Posts Tagged "Sleep"

Keep it cool: Sheex

Posted by Liz on Jan 22, 2010 in apparel, hot flash, nightsweats | 2 comments

[Image: sheex.com]

I am a huge fan of innovative solutions to keeping cool. Which is why I am a huge fan of Sheex.  Disclosure: the company did not contact me to write about them nor have I tried the sheets. However, I have written previously about alternate use of fabrics that were originally developed for athletes to promote a cooler, more comfortable sleep for flashers and sweaters.

According to the website, the technology breathes twice as well as more traditional bedding and transfers body heat twice as effectively as cotton does. It also claims to have three times the drying power of cotton. I also like the fact they’ve taken the time to develop sheets for travel, so that you can keep comfortable wherever you are. What’s more, the company is owned by two women who were former basketball coaches, so clearly they understand women’s needs.

Granted, the sheet sets are expensive. But can you really place a price on comfort and a good night’s sleep? I’d rather spend a bit more money and a bit less time changing sheets or clothing because I’m drenched.

Hat’s off Sheex! Thanks for thinking of us! And let us all “sleep fit” and not fitfully.

Sleep and menopause: four’s a charm

Posted by Liz on Dec 28, 2009 in sleep disturbance | 0 comments

Daytime sleepiness? Researchers say that being in menopause, hot flashes, lack of physical activity and your partner might be the culprits. No surprises, right?

In a study appearing in the advanced online edition of the  journal Maturitas, 149 women  between the ages of 40 and 59 rated the frequency and intensity of their hot flashes and were evaluated for daytime sleepiness.At least half had hot flashes, of which about 43% were rated as very severe.

Not only did hot flashes increase the risk for daytime sleepiness by 2.6 fold, but, being postmenopausal increased it by as much as 6.5-fold. Being sedentary was associated with 3.4 times the risk for daytime sleepiness. What’s more having a partner that was not faithful was associated with an increase in risk by as much as 53%.

The good news is that most of these factors, save for being menopausal, can be modified or at least addressed to improve nighttime sleep and by default, decrease feelings of sleepiness during the daytime. If you feel unusually sleepy most of the time, it’s a great idea to speak to a healthcare practitioner who is helping you to manage your symptoms. There may be some important and effective steps you can take.

The domino effect

Posted by Liz on Oct 26, 2009 in emotions, hot flash, menopause, nightsweats, sleep disturbance | 2 comments

I’ve never heard of the term ‘Domino Effect’ being applied to menopause, although, if one thinks about it, it makes perfect sense. For example, hot flashes beget sleep disruptions beget mood swings, and so on and and so on.

But do they?

In a study published in Menopause Journal ahead-of-print,  55 women were asked to keep daily records of their symptoms for up to five years or until they fully entered menopause. whichever came first. The researchers then evaluated whether or not changes in hot flashes or night sweats would predict a change in sleep the very same day, and if these changes then predicted changes in moods the next day. They also factored in whether or not women were initially depressed to insure that any results they found would not be unduly influenced.

They found that daily hot flashes or night sweats accurately predicted same day sleep problems and disruptions, which in turn, worsened moods the next day. However, the researchers were unable to connect hot flashes and night sweats directly to shifts in mood without this interim step except for in women who were already mildly depressed.

Are you confused yet?

What this really shows is that while night flashes and hot sweats may affect overall mood swings during menopause, the reason is unlikely to be attributed directly to sleep disruption but rather to some other mechanism. In the long run, this may allow lead to better interventions that individually address these factors so that the sum of the parts becomes a more positive sense of well-being regardless of any physical disruptions.

Every action has a chain reaction. Hopefully, this finding will lead to something positive for us all.

Got sleep?

Posted by Liz on Oct 9, 2009 in sleep disturbance | 0 comments

How many nights do you lie awake, staring at the clock and just hoping for a wee bit of shut-eye?

If you are like many women in peri- or post-menopause, the answer is probably “a lot.” However, data presented at last month’s North American Menopause Society Annual meeting show that sleep problems do not change uniformly across menopause, which is why addressing them effectively can be difficult for some women.

Researchers examined the sleep patterns and symptoms of 286 women who participated in the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study. All participants completed daily menstrual calendars, which were used to track their experiences across the menopausal transition and rate the severity of all symptoms. For five years, they also provided the researchers with first-morning urine samples so that estrogen, fallopian stimulating hormone, and stress hormones could be measured.

The result? Depending on your sleep pattern, the relationship to certain factors changed. For example, nighttime awakening was mostly associated with age, being late in the menopausal transition (before moving into full-blown menopause), early menopause, hot flashe, depressed mood, joint pain and stress. Early morning awakening was associated with age, hot flashes, depressed mood, anxiety, joint pain, stress, and lower estrogen/higher FSH levels. On the otherhand, difficulty falling asleep was associated with menopausal symptoms in general, stress, and lower stress hormone levels.

However, regardless of whether women were having trouble falling asleep, awoke several times during the night or awoke in the early morning hours, sleep disruption was consistently associated with hot flashes, depression and stress.

In light of these findings, the researchers concluded that interventions to improve sleep might be more effective if they were targeted and focused, for example, towards night-time awakening and hot flashes, or difficulty falling asleep and depression, rather than clustered under the category of “sleep disruption” without examining exacerbating factors.

Of course, the greater implication here is that sleep-associated disorders during the menopause do not fall under the “one size fits all” approach and are better treated with individualized therapy. This is not to say, however, that certain interventions, like yoga or acupuncture can’t help address the cluster of sleep issues, hot flashes and stress, etc. Still, it’s best to consult with your practitioner before embarking on your own approach to solving the sleep woes. Personally, I find that I will be awake for hours in the nights preceding my menstrual period, regardless of the use of herbs, exercise or meditation. It just “is.” Yet, I’m glad to know there might be a better approach to addressing my specific woes.

What about you? What are you doing to get sleep?

Sleep matters

Posted by Liz on May 1, 2009 in sleep disturbance | 0 comments

There’s no question that sleep during the menopausal transition can be difficult. Indeed, two studies published last year in the July 1 issue of the Sleep journal confirm that sleep complaints (e.g., difficulty falling and staying asleep) are related to declining and fluctuating hormone levels and symptoms such as hot flashes. What’s more, they tend to increase through the menopause transition.

I written previous posts outlining certain positive steps you can take to combat sleep disruption, including herbs, yoga, acupuncture and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Much to my chagrin, however, I’ve realized that I’ve ignored one of the most obvious – your pillow. Mind you, your pillow is not going to address estrogen decline, hot flashes or night sweats. But if you have a lousy pillow, well, you’re already facing a losing battle.

So, where am I going with this, you ask?

I was recently asked to review* two Tempur-Pedic® pillows:

• The Neck Pillow by Tempur-Pedic®
• The Comfort Pillow by Tempur-Pedic®

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Tempur® is a material that was originally used by NASA scientists to relieve the G-force of space travel.  The Swedes then stepped in and perfected the material for sleep purposes, utilizing what they characterize as a “variable balance of pressure relieving and therapeutic support” layers. The material has also been engineered to respond to small changes in body temperature so that it conforms to the body.

Personally, I’ve never been attracted to the Tempur-Pedic® mattresses but I know many friends who swear by them. The pillows? That’s another story.

As someone who has experienced back issues her entire life, and neck and shoulder issues as a result of spending hours a day in front of the computer, well, a good pillow makes a huge difference in my life. In fact, I’ve never hesitated to invest in a good mattress, decent sheets and a nice pillow.

So what do I think about the Tempur-Pedic® pillows?

The Neck Pillow is a great pillow. It does everything that the Tempur® material claims it will do, from contouring to your neck and shoulders, to relieving pressure and allowing your spine to stay in proper alignment.

I tried the company’s  standard size but I also own a small travel size that I bring with me whenever I’m away from home. Frankly, I never leave home without it.

What’s more, compared to other memory foam pillows that I’ve used (and I’ve used plenty), it maintains its integrity and continues to outlast the competition. While it certainly did not prevent me from awakening during my 4 am witching hour,  I truly believe that since I’ve been using the pillow, I’ve had less trouble falling back asleep, mainly because I’ve been comfortable. In so far as temperature goes, I remain unconvinced that the pillow is cooler than other pillows for purposes of night sweats, per se. The material is not wicking so it’s not been constructed to repel moisture. Yet, the few nights that I had the sweats, I did not notice that the pillow retained any odor or remained damp. I love this pillow. Period.

I don’t feel as positive about the Comfort Pillow. I don’t know whether or not it’s just me but I find the Comfort Pillow to be anything but comfortable. In fact, despite several attempts to sleep on it, I tossed and turned and finally moved onto the neck pillow. So, what problems did I have?

I did not find that the Comfort Pillow molds to the head as easily as the Neck Pillow does. In fact, it barely contours as all (wouldn’t this seem to be impossible since it is constructed of the same Tempur® material as the other pillow)? It’s too heavy and cumbersome. And while it looks great and is obviously well-constructed, it is not for me. Ironically, I asked my partner, who is a tall and well-built, to try the pillow out and he felt the same. So, it’s not a size thing. Yet, he knows people who love the Comfort Pillow as much as I love the Neck Pillow. Go figure!

My main take-away is that good sleep hygiene matters. If you don’t like the pillow (or sheets for that matter)  that you’re sleeping on, your sleep is going to be lousy regardless of the degree of havoc that hormones are wreaking on your body.  Along with the other positive steps you can take, I believe that a good pillow is worth the investment.

What do you think? When it comes to sleep, what matters?

*Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this review. However, I agreed to try out the pillows because I feel that the topic is relevant. I’d love to hear your thoughts.