CommunityBrowse groupsBlogEtiquetteInvite Your friendsSuccess Stories

Lounge
Community 


Period question - sleep-related

Do you have trouble sleeping when your period is coming or when you're on your period? Do you know why this happens and what do you do to try and get over it?
Please help, I can't sleep...


Wed. Aug 23, 1:35am

Add comment  
Off the top of my head, I know that one's body temperature rises a degree or two when Aunt Flo comes to visit. It makes a lot of people feel colder than usual (sort of like a fever can make you feel chilled) and feeling cold can make it hard to sleep.

Personally, my cramps always wake me up. But I'm guessing that's not what you're asking about.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 7:10 AM

Add comment
How timely! My period's coming in a few days and I've had trouble sleeping- but it's the first time I've noticed. I think I normally take a soaking bath right before bed around that time, and I usually sleep like a baby. Try bath salts with chamomile, and some sleepytime tea with honey. Both of them are really comforting.
Good luck to both of us tonight! :)

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 8:23 AM

Add comment
I get this problem with sleeping too.
I just take a very hot shower, use nice rlaxing lotion ( Warm vanilla ) and go to bed with the A/C on.
good sleeping!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 10:30 AM

Add comment
I absolutely find it harder to sleep right before my period. I don't know what the cause is, although I'm sure you could find it in a search. I also (not to be gross) find my bowels a bit looser right before my period(tipped uterus), and of course all the other unpleasant symptoms like snappiness. None of this was a problem when I was younger and on the pill or pregnant for so many years. Now that I'm 39 I feel like a teenager again when PAT comes to town. (my daugher calls it Pat, code for Pads and Tampons!)

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 10:32 AM

Add comment
A restful night sleep is hard for me when the flow is coming to town. It's from the spike in estrogen. I also find it hard to sleep because my lower back hurts, like clockwork, it aches in the middle of the night and finding a comfortable position is impossible. What's worse is my mom tells me that menopause is like this all the time. Ughhhh!
Isn’t being a woman fun?


Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 10:45 AM

Add comment
i think the sleep problems have something to do with survival instincts kicking in-you know, ultra-sensitive to your enviroment, extra awareness of noises and potential dangers...just a hypothesis. as to relieving these symptoms, i usually place a pillow under the small of my back and listen to some ocean sounds until i fall asleep. and i also experience a lot of intestinal "release" during the week prior to the onset of hell...

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 11:14 AM

Add comment
OP here...

...I just find that I have a lot of energy and too much on my mind. I wish that I could just turn my brain off! I feel like I have enough energy that I could get up and run or do something physical but then the thought of actually doing it usually turns me off the idea and I just lay there with my thoughts racing.
Anyone experience that?!?

Thanks for all the tips and assistance so far though!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 5:05 PM

Add comment
OMG OP

I feel the same same way! Like, I'm tired, but I also feel like I need to run around the block a bunch of times! -sigh-

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 9:51 PM

Add comment
Tylenol PM works wonders for me!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006, 10:27 PM

Add comment
I'm 45 and I've noticed an increase in difficulty sleeping just before my period, in addition to the other PMS symptoms. Interesting to hear it is a spike in estrogen, I figured some harmone was at work. Can anyone else confirm that that's what it is? Warm bath just doesn't do the trick for me. I've also noticed increased insomnia around the full moon. No, it's not the light, the room is blacked out. For a really bad time, combine full moon with PMS! Enough to make me howl!

Thursday, August 24, 2006, 4:59 AM

Add comment
I read that before modern electricity, most women cycled with the moon, so maybe your howling isn't all that off-base! :)

Thursday, August 24, 2006, 8:52 AM

Add comment
Your estrogen level actually drops significantly immediately before your period (it spikes before you ovulate and then drops off from there) - I don't know if that's related to the sleeplessness, but it could certainly be related to feeling too cold or too hot (I generally get really hot around 3 am and wake up sweaty.



Friday, August 25, 2006, 10:34 AM

Add comment
I was flicking through the new Shape Magazine the other day and I'm sure I saw an article that said women sleep longer (or need more sleep?) during their period... Does anyone have the magazine, and care to clarify???

Friday, August 25, 2006, 12:24 PM

Add comment
yup

I need (and tend to get) more sleep DURING my period, but just before, I get restless and get less sleep. I also tend to "nest" before my period- I clean (or at least, want to clean!) my house thoroughly and generally like doing homey things.

Friday, August 25, 2006, 7:34 PM

Add comment
I ditto the nesting syndrome. Things always seem to get really clean right around my period! =) And my mom does the same thing!!

Sunday, August 27, 2006, 12:52 AM

Add comment








Related Content:

How To Lose Weight- The Basics
Weight Watchers Points System
The Fat Smash Diet
The Eat To Live Diet
The Beck Diet Solution
How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight

 

How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer

How To Burn Fat
Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works
Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight?
Tips On Using PEERtrainer
Visit The PEERtrainer Community
Diet and Fitness Resources

Fitness

Weight Watchers Meetings
Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are
Writing Down Your Daily Workouts
Spending Money On A Personal Trainer?
How I Became A Marathon Runner

 

Preventive Health

How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout
Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot?
Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer?
Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy
Reversing Disease Through Nutrition

New Diet and Fitness Articles:

Weight Watchers Points Plus
How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise
New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program
New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive
Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program
 

Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne:

Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough
How To Delay Short Term Gratification
How To Stay Motivated
How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule

Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions

Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight?
Are Protein Drinks Safe?
Nutrition As Medicine?
 

Everyday Weight Loss Tips

How To Eat Healthy At A Party
How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight
The Three Bite Rule
Tips On How To Stop A Binge