Hot Flasher

Posted by Liz on Nov 28, 2008 in hot flash, sleep disturbance | 0 comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAPFCKiB6g]

[Disclosure 1: just substitute the words “hot flasher!”  Disclosure 2: This song has been on my mind lately so needed to find a way to work it into the blog – thanks for indulging me!]

A new study published in the online edition of Menopause Journal has shown that hot flashes influence sleep in a stepwise or graduated fashion.

In this study, researchers analyzed data from 217 postmenopausal women between the ages of 40 and 60 years; information about hot flash frequency and severity was recorded in a daily diary, and sleep-wake patterns measured over an average of seven 24-hour periods in a subset of 112 women.

The results showed an association between moderate to severe insomnia frequency and severity of hot flashes and:

• Greater nighttime wakefulness
• A higher number of long wake episodes

So what can you do?

I’ve posted previously about the wonders of yoga to both sleep disturbance and flashes. Acupuncture might also help. And of course, that old black magic…cohosh.

Short of that…well, nothing like a little Pat Benatar…