For many women, those blissful hours set aside for sleep are all too often interrupted by things that are anything but blissful: heart palpitations, hot flashes, and other symptoms of menopause. But a handful of new studies indicate there are steps you can take to reduce your peskiest menopause-related symptoms—steps that don’t involve hormone therapy. For starters, a little physical activity could help you sleep better tonight, finds a new study published in the journal Menopause. A research team from the University of Pittsburgh asked 52 women—all transitioning through menopause—to keep a sleep diary. The researchers also tracked the women’s exercise habits and menopause-related symptoms. Here’s what they discovered: The more women moved—whether exercising away from home, or completing physically active household chores like preparing meals or caregiving for family members—the sounder they slept, according to the study. While these findings are promising, it’s not clear exactly how physical activity might squelch hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, explains study co-author Maya Lambiase, PhD, a member of Pitt’s psychiatry department. Lambiase says there’s a whole lot of research that shows physically active people tend to sleep better at night, and her study indicates this is also true for woman suffering from hot flashes. Your takeaway? Move more, Lambiase says. And no, you don’t have to hit the weights or elliptical machine to get some ZZZs tonight. In fact, past studies have found intense exercise increases core body temperature, and so may trigger menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, according to Lambiase and her co-authors. Simply staying on your feet and being active—even at home—is enough to improve your sleep, her research suggests. Still suffering? Here are a few more science-backed remedies: Lighten up. At the end of a 12-month study period, women who lost at least 10 pounds (or 10% of their body weight) were 23% more likely to experience fewer or no hot flashes, found a study funded by Kaiser Permanente. It may sound obvious, but fat locks in body heat. And since night flashes are, essentially, your body’s attempt to cool itself off, shedding a little excess insulation can help keep you cool and reduce your menopause-related symptoms. Eat more fruit. The same Kaiser Permanente study also directed women to eat more fiber-rich foods, especially fruit and whole grains. Although the researchers attributed most of the drop in hot flashes to weight loss, they said it was also possible the improved fiber intake may have helped reduce the frequency of menopause symptoms. “Look into my eyes.” Hypnotic relaxation therapy knocked down hot flashes and other symptoms by up to 80% after 12 weeks, according to a study from Baylor University. The physical relaxation brought on by hypnosis may help settle those brain regions responsible for heat regulation, the study authors hypothesized. Source
While these results are appealing, it’s not clear exactly how exercising might squelch hot quick flashes and other signs of the change of life, describes research co-author She Lambiase, PhD, a participant of Pitt’s psychiatry division....
