Whether it’s difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep, or constant waking through the night, patterns of reduced sleep can leave women struggling at home and work.

Menopause-specific factors like vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats), decreasing oestrogen, as well as more general factors like stress and poor sleep hygiene, each contribute to the poor sleep women experience going through menopause. Among these factors, there is no doubt that hot flashes should be considered among the key contributors to poor sleep.

Sleep disruption is one of the most troubling and often overlooked symptoms of menopause.

Symptoms of sleep disorders that menopausal women complain about include falling asleep, frequent awakening and/or early morning awakening. Sleep disturbances such as insomnia are extremely common, especially in women after menopause. A study carried out by Massimiliano de Zambotti,  a sleep expert, and principal scientist for SRI International. showed that having insomnia in menopause translates to greater than 40 minutes of less sleep a night on average, with almost 50% of the menopause insomnia sample studied having less than six hours of sleep per night. 

When you're not well-rested, it can be even harder to deal with the other symptoms of menopause, like mood swings and brain fog. 

What causes hot flushes and night sweats:

• Perimenopause and menopause
• Anxiety
• Medicines 
• Low blood sugar
• Alcohol or drug use
• Hyperhidrosis

If you are experiencing this problem and you’re unclear what the cause is, it’s always best to seek medical advice.

If you are struggling to get a better night’s sleep, know that you are not alone.

We've got some tips to help you get the rest you deserve:

• Limit caffeine and alcohol, especially late in the day
• Establish a regular bedtime
• Develop nighttime rituals- a bath, herbal tea, a bit of reading
• Banish the blue light! (which might mean leaving your cell phone far away from the bed room)
• Sleep in clothing designed to help manage night sweats designed by Become Clothing
• Natural alternatives to HRT, hormone balancing supplements ‘The Golden Pill’ by Elle Sera which contains three powerhouse herbs Tribulus, Maca and Siberian Ginseng found to improve sleep 
• FEWE’s Dream A Little Dream adaptogen oral sleep spray to help you drift off. 2 sprays can help you drift off in as little as 15 minutes and with regular use it can help you maintain a regular sleeping pattern, even when body temperature is elevated
• Seek to minimise excess stress. If you are finding yourself in regular stressful situations, try FEWE’s Take A Deep Breath oral spray for when you need a sigh of relief. Couple this with FEWE’s mood boosting cologne Eau So Happy with fragrance notes to bring you a spritz of serotonin (and and instant feeling of freshness)

Tap here to enter our collaborative giveaway with FEWE and Elle Sera for a chance to win a bundle of products designed to support you with night sweats and hot flushes.

This article is a collaborative contribution by Become Clothing, FEWE and Elle Sera. 

Become is an innovative clothing brand with a mission to provide relief for hot flushes and night sweats. Backed by science and approved by women, Become’s stylish range of clothing with patented Anti-Flush™ technology is clinically proven to significantly reduce the severity and impact of hot flushes and night sweats caused by (peri) menopause, illness, surgery and prescribed drugs. The range includes nightwear, intimates, day wear, and absorbent panties. Since 2017 we've brought intelligent clothing solutions to millions of women to bring normalcy to women’s lives and help transform how they take on their menopause.

Explore Become Clothing further here.

FEWE are a female-founded female run brand with science backed wellness solutions designed to support your hormonal cycles from menstruation through perimenopause. Their products range from oral sprays to target different wellness needs, to their revolutionary I Touch Myself Vulva Serum. They pioneered The Menstrual Revolution which resulted in Meta changing their ad policies for women's health. Explore FEWE further here.

Elle Sera  is a female health supplement company. Elle Sera exists not only to start the conversation around female hormonal wellbeing but it aims to readdress the imbalance by using all natural ingredients in the supplement. It produces one category defining product - a supplement named The Golden Pill which aims to help females with their hormonal health. Women and their hormonal health have been woefully neglected for centuries. Their symptoms are ignored and their health problems are under-researched. Explore Elle Sera further here.