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| Photo by Eric. |
As a midlife woman, I can expect to have a little trouble sleeping. However, I don't want to resign myself to lack of sleep without trying to understand it better and address it.
And not all sleeping problems are due to age-related causes including menopause. People of both genders and all ages experience trouble sleeping from time to time.
So instead of just counting sheep, I'm going to read broadly about the topic and share my findings with others here on my blog.
At first glance, I have learned that there can be a variety of causes of insomnia. I could never list them all, but a quick sort tells me that the cause might stem from one or more of the following areas:
- Poor sleep environment
- Poor sleep schedule
- Eating Insomnia-inducing foods
- Not eating sleep-inducing foods
- Exercise problems
- Insomnia-inducing Medications
- Psychological Disruptions
- Emotional Disruptions
- Menopause / Perimenopause
- Acute Physical Problems
- Chronic Physical Problems
I will post information about a few of these causes. By the end of this series, I hope to have fewer sleepless nights.
Related:
Nice one - look forward to more. Speaking for myself (chronic but not severe hip problem) I've found it helps NOT to think of it as insomnia, which implies a lack, but rather as 'irregular sleep patterns'. It just is, and I can live with it by adjusting my routines - like, going to bed EARLY which is something I've not previously been good at.
ReplyDeleteOh, reframing / redefining is good! I should think about that instead of trying to force myself into the sleep habits of a 30 something year old.
DeleteIt's a big problem, so I look forward to your research. As for me, I read my book in bed before going to sleep ... and it works every time. Cannot keep my eyes open. However, I do sometimes have the problem of waking up at 3 or 4 a.m. and not being able to get back to sleep. And for whatever reason, reading doesn't work as well at 4 a.m. Doesn't seem fair!
ReplyDeleteTom: I find that if I wake up at 3 or 4, I should just relent and start my day. I'm a morning person anyway. Then I just try to go to bed an hour or two earlier the next night to catch up. I hope you are getting good sleep this week! Thanks for your comment.
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