bed, and have a little snack beforehand for blood sugar balance dur- ing and after your exercise session. Yoga, Tai Ch’i, and other forms of exercise which enhance the body/mind connection (yoga has been shown in studies to reduce cortisol levels) are wonderful for our purpose of modulating stress hormones.
• Investigate meditation, guided imagery (www.healthjourneys. com has a menu of over a hundred Cds/downloads), and mindful- ness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as ways to reduce stress in every moment of your day and night. Programs for learning meditation and MBSR are available in the community to teach you how to change your relationship to the stress of life.
• Start building good self-care muscles and exercise them regu-
larly. For example, don’t push through fatigue, instead take a break or rest even for a few minutes with your eyes closed, focusing on your breathing, when you grow tired. Trust that your rested self will have more available to give to any task - I encourage women to use the mantra, “Less is More”. Learn to say no to requests (or demands) that tax your energy, time or emotions: this is often so difficult for women to learn and practice, and one of the most essential elements of reducing the stress response. If you need help in the area of self- care, read “how-to” books such as “The Art of Extreme Self-Care”, by Cheryl Richardson, or “Tired of Being Tired”, by Jesse Lynn Hanley, M.D. (I particularly like the “psychogene” references in this book). If you need more help, work with a therapist or counselor to find out why it’s so hard to care for yourself and to learn how to be as good to yourself as you no doubt are to others in your life.
Given the detriment to health and quality of life associated
with chronic sleep disturbance, taking steps to resolve this common menopausal issue and its underlying causes is essential to peri- and postmenopausal health and happiness. While those very early morn- ing hours of wakefulness may allow you to finally organize the photo albums or begin the novel you’ve always wanted to write, they really are better spent as Nature intended, in deeply restorative sleep. You deserve the gift of sleep – this is a gift of healing you can give your- self, and only by doing this healing work can you become rested, balanced, and energized – your most complete self.
Debra Gibson, N.D. practices naturopathic family medicine in her Ridgefield, CT office. She can be reached at 203-431-4443 or at
drgibsonsoffice@sbcglobal.net. See ad on page 13.
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