown of collagen in the skin and decreased blood flow leading to wrinkles and decreased elasticity, and puffy, dark circles under your eyes. So, take note – sleep is one of the best natural safeguards against the visible side-effects of aging!
5. We Multi Task like BOSSES.
Some researchers have argued that women need more sleep than men, at least 20 extra minutes, because of the greater comparative levels of brain activity during the day. Women tend to multi-task more than men which requires additional cognitive functioning. “Women’s brains are wired differently from men’s and are more complex, so their sleep need will be slightly greater,” writes Professor Jim Horne. Because we run sh*t all day long, our brains need a bit more R&R at night.
With the labor day holiday coming up this week, we couldn’t think of a more perfect time to start implementing these sleep health benefits boosting techniques and tips. So don’t feel guilty about hitting the snooze button, especially for those of you who are off from work this weekend. You also won’t have to lose any sleep over the possibility of waking up to period blood-stained sheets, when you use Maxim extra heavy natural cotton menstrual pads. Give your hormones and health some rest this holiday weekend! Your ovaries will thank you for it!
Happy Labor Day! With a nod to #healthymenstruation and our year end campaign to take #femininetothemax!
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References:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cant-sleep-period_us_56d6f6f7e4b0bf0dab33f416