Can Menopause be Causing My Insomnia?

I always prided myself on being able to sleep like a baby. I slept through dogs barking, cars honking even slept through a hurricane once. When I was tired I simply lay down and instantly went to sleep. No problems.

Then things changed. I found myself tossing and turning unable to get a full nights sleep. I roamed the house at 2 AM looking for something to help. I watched boring shows on TV that were sure to put me out. Could menopause be causing my insomnia I wondered?

Although I was only in the peri-menopause state a lot of changes seemed to be happening in my body. I found myself waking up with anxiety and having insomnia almost every night. I spoke with my doctor and found out that menopause could be causing my insomnia and my anxiety.

I felt embarrassed and ashamed. After all I had been teaching life balance to my clients for years. How could this be happening to me?

A series of changes; a move, selling my business and starting a new one, major surgery for my mom all cumulating at the same time my body began internal changes of it's own was enough to create these unwanted side effects.. I was pushing against the tide trying to get everything done and everybody taken care of, running full speed ahead to get my new business going.
As long as I wasn't getting a good night sleep it didn't matter how hard I pushed. Here is what I learned.
Life is going to change. Your body will change, your business will change, your environment will change. When you resist change it's like pushing this huge snowball uphill. The more you push, the bigger it gets and the more you struggle.

Embrace change.

Listen to your body and respond accordingly. If you find that you need to exercise more or less or maybe just in a different way, then do it. If you find that you need more wind down time in the evening, give yourself that time.

Eat differently

I discovered that as I went through menopause I could no longer tolerate certain foods and beverages. Alcohol of any type was sure to give me hot flashes, waking me in the middle of the night drenched in a cold sweat and burning up at the same time. Menopause was indeed causing insomnia. If I paid attention and avoided these offending foods and beverages I would be allowed to sleep much better each night.

Practice Relaxation and Meditation

I have always done this but I found that now I needed to make sure relaxation and meditation was part of my daily ritual. As much a part as brushing my teeth or combing my hair. Listening to guided meditation audios helped to relax me even when my anxiety levels were high. Though menopause was causing my insomnia I found that I had a lot of control over the situation.