Part 4: What can be done to optimize health before menopause? (Yes, we can talk about this)

You can be strong and healthy when you get there.

Today we focus on the fourth of four key areas to focus on in the years before menopause, and beyond.

Develop good sleep habits

Invest in your sleep to protect your brain and body - develop the habits before hormones decline and it becomes that much more important

WHY?

• Growth, health, restoration, and recovery happen during sleep

• During sleep, the glymphatic system in the brain clears metabolic waste that builds up during wakefulness - without sleep, this waste does not get cleared (do you want your brain in the dump?)

• During sleep, the brain reorganizes and recharges itself - neural connections are made and pruned as indicated by your life experience

• Sleep deprivation makes small problems or challenges seem bigger, impairs perspective, limits creativity, and decreases productivity

HOW?

• Sleep in a cool (65 degrees), dark space that is ideally dedicated for this purpose and not used for work

  • Crack a window open or use a fan at night to cool the space

• Pay attention to light exposure - turn off screens and dim the lights at least 1 hour before sleep 

  • This cues the pineal gland, via ocular (eye) light exposure, to release melatonin, which signals to the body that it is time to go into rest mode 

  • Using screens and bright lights close to bedtime disrupts this signaling and impairs the light-dark cycle that is one part of sleep regulation

  • On the flip side, get natural light in the eyes soon after waking - this has a major impact on regulating the sleep/wake cycle

• Help your body transition - shift the nervous system from sympathetic (fight or flight) to parasympathetic (rest and digest) dominance with calming activities

• Try sauna, warm bath, yoga, massage, meditation, breathwork, reading (use blue light blockers at night if screen is only reading option, but better to completely avoid screens and bright lights, as above)

  • For the body/mind to go into rest mode and be most receptive to sleep, it needs to feel safe and at ease.  Preparing for sleep with calming activities supports the necessary transition away from an action-based time to a restoration-based time.

  • Paying attention to this transition and addressing concerns, fears, or ruminations earlier in the day can support the body/mind in feeling safe and at ease around bedtime (yes, adults need this too!)

• Finish eating 3 hours before sleep - let your body go fully into rest mode with a true resting heart rate and lowered core body temperature 

  • If digestion is still in process, heart rate and body temperature stay elevated to complete that task, waking is more likely and longer duration of sleep is needed to feel rested

  • If digestion is winding down, the body can more efficiently enter into deep sleep in the first half of the night, and maximize the benefits of sleep

  • Eating close to bedtime can also cause other sleep disruptors such as heartburn and reflux

• Get movement/exercise during the day (at least 3 hours before sleep) -  promotes more restful deep sleep

  • Movement and exercise releases excess energy and physical tension that builds up in the body during the day

  • Movement and exercise triggers release of endorphins, the body’s own “feel good” chemicals

  • Movement and exercise helps to clear the mind

• Assess whether caffeine could be disrupting your sleep - people metabolize at different rates 

  • Some will need to stop caffeine before noon to clear it before sleep

“If we all slept enough, our healthcare burden would plummet, we’d have better mental health, businesses would be more productive, and our children would be smarter. Sleep is the best health insurance policy you could ever wish for.” – Matthew Walker, Neuroscientist and Sleep Expert