No More Sleepless Nights: How To Sleep Like A Baby On Your Period

Tossing and turning all night long, trying to get to sleep but that dull lower abdomen ache of your period cramps and restless mind is keeping you up? I couldn’t count the amount of sleep I have lost as a result of excruciating pain or hormonal anxiety. I waited far too long to take any real action, but just know that suffering does not have to be an option.

This unpleasant phenomenon of extreme menstrual cramps is so common amongst people who bleed that the term ‘dysmenorrhea’ has been coined to describe the excruciating pain. Dr Rachel Shepherd shared with Bustle that, “Like with any pain, this obviously can cause sleep disturbances or inability to fall asleep. ”With period pains being described in a 2016 Quartz article as being as painful as heart attacks it is no wonder that we are struggling to get some shut-eye.

If you are one of the unlucky sufferers of period sleeplessness, just know that you’re not alone in the struggle, with the National Sleep Foundation finding that 30% of people with periods experiencing significant pain that disturbs their sleep. It is time to stop the red monster from interrupting your beauty sleep and your ability to function in daily life as a non-zombified human. We’ve compiled a list of sleep-inducing tips that will help maintain a healthy sleeping environment and assist in providing you with the optimum dozing levels.

Maintain A Regular Sleeping Schedule

When you go to sleep at a similar time every night your body is able to prepare itself for sleep, and as a result, will get triggered by fatigue to fall asleep. Maintaining that regular schedule is important especially during menstruation, as it will allow your body to not be so thrown off by sleepless period symptoms.

Finesse Your Pre-Bed Routine

Raging hormones during menstruation can make us feel off-whack and loopy. They can incite deep anxiety and leave us lying awake at night obsessing over the most microscopic issues. Being aware of this is the first step to solving the problem. Planning out your period in advance through a calendar or tracking app can reduce that actual stress of feeling emotional when your period arrives. The next step is creating a plan to manage how to deal with it. During your period, implement a pre-bed routine that includes a relaxing bath, deep breathing and meditation or yoga, all relaxation techniques that will work wonders to put your mind and body at ease to help you sleep.

Eat Less

The sure-fire way to trigger sleepless nights is by eating a feast prior to bed. Even just snacking on certain sugary foods can temporarily spike your sugar levels and leave you in a hyper-alert state. During menstruation your body can be triggered by a range of unpleasant bodily symptoms, such as nausea, Diarrhea and indigestion. Eating certain foods can trigger these illnesses, so being mindful of what you put into your body is vital. Check out our guide to period-friendly snacks for an idea of what to eat for dinner, and be sure to leave at least 2 hours snacking-free prior to bed.

Control Your Sleeping Environment

Feeling slightly hot when it’s that time of the month? Your menstrual cycle can cause fluctuating changes to your body’s core temperature of up to a whole degree, which can make it more difficult to get comfortable at night. Try cooling your bedroom if you have a fan or air conditioning to help regulate your temperature and reduce the chance of having night sweats that will keep you up for all hours of the night.

Pick The Right Sleeping Position

Just like setting the right temperature for your body, the position in which you sleep is just as important. The fetal position has been deemed the best sleeping position for the days you are menstruating, as according to Lisa Mindley, MD, in a feature with Glamour, sleeping in the fetal position “takes pressure off the abdominal muscles,” as it relaxes “the skeletal muscles around your abdomen”. Essentially, the less tension you are putting on your abdomen the fewer cramps and pain there will be as a result. Child’s pose, a popular yoga move that involves extending your arms forward and folding your legs underneath your body with forehead placed against the pillow, is another sleeping position that can also help relieve cramps.

Stop The Pain And The Period Cramps

Ahhh. The pain! The most frustrating sleep antagonist of all, the one that has been secretly plotting to disrupt your chances of slumber for weeks now. Make sure your bed is set up comfortably with the right amount of pillows and blankets to provide your body with maximum comfort and assist in reducing the pain. Sex has also been found to alleviate some of that pain.

Beat The Insomnia

For some people the arrival of their cycle can actually bring with it the onset of insomnia. During menstruation the levels of progesterone in your body drop substantially, which reduces the amount of the sedative effect that comes along with the hormone, and as a result, can leave you wide-eyed at night. If you’re a heavy coffee drinker try to reduce your caffeine intake when your period starts, as this will simplify accentuating the restlessness. Certain types of birth control can also assist with decreasing the fluctuation in estrogen and progesterone, the culprits responsible for the majority of sleepless symptoms. Check in with your doctor to see which birth control method will work best for you and your needs.