It’s normal to have occasional sleep disruptions, but when the sleep troubles last, you can experience serious problems.

Sleep deprivation can mess with our lives in several ways:

• It causes accidents, both in driving and on the job. It can impair with our judgment and our concentration.
• Learning and thinking become more difficult, partly because you’re more tired and partly because your brain makes important cognitive connections while you sleep.
• New research suggests that getting too little sleep can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular disease that can result in early death. Lack of sleep can be seen as a lifestyle risk similar to smoking, alcohol, and lack of exercise.
• It can affect your sex drive, lowering your libido and interest in intimacy.
• It can contribute to symptoms of depression.
  Your skin doesn’t have a chance to regenerate, leading to puffy eyes, fine lines, and dull skin.

Chronic lack of sleep is unhealthy and can be dangerous. Sleep deprivation can contribute to the likelihood of being in auto accidents and other mishaps. And, it certainly compromises your feeling of well-being and jeopardizes your overall quality of life. It is a medical fact that insomnia is caused by an underlying condition. Your doctor can work with you to uncover that condition and treat it with the appropriate therapy. If the underlying condition is successfully treated, the insomnia will go away.

If you are starting to rely on over-the-counter medication or if your lack of sleep is affecting your daily life, it is time to see your doctor so you can be helped. After all, you deserve to be the best “you” that you can be, and getting sufficient sleep is part of the formula.
 

Menopause doesn't "let up" just because you've gone to bed. In fact, hot flashes, the most common menopause-related symptom, can occur even in your sleep. Hot flashes that occur at night, and may be strong enough to wake you up, are called night sweats. If you're experiencing moderate to severe night sweats, it's important to talk to your doctor about all the ways you can manage them, including estrogen therapy.

A hot flash is a sudden wave of heat that's sometimes followed by a red, flushed face and sweating. Up to 90% of American women experience hot flashes following surgery-induced menopause. A night sweat is simply a hot flash that occurs at night. Night sweats are often accompanied by heavy perspiration that can soak your clothes and bedding. Do you think you might be experiencing night sweats?

Luckily, there are options available that may reduce your night sweats. Estrogen therapy is proven to be the most effective treatment for hot flashes and night sweats.

In addition to using hormone replacement therapy try the following tips to help manage night sweats:

Always talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program or making changes to your diet.

Lying in bed for hours, watching the minutes and hours pass by, worrying about what time you have to get up in the morning, and then dragging through the next day—sound familiar? Or, are you struggling with sleep while recovering from your hysterectomy? If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, maybe some of these tips can help.

Have good daily habits. There are several things you can do to enhance your chances of good sleep, ranging from your daily activities to your sleeping area itself.

• Ensure adequate exposure to natural light during the day.
• Exercise in the morning or late afternoon can promote good sleep.
• Limit naps.
• Turn your alarm clock around so it is not facing you; do not look at the clock during the night, as this can cause more stress and anxiety about your sleep.
• Associate your bed with sleep. It’s not a good idea to use your bed to watch TV, listen to music, or read.
• Make sure your sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing. The bed should be comfortable, with the room neither too hot nor too cold.
• Establish set times for waking and sleeping, getting up and going to bed at the same times every day (yes, even on the weekends).

Set the stage As you start to wind down your day, your activities make a difference as well. Having a nice relaxing dinner with a glass of wine, followed by some time on the computer, may sound like a perfect evening—but it might be adding to your sleep problems.

• Control the stimuli in your bedroom, avoiding bright lights and loud noises.
• Stay away from large meals close to bedtime.
• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol 4 hours before bedtime.
• Avoid using electronic devices one hour before bed.
• Check with your doctor before taking over-the-counter medications like Tylenol PM, Sominex, or herbal products. Just because products are sold without a prescription doesn’t mean that they are safe and appropriate for everyone to use in all situations.

Help, I’ve fallen asleep and woken back up! What if you wake up during the night and can’t fall back asleep?

• Keep a notepad and pencil by your bed to write down any thoughts that may wake you up at night so you can put them to rest.
• Get out of bed. Go back to bed only when you feel sleepy again.
• Stay off the computer.

The Post-op Princess and the Pea Having difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep, is common among hysterectomy patients, particularly during the early post-op weeks. The trauma of surgery combined with the residual effect of anesthesia and pain medications compounded by hormonal disruption (even if you retained your ovaries) can throw your body completely “out of whack.” Even if you have never been plagued by sleep problems before, after you return home from the hospital you may find yourself lying in bed wide awake for most of the night.

For most women, this problem gradually goes away as they continue to heal and recover from the surgery. However, for temporary aid, many  HysterSisters have found these remedies effective in promoting a good night’s sleep:

• Drink a cup of Ovaltine at bedtime, a mug of hot milk, or “Sleepytime” or other herbal or de-caf tea.
• Have a few slices of turkey on crackers as a bedtime snack.
• If your doctor has cleared you to take baths, take a warm bath (whirlpool if you have one) before bed.
• Light a scented candle and play some soothing music to enhance the soothing atmosphere.
• Try relaxation exercises or listen to relaxing music.
• Take extra steps to make your sore and hurting body more comfortable in bed, such as using extra pillows.

If you start taking HRT after your hysterectomy, the hormones “should” help alleviate your insomnia. However, bear in mind that it may take up to three months for HRT to reach its full effectiveness. With or without HRT, if your insomnia persists, it is important that you see your doctor about this issue.

Whether your insomnia is long-term or is part of your hysterectomy recovery, you deserve to be well-rested. If your sleep problems interfere with your daily life, be sure to speak with your doctor.
 

We asked our members and our Facebook fans what helps them get a good night's sleep. Here are their suggestions.

1. I have found that taking a double dose of calcium magnesium with Vitamin D helps me feel calm and sleep well naturally.–SM
2. Meditation works.—LI
3. Body pillow works if feeling uncomfortable is the issue.—BS
4. I start with my warmed milk.—TL
5. I used a light therapy lamp. ME
6. I try visualization - going to my happy place. I have a "relax" playlist on my IPod, deep breathing - in for 3, hold for 3, and exhale for 3, body relax - focus on feeling your toes relax into the bed, then your ankles, how soft the bed feels as you sink into it, how your legs are heavy as they sink into the bed - you get the idea working your way up or down your body - I get about 1/2 way—S
7. If possible when your body is telling you to sleep... you know in the evening when you have to push through to stay awake... go to bed.—MS
8. I have a small CD player beside my bed. I put on a relaxing CD and turn the volume way down so I can hear it, but it's not loud enough to keep me awake. I find an instrumental is better than something with lyrics. —C
9. My tip is no caffeine in the evening. Occasionally my dh will want to stop at Starbucks on a Saturday evening. If I get a coffee I just cannot stay asleep. It used to not effect me so much, but it sure does now. I don't like decaf, so I just no thanks if he wants to stop in the evening.—KM
10. I've also tried things like Ovaltine and there are some teas that have herbs in them that support sleep.—TL
     

What do you do to help yourself fall asleep? What do you do if you wake up and can't get back to sleep?

Join the Discussion

More Discussions to join about sleep:

No Ovaries - Don't Want to Take Estradiol

Post op sleep issues

insomnia

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