How Does Your Menstrual Cycle Affect Sleep?

When you are going through your period, several changes happen to our hormones, bodies, mood, and even in our daily habits like eating and sleeping.

We all know that activities and daily occupations seem to be more exhausting when our period comes, but even so, sleeping tends to be more difficult. Today, we explain to you how your menstrual cycle affects sleeping and what to do about it.

Why Is It So Hard to Sleep When You're on Your Period?

During PMS and at the beginning of your menstrual cycle, a lot of hormones such as progesterone and cortisol experience drop. Since they’re the main characters in your brain to stay awake, your sleeping cycle can be quite affected. It’s very normal that women who suffer strong PMS report sleep deprivation or lack of rest while sleeping.

Also, your corporal temperature tends to rise up to one complete grade while on your periods. That’s why sometimes you feel a little bit like you have a fever. But, the temperature is an important alert for the body to know when to get sleepy and this alteration may end up giving you trouble sleeping.

Besides these hormonal changes, other reactions during your menstrual cycling also affect your sleep, such as mood swings – also generated by hormone changes – like depression or anxiety that don't directly affect your rest but create mental barriers that can lead to insomnia.

Physical effects such as stomach problems, nausea, headaches, and cramps are of course another reason why it’s so hard to sleep when you’re going through your period.

7 Tips for Getting Better Sleep During Your Menstrual Cycle

Tip #1: Trick your brain into thinking it’s in the right “sleeping” temperature by keeping your bedroom cool and taking a hot shower just before you go to bed; the contrast between your body and the room can help you sleep.

Tip #2: Practice mind self-control. When you know that your mood changes and other symptoms can make it harder to sleep, it’s easier to get ahead of them and go to bed; practicing some relaxing techniques such as meditation or yoga can be very helpful.

Tip #3: Avoid eating too much sugar, fat or heavy foods before sleeping so your stomach won’t suffer the consequences and consequently affect your sleep.

Tip #4: Use painkillers in moderation or medications that help regulate your hormones. Always consult your doctor first!

Tip #5: Make your bed as comfortable as possible by adding extra pillows or blankets.

Tip #6: With a warm towel or a heating pad, get some heat over your pelvic area to calm down cramps and get to the right temperature for sleeping.

Tip #7: Caffeine in certain moments can be a reliever, but make sure not to have any in the afternoons and evenings so it won’t affect your sleep.

Having your period is a hard battle to fight, and when you can’t sleep regularly it seems to be even harder. That’s why as women, we should know our bodies and naturally help it through, so lack of sleeping won’t make those days even worse.

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