Sleeptember 2024: What is period insomnia all about and why is it the new wellness buzzword
From Kourtney Kardashian Barker to Instagram content creators, period insomnia is the new wellness buzzword online. Here’s decoding just what it means.
Awareness around menstruation and its various symptoms is still surprisingly low. Recently reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s website published an article calling periods “the Mercury retrogrades of the body” and detailed period insomnia — making it a favourite talking point among health influencers and content creators. In keeping with Sleeptember, the month raising sleep awareness, let’s unpack what this means.
Period insomnia 101
A new study has linked difficulty falling asleep in menstruating people with hormonal imbalances. “Period insomnia refers to difficulty falling or staying asleep that occurs during a woman’s menstrual cycle in the days leading up to or during menstruation,” explains Dr Gandhali Deorukhkar, consultant obstetrics and gynecology, Wockhardt Hospitals, adding, “This form of insomnia is often linked to hormonal fluctuations that occur during this time, particularly the drop in estrogen and progesterone levels. These changes can disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.”
Often associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), period insomnia can leave a person feeling tired even after a full night’s rest, Dr Deorukhkar adds. Other symptoms may include irritability, anxiety, bloating, cramps and headaches.
“Essentially, the effortless acquisition of sleep onset and maintenance through the night requires investment in sleep hygiene measures,” says Dr Joy Desai, Director, Neurology, Jaslok Hospital Research Centre.
But what causes it?
A connection has been established between this phenomenon and the imbalance of female sex hormones.
Dr Vaishali Joshi, senior obstetrician and gynaecologist, Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, elaborates, “The drop in progesterone and estrogen levels in the luteal phase of menstruation (after ovulation) is another cause for it. Progesterone has a calming, sleep-promoting effect, and its decrease can lead to insomnia. Changes in body temperature, which rise slightly during the luteal phase, can also disrupt sleep.”
Can we fix it?
To keep one’s biological rhythm intact, activities functioning as timekeepers are suggested by Dr Deorukhkar. These include exposure to the morning sun, exercise in the morning hours and a daytime-restricted feeding window.
She adds, “Habitual irregularity in sleep initiation (be it from work pressures or uninformed recreational pursuits), late evening coffee consumption, late night alcohol consumption, stress, excessive screen time especially prior to sleep, can all disrupt the harmony and robustness of this biological rhythm. This acts as the key causal factor inducing difficulties around initiating and maintaining sleep.”
What to do
It is advised to take supplemental night-time magnesium or melatonin, under a physician’s guidance. Restricting food consumption during daylight hours also helps keep the circadian rhythm intact. Alternative experts also advise sprinkling lavender on the pillow, and consumption of rhodiola rosea extracts.
How to do it
To keep one’s biological rhythm intact, activities functioning as timekeepers are suggested by Dr Gandhali Deorukhkar. These include exposure to the morning sun, exercise in the morning hours and a daytime-restricted feeding window. Habitual irregularity in sleep initiation, late evening coffee consumption, late night alcohol consumption, stress, excessive screen time especially prior to sleep can all disrupt the harmony and robustness of this biological rhythm.