Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: March 12, 2007
Red Hot Mamas® Calls for Increased Awareness About Healthy Sleep at Menopause
March 13, 2007 (Atlanta, GA) — First-of-a-kind survey findings about sleep disturbances and menopausal women reveal that nearly half (42%) of menopausal women experience sleep disturbances every night, and more than a quarter of those women experience sleep disturbances several times per night.
Even more surprising, according to a new survey, Sleepless in Menopause City, when survey respondents were asked if they had spoken with their healthcare provider about the problem, more than half (55%) said “No” and nearly half (47%) reported their healthcare provider had not offered any prescribed treatment for their sleep disturbances.
The survey results released today by Red Hot Mamas, the nation’s leading menopause education provider, illustrate the need for more awareness of sleep disturbances as a major health concern among women during the menopausal transition, as well as increased discussions about sleep between women and their healthcare provider.
The Sleepless in Menopause City survey data clearly reveal that sleep is a major issue for women throughout their menopausal years,” says Karen Giblin, President and Founder of the Red Hot Mamas.
“What’s so surprising, though, is that the survey shows that many menopausal women are not aware that sleep disturbances may be related to their menopausal or hormonal status — just like hot flashes and night sweats.
Furthermore, women are not communicating with their healthcare provider about their sleep quality.
Red Hot Mamas urges women at menopause to talk with their healthcare provider about what they can do to manage sleep problems and get a good night’s rest.”
Sleepless in Menopause City is part of a broader Red Hot Mamas initiative to help menopausal women get a good night’s rest that will include outreach and education in a number of cities later this year, and provide informational resources to help women cope with sleep disturbances.
A newsletter and “Red Hot” tips to promote healthy sleep and a better dialogue between a woman and her healthcare provider are available at www.redhotmamas.org.
Insomnia Is A Symptom of Menopause Just Like Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
Insomnia and disrupted sleep are not always the result of hot flashes or night sweats, but can be problems by themselves.
In fact, sleep disruption may be the first sign that a woman is beginning to enter the menopausal transition before hot flashes or other symptoms occur.
Sleep disturbances can lead to irritability, fatigue, memory loss, lack of concentration and even aches and pains.
“It is very common for women to experience fragmented sleep during the menopausal transition, which can last anywhere from three to ten years,” says Machelle M. Seibel, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts.
“During this time, a woman’s ovaries gradually decrease production of the sleep-promoting hormones estrogen and progesterone.”
“This hormonal shift is what can contribute to the inability to fall asleep and stay asleep while contributing to changes in sleep patterns,” Dr. Seibel adds.
“Declining levels of estrogen may also make women more susceptible to environmental and social/stressors which further disrupt sleep.”
“Most women think menopausal insomnia is a severe loss of sleep that keeps you up all night, though this is not the case,” Giblin explains.
“For a great majority of women, it is the problem of getting to sleep and/or periods of awakening at night, the tossing and turning, and then being unable to fall back to sleep.”
Survey Shows Sleep Regarded As Greatest Concern Among Menopausal Symptoms
The Sleepless in Menopause City survey shows women ranked sleep as the greatest concern among menopausal symptoms (18%) — higher than hot flashes (15%), night sweats (13%), memory problems (12%), mood swings (11%) or vaginal dryness (10%).
Furthermore, more than 90% of perimenopausal and menopausal women and 83% of postmenopausal women rated sleep disturbances as either a major issue or somewhat of an issue in their lives.
Sleep problems included difficulty falling asleep, waking up once they did fall asleep and restless sleep.
Despite the fact that women surveyed identified sleep as such a great concern, the majority (89%) of perimenopausal and menopausal women and 100% of postmenopausal women reported they did not feel their sleep concerns had been adequately addressed by their healthcare provider.
To that end, the survey disclosed that only 10% or less of perimenopausal to postmenopausal women felt their current course of treatment was working to alleviate their sleep disturbances, and nearly half (46%) of women reported that talking with their doctors about their sleep disturbances would be valuable to them, while the remainder of women surveyed expressed an interest in more information being provided from other sources ranging from pamphlets to news/media coverage, magazines, education/support groups and the internet.
“It is crucial that women don’t just learn to adjust their life around the insomnia,” says Dr. Seibel.
“If you are missing a few nights sleep, it doesn’t automatically qualify you as having a sleeping disorder.
But, if your sleep difficulties are consistent, you can benefit from the help of your healthcare provider.”
Each day, approximately 6,000 women enter menopause in the United States.
About the Survey and Its Sponsor
Sleepless in Menopause City, a web-based survey of 485 women ages 30 and older, was conducted during the fall of 2006 by the Red Hot Mamas to find out just how serious a problem sleep disturbances are for women during the menopausal transition.
Red Hot Mamas is the nation’s leading menopause education provider with a mission to broaden the base of women’s knowledge about menopause and empower them to become educated healthcare consumers and active participants in their menopause management. For more information and a list of local programs, visit www.redhotmamas.org.
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Press Release Contact: Christina Lorenzo , Red Hot Mamas
For more details on the survey and tips for good sleep habits, view our
Sleepless In Menopause City Newsletter.
Also, please view our Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Provider About Sleep.
Feel free to print this document and bring it with you to your next appointment.
To chat with other women about sleep problems, please logon to our Bulletin Boards.
