Symptoms
WHAT IS IT?
Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early in the morning. Women with insomnia often feel tired, have low energy, and have trouble concentrating. Their mood may be disturbed, they may have low libido, and may not function well during the day.
To be diagnosed with insomnia, your lack of sleep needs to interfere with daily functioning.
If insomnia happens at least 3 times a week for three or more months, it is considered chronic.
WHAT’S HAPPENING TO MY BODY?
During the perimenopause period estrogen production becomes erratic and then decreases dramatically once a woman stops menstruating. It is thought that these estrogen changes contribute to the increased risk of insomnia during perimenopause. Some women find that they awake when they have night sweats and then have trouble going back to sleep.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Insomnia is a common complaint of women during the menopause transition. Complaints increase as women get closer to menopause.
Sleep problems also increase as we age. Other risk factors for insomnia include: poor sleep habits, depression, anxiety, lack of exercise, obstructive sleep apnea, and some medications.
Treatments that are inappropriate or have not been studied for this symptom are not listed.
Please scroll beyond “References” to access more resources if you are browsing on mobile or tablet
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Last reviewed July 2021
