Menopausal Sleep Issues: The Adrenal Connection By Debra Gibson, ND
consciousness toward this important time in every woman’s life. Yet with all the positive spin on this demarcation between two phases of womanhood, there remains the reality that for many women this is a time of challenging and sometimes uncomfortable shifts in function of body, mind and sexuality.
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One of the more common areas of disruption is the sleep cycle – difficulty in getting to sleep or in staying asleep, in returning to sleep once awakened, or poor quality sleep which results in lack of restedness during the day. Yes, there is often an association between night-time wakening and hot flushes (or power surges, depending on your attitude!); but, as many women can attest, menopausal sleep problems also occur independent of night sweats. And, as is sug- gested by research which shows an association between the severity of hot flushes and the development of chronic insomnia during and after menopause, the two may have underlying factors in common.
The high Price of Poor Sleep
The health consequences of chronic sleep deprivation or poor quality sleep are more serious than just feeling sluggish the next day. Studies show that sleep disruption contributes to cardiovascular dis- ease, depression, inflammation, reduced regeneration of brain cells, and reduced production of hormones which repair tissues and build muscle. Add to this the effect of poor sleep on quality of life, from low productivity to irritability to simple exhaustion, and it becomes a significantly life-limiting health issue. Moreover, sleep deprivation increases the production of stress hormones, which as we shall see, can in turn reinforce a negative cycle and exacerbate sleep issues.
16 Natural Nutmeg
enopause, also called the change of life, has been the focus of much-needed attention over the past several years, resulting in a healing transformation in attitude and
Menopause and the Adrenals
Despite the destructive health consequences of sleep prob- lems and the frequency with which they occur during menopause, relatively little research has been directed toward determining their cause. As a clinician who regularly encounters menopausal women seeking natural solutions to sleep issues, I work empirically, “con- necting the dots” of what we know thus far from scientific research with what seems to work in practice to effectively resolve the under- lying issues which prevent healthy sleep. Much of the focus of treatment of menopausal symptoms, in
both conventional and natural medicine, has been directed toward softening the effects of falling sex-hormone levels as the ovaries gradually cease to function. This approach will be more-or-less help- ful some of the time, but in my experience it is not a comprehensive answer to uncomfortable menopausal issues. Each woman must be viewed as an individual with her own particular set of systemic imbalances which contribute to her unique menopausal symptom expression. In the world of naturopathic medicine, in addition to supporting the body through changes in sex hormone levels, treat- ment of menopausal symptoms often includes assessing the adrenal gland system and treating imbalance in this area. Why the adrenals? Hang around natural medicine for very long, and sooner or later the term “adrenal fatigue” is likely to come up. This refers to changes in the healthy function of these tricorner- hat-shaped glands that sit on top of our kidneys and play a role in everything from immune system regulation, to electrolyte balance and fluid dynamics in the body, to blood sugar control, sex hormone production and, last but by no means least, helping us to handle stress in all its variety of forms. It’s not surprising, given the many sources of stress in our modern lives: physical, emotional, environ-
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