Mindfulness and Meditation for Sleep During Perimenopause
During perimenopause, the transitional period before menopause, hormonal fluctuations cause a myriad of symptoms including changes in sleep. Perimenopausal women may experience difficulty falling asleep due to depression or anxiety or might be awoken in the night from night sweats. Improving sleep hygiene through simple lifestyle changes like creating a consistent bedtime routine and optimizing your sleep environment can help to alleviate the sleep disturbances caused by perimenopause.
An addition to your bedtime routine that is both relaxing and has been shown to improve sleep outcomes is mindfulness or meditation. Here is how mindfulness or meditation can help you overcome sleep changes in perimenopause.
What is Meditation and Mindfulness?
Meditation is a “self-regulatory process” where an individual reaches an intentional change in consciousness through perception and observation (Portella et al., 2021). The practice involves focusing or clearing the mind using a combination of mental and physical techniques. Meditation is an ancient practice that has been around for thousands of years to relax, reduce anxiety and stress, and improve their overall health (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). People who meditate have decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression, improved mental clarity, ability to think, concentrate, and problem solve (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).
Mindfulness is a type of mediation in which a person focuses on being intensely present and aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at that moment (Mayo Clinic, 2022). A key part of mindfulness is awareness of the moment without interpretation or judgment (Mayo Clinic, 2022). There are multiple ways to practice mindfulness including guided breathing and visualization (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Mindfulness can be effective for people with conditions such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia (Mayo Clinic, 2022).
Meditation and Mindfulness for Sleep in Perimenopause
Meditation has been linked to improvements in sleep quality and efficiency. One study found that experienced meditators who were able to meditate for multiple hours had a decreased total sleep time (Kaul et al., 2010). This indicates that meditation can reduce sleep debt (Kaul et al., 2010).
In a meta-analysis of the effects of mindfulness on sleep, they found that meditation, mindfulness, and other mind-body techniques improves sleep quality in various clinical populations with sleep disturbances (Rusch et al., 2019).
In a study specifically on the effects of meditation on perimenopausal women, they found that meditation improved the quality of sleep and a reduction in the hours of sleep necessary to be rested (Portella et al., 2021). The researchers also found that meditation improved various cardiovascular indicators linked to hot flashes and night sweats, indicating that meditation and mind-body techniques could impact vasomotor symptoms in perimenopause (Portella et al., 2021).
Getting Started with Meditation
There are various ways to practice meditation including mindfulness meditation, guided meditation, qigong, tai chi, yoga, and more (Pacheco & Rehman, 2024). If you want to begin meditating, ensure that you can give your undivided attention to your practice, that you are in a quiet environment and in a comfortable position (Pacheco & Rehman, 2024).
Finding which meditation style works best for you is important, and there are many resources online to help you get started including guided meditation videos and meditation soundtracks on video streaming platforms (Pacheco & Rehman, 2024).
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Sources
Cleveland Clinic. (2022, May 22). Meditation: What it is, Benefits & Types. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17906-meditation
Kaul, P., Passafiume, J., Sargent, R. C., & O'Hara, B. F. (2010). Meditation acutely improves psychomotor vigilance, and may decrease sleep need. Behavioral and brain Functions, 6, 1-9.
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, October 11). Can mindfulness exercises help me?. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356
Pacheco, D., & Rehman, A. (2024, February 26). Meditation and sleep. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/meditation-for-sleep
Portella, C. F. S., Sorpreso, I. C. E., de Assis, A. D. S. M., de Abreu, L. C., Junior, J. M. S., Baracat, E. C., de Aruajo Moraes, S. D. T., & Tanaka, A. C. D. A. (2021). Meditation as an approach to lessen menopausal symptoms and insomnia in working women undergoing the menopausal transition period: A randomized controlled trial. Advances in Integrative Medicine, 8(4), 278-284.
Rusch, H. L., Rosario, M., Levison, L. M., Olivera, A., Livingston, W. S., Wu, T., & Gill, J. M. (2019). The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1445(1), 5-16.