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Strong Women
Is your period messing with your sleep? You could be dealing with a ‘period hangover’
By Anna Bartter
11 months ago
7 min read
It’s no secret that menstrual cycles affect sleep, but new research shows that 68% of women are suffering from ‘period hangovers’. So, what are they and what can we do about them?
You’ll be familiar with the symptoms: a restless night’s sleep, waking multiple times worrying you’ve leaked on the sheets, trying to get comfy despite the pads you’re wearing feeling too hot/cold/sweaty/crampy. Yep, good sleep can be hard to come by when you’re on your period.
And new research from period product brand Always reveals that this lack of quality shut-eye is contributing to worse menstrual symptoms, including a reduced tolerance to pain (in addition to the lack of sleep that makes us feel rubbish the next day), meaning we’re essentially handed a double-whammy of symptoms.
But all is not lost; there’s plenty we can do to improve our period sleeping patterns and reduce the impact of a bad night. We asked the experts to offer some tips and techniques to ease you into a more restful slumber, no matter where you are in your menstrual cycle.
How do periods affect sleep?
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Throughout the menstrual cycle, our sleep duration and quality can fluctuate as a result of hormonal changes. The research from Always shows that three-quarters of women (75%) in the UK experience more interrupted sleep when they’re on their period – exactly the time when we crave a restorative slumber – compared to any other time of the month.
While hormone fluctuations can affect sleep, our wakefulness during our periods isn’t all down to hormones: 38% of women struggling with period wake-ups say they’re waking up to change period protection because they’re concerned about leaks or they just can’t get comfortable lying down in bed. So, practical reasons seem to be as much to blame as hormones.
“There’s a lot of research into how periods impact our quality of sleep,” says Coni Longden-Jefferson, a period expert and co-founder of period underwear brand Nixi Body. “Many women report struggling to get a good night’s rest just before or during their period. There may be several reasons for this – from the practical to the hormonal.”
What are the common reasons women struggle to sleep during their periods?
There are lots of reasons that you’re struggling to get quality shut-eye when you’re on your period: here are some of the most common ones.
1. Fear of flooding and leaks
“Is there anything worse than waking up in a panic thinking you’ve bled all over your bed?” asks Longden-Jefferson. “Many of our customers tell us that fear of leaks or flooding through their night time period care can disturb their sleep, and this can be a particular fear for people with conditions like PCOS or those moving through perimenopause, when periods can be irregular, or women struggling with endometriosis and fibroids, which often come with very heavy periods.”
2. Pain and discomfort
According to research, 84% of people experience pain during their period, and it’s difficult to sleep through menstrual cramps. “Even if you take painkillers before you go to bed, there’s a chance they may wear off before morning and you’ll be woken up by painful cramps,” says Longden-Jefferson.
“But the good news is there are a number of steps you can take to alleviate cramping and discomfort, from hot water bottles to using a Tens machine for a few hours of uninterrupted slumber.”
3. Changes in hormone levels
“From a hormonal perspective, the reason that our sleep suffers around our period is likely due to the drop in progesterone,” says Longden-Jefferson.
“Progesterone is the hormone that’s dominant during our luteal phase (the time between ovulation and our period), and it has some calming properties. It’s the hormone that helps us prepare for pregnancy, so it’s all about hibernation, rest and supporting our sleep.
“This can drop quite dramatically just before our period, which is why insomnia is a fairly common symptom of PMS. It stays low until we ovulate again, so during our period we’re also lacking its calming effect.”
What is a period hangover?
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In what will come as news to precisely no one, interrupted sleep affects us the next day. The research shows that 68% of women feel more irritable following a bad night, with 51% unable to concentrate. The effects can last longer than just the next day: almost half (47%) said it takes them between a few days and a week to catch up on sleep following their period.
“Not getting enough sleep can have a profound effect not just emotionally, but physically too,” explains Silentnight’s resident sleep expert Hannah Shore. “In fact, the less sleep we get, the more our pain tolerance decreases, meaning the worse our sleep gets the worse our cramps are likely to get.”
The result? A so-called period hangover. So what can we do about it?
How can we get a better night’s sleep on our period?
There is some good news: because the causes of poor period sleep are often practical (leaking, discomfort) rather than hormonal, we can take some simple steps to help. Here, the experts share their top tips for a decent, leak-free slumber.
“A lack of sleep can really contribute to the fatigue that many of us feel during our period,” says Longden-Jefferson, “but there are a few ways you can avoid a period hangover.”
1. Regulate your temperature
“Our bodies run hot during our periods, and when we are asleep our core body temperature needs to drop a couple of degrees to get access to the good quality sleep we need,” Shore explains. “Avoid hot showers/baths (warm is OK and can be relaxing) or exercise before bed and wear light, cool pyjamas. If you struggle with overheating throughout the night, try avoiding things like memory foam mattresses, as these can hold onto heat and make you hotter. A cold damp flannel or cold glass of water can help on particularly bad nights.”
2. Gentle exercise
“This might be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re on your period, but trust us, it’s worth a try,” says Longden-Jefferson. “Exercise releases endorphins which are your body’s natural mood boosters and pain relievers and it will also pump up your energy.”
3. Eat a balanced diet
We know the cravings can be hard to resist during your period, but processed foods will play havoc with your blood sugar levels which in turn can make your energy dip. Try to keep things balanced and include a lot of complex carbs, nuts and seeds and good fats that will help fight fatigue.
4. Establish a sleep routine
Humans thrive on routine and consistency, and our bodies work best when they know what to expect – even more so when it comes to sleep, periods or no periods.
“We should ideally be going to sleep and waking up every day at the same time, even on weekends,” says Shore. “This means our bodies will be used to producing the right hormones at the right time of day (sleep hormones such as melatonin in the evening and wake-promoting hormones such as cortisol for the day). Producing the right hormones at the right time means we will fall asleep easier and wake up easier, leaving us feeling more refreshed.”
Say goodbye to those weekend lie-ins.
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5. Light
Arguably one of the most important factors in sleeping well is light. We all know that the blue light from our endless midnight doomscrolling isn’t doing us any favours, and it’s no coincidence that we feel more sleepy when it’s darker.
It’s all down to our circadian rhythm, the natural body clock that dictates the rhythm of our daily lives.
“Light is important when it comes to sleep; we sleep when it’s dark for a reason,” says Shore. “Light is our main external cue that regulates our sleep/wake hormone production. Bright morning light suppresses the sleep hormones leaving you feeling more awake. Dull, darker evening light prompts the body to produce sleep hormones, such as melatonin, which will help you drift off to sleep easier.”
6. Keep pain relief on hand
“Getting up to seek out pain relief and turning on the lights to do so will disturb your sleep cycle and make you feel more awake,” says Shore. “Keep pain relief next to your bed or in an easily accessible place. If you experience very painful periods, it is recommended that you speak to your GP.”
7. Rest
“Don’t be afraid to rest if you need it,” advises Londen-Jefferson. “Our bleeding phase is known as the winter of our menstrual cycle, so there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of menstruation hibernation.”
8. Find a period product that works for you
Many of us resort to period hacks to allow us to relax about things like leaking on our periods. But these can themselves prevent us from sleeping as well as we should.
“Sleeping on towels or using multiple period products can increase body temperature and add to your discomfort,” Shore explains. “Having a period product that works for you and you feel confident in will not only make you feel more comfortable but also reduce stress and worry.”
And no one sleeps well when they’re stressed out, whether we’re on our period or not.
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