When adolescents sleep 12 hours at a time we nod knowingly, and leave them to it. As we enter midlife with all its changes, we tend to be less accepting of ourselves and fail to get the sleep we need to get us successfully through this stage.

We also suffer the double whammy of badly needing this restorative sleep, but for a range social and physical reasons are unable to get to, or stay asleep. Along with responsibilities that keep us from bed, are hormonal changes that cause women to wake with hot flashes and men to wake for more frequent bathroom breaks, often disturbing one another in the process. We are also more often prone to insomnia, or if we fall asleep, to waking and remaining awake for part of the night.

At midlife we are also are more aware of our responsibilities than at adolescence, so are more likely to sleep badly because of anxiety or depression. We are also more likely to have physical pain or use stimulants and medications that make sleep more difficult.

In order to minimize these things and get the rest we so badly need, it is important to make sleep a priority. This includes improving sleep ‘hygiene’ – that is to make your bedroom a quiet place where you don’t work and watch tv. It means going to bed at the same time each night so you establish a routine that your mind and body recognize as time to quieten down.

A healthy routine means not drinking coffee or tea after mid afternoon, keeping alcohol drinking to a minimum, and not eating too late in the evening. Sadly the distinctly un-sexy dietary solutions of drinking milk or eating yogurt before bed are more likely to help you relax than the chips and spicy dip you may want! You can also try sipping chamomile tea or night time herbal tea as this routine along with the herbs may help you relax.

Insomnia

Low levels of progesterone and estrogen can lead to insomnia, making sleeplessness at midlife another problem. A low progesterone level can also cause a reduction in REM sleep.

The combination of reduced hormone levels, increased snoring, hot flashes, a partner’s snoring and waking can quickly lead to fatigue and poor daytime functioning, and may also lead to depression. If you know your sleep is poor, seek help sooner rather than later to get back to better sleep patterns so you are better able to cope.

Some advocate the use of relaxation or meditation tracks to help distract the mind from mental chatter. Others find that giving in to awake times during the night helps to clear their minds. Journaling or drawing can clear the thoughts that are keeping them awake.

Once again, educating yourself as to what creates good sleep habits is always wise. Avoid self-medicating with sleep pills as they don’t give good quality, restoring sleep, and seek help if the problem persists.