Sweet Dreams

By: Dr. Don VerHulst 

As you age, several factors can hinder the quality and quantity of your sleep. For women, menopausal hot flashes and night sweats can interrupt it. Recent studies indicate that menopausal women are also likely to suffer from two other age-related sleep problems: sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome (RLS). Maintaining a healthy body weight can help with sleep apnea. Your doctor may also recommend therapeutic devices to help you keep your airways open. RLS may respond to improved nutrition, vitamin and iron supplements, exercise, and removing caffeine and alcohol from your diet.

If improving your diet and exercising aren’t helping enough, I recommend It Works! Estro-Rhythm®. Its natural ingredients help you "get your rhythm back" without the worries associated with synthetic hormones. .

Many people also suffer from RMS—restless mind syndrome! You can drop into bed feeling so tired and your bed feels so good, yet your brain just won’t stop running. One way to quiet your mind is through quiet prayer and reflection on God’s Word before you retire. Another aid is trying an herbal adjunct, such as a hot cup of green tea with lemon balm. Green tea contains an amino acid, L-Theanine, which has been shown to reduce physical and mental stress and helps your brain produce soothing alpha waves.

Another factor, imbalanced melatonin production, can wreak havoc on your sleep cycles. Sleeping in total darkness can help restore a balanced melatonin production schedule. Melatonin is available as a supplement; ask your doctor if he or she would recommend this. An ancient herb called valerian also may help you get to sleep and stay asleep. Valerian increases the levels of the amino acid GABA in your system. GABA induces sleep while helping to regulate relaxation and anxiety.

If you’re a woman of menopause age, hot flashes and night sweats may be interrupting your night’s sleep. If improving your diet and exercising aren’t helping enough, I recommend It Works! Estro-Rhythm® so you can "get your rhythm back."