There’s an app for everything these days, but when it comes to one that may help us sleep more peacefully through the night, you’ve got our attention.
Sleep apps are all the rage with people who are focused on optimising their health and wellbeing through building greater data and visibility over all areas of their health. For menopausal women, however, using a sleep app may be less about optimisation, and more about using every tool possible in the fight against disruptive night sweats that mean a good night’s sleep is more a day-dream than it is a reality.
Since sleep and menopause go hand in hand, we’re taking a look at how technology can be leveraged to help achieve those elusive sweat-free sleeps.
Why is sleep disrupted so frequently by menopause?
Even though sleep is crucial to our overall wellbeing, it’s like menopause didn’t quite get the memo. Symptoms that are often a key part of the menopause experience, like hot flushes and night sweats, can keep even the heaviest of sleepers awake or cause them to wake up once they’ve already fallen asleep.
These night-time disruptions can become increasingly problematic as menopause continues, leaving women tired, frustrated, and anxious about the prospect of another sleepless night. While there are a number of lifestyle choices and natural sleep aids that can play a role in giving you the best chance of success each night, sleep technology is another area that can be pivotal in restoring sleep (and restoring sanity).
Enter the sleep app.
What do sleep apps do?
If you’re not familiar with the world of sleep apps, there are plenty of options on the market, each with their own unique features. Whether they’re tracking sleep patterns, providing peaceful sleep soundscapes, or offering meditations to soothe anxious minds when they awake, different sleep apps can serve different purposes in the hunt for the perfect digital tool.
Need support for more than sleep disruptions throughout menopause? Find holistic and expert-led care for your menopause needs at the Australian Menopause Centre.
For menopausal women, these ranges of features can be a great help when it comes to taking back control of their sleep, including:
- Sleep tracking: The vast majority of sleep apps offer tracking features, monitoring your sleep patterns to provide integral data across what’s really going on during the midnight hours. This data can include how long you sleep, how often you wake up, the quality of your sleep, and more. By paying close attention to this data, you can start to spot patterns that give you more insight into what’s disrupting your sleep, focusing your efforts on where you need to direct your resources for improvement.
- Relaxation techniques: A wide range of sleep apps also offer all kinds of relaxation techniques, including guided meditations, breathing exercises, and exercises that can help to prepare your brain and body for sleep. If you’re prone to experiencing anxiety before bed or struggle to keep stress out of the bedroom, this is a great way to support your body’s needs, deliberately unwinding before settling in for the night.
- Soundscapes and white noise: When it comes to good sleep hygiene, a quiet environment is one of the most important things you need. Sleep apps can be a helpful tool in creating a peaceful audio environment, with calming soundscapes, white noise, or restful music creating plenty of options for personalisation and differing preferences. For those who may be contending with louder environments outside of their control, these sounds can help to mask those noises, building a more restful atmosphere for sleep.
- Sleep hygiene education: The majority of sleep apps can also offer great advice when it comes to improving your sleep hygiene. While some of these tips may seem simple, it’s surprisingly difficult to prioritise them without intentional planning and preparation. With some apps offering personalised suggestions that are tailored to your individual needs, these sleep hygiene insights can make a world of difference.
Other options to support your sleep
Sleep apps can be the secret weapon many menopausal women swear by in the battle to reclaim their sleep, but there are plenty of tech-free ways you can improve your chances of a restful night’s sleep.
One of the simplest (and most old-fashioned!) ways you can do so is figuring out, and sticking to, a consistent sleep schedule. That internal clock isn’t a myth, and by helping your body to regulate it, you’re equipping yourself to fall asleep more easily and wake up more naturally each morning.
Next up on the tech-free sleep-friendly checklist is your diet. Caffeine and alcohol, while the drinks of choice for many of us, simply aren’t conducive to helping with those night disruptions. If you’re a multiple-shots-a-day espresso drinker, it may be time to reach for the decaf, as well as swapping out an evening glass of wine for an alcohol-free alternative.
It’ll likely come as no surprise that exercise is also a firm recommendation for improving your sleep quality during menopause. By giving your body the physical stimulation it needs, you can increase your chances of both falling asleep faster and enjoying a deep sleep for longer.
Not only is regular exercise an important part of menopausal sleep hygiene, but it’s also a crucial support for your overall health and wellbeing throughout this transitional season (and beyond!). By finding a form of movement you enjoy, you can give yourself multiple health benefits in every single session.
Conclusion
Your sleep quality is the cornerstone of your wellbeing, and when your sleep suffers, so does every aspect of your health and wellness. Find support for your sleep throughout menopause by turning to a sleep app, making the most of a wide variety of features to find the right app for your individual needs. You’ll sleep better for it, and your body will thank you!
To find more support for your menopause journey, get in touch with the Australian Menopause Centre. We’re here for you night and day in every step of your journey.
About The Author - AMC Team
Our team consists of doctors, nurses, program assistants, naturopaths and nutritionists that join their wealth of knowledge to offer our patients and website visitors interesting and insightful articles to assist you understand the symptoms you are experiencing and how to relieve them.