Menopause may turn the days of “I’ll sleep when I die” into endless days of “I’ll die unless I sleep,” even without being plagued by hot flashes. When a woman’s two best friends, estrogen and progesterone, decide it’s time to pack up and move south they may take other hormones out along the way. Namely, melatonin, an important sleep-inducing hormone essential for getting a good nights rest.

Sleeplessness may be one of the hardest obstacles of menopause to overcome because so many of the other symptoms of menopause feel as though they could be cured with a solid night of rest... but now that may seem nearly impossible to achieve. Good sleep during menopause can be supported by taking a melatonin supplement, (though, unfortunately, it will not help with the hot flashes), avoiding caffeine later in the afternoon or evening, not staring at bright screens before bed, adequate exercise and diet and keeping your sleep schedule as routine as possible. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is another option giving relief to many women.

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