Why do you struggle to sleep during PMS?

The majority of the time, you have restful sleep and get your recommended 7 to 10 hours of sleep, but every month, two to three days prior to your period, you get severe insomnia and wake up every hour or so. It can be annoying tossing and turning for an hour before you eventually fall asleep again, or to remain up all night and only manage to sleep until 7 in the morning.

Fear not—pms and insomnia is a frequent and natural occurrence. According to a National Sleep Foundation poll, 16% of women report missing one or more days of work in the previous month owing to sleep-related issues, while 33% of women claim that their sleep is disrupted during their menstrual periods.

Each stage of the menstrual cycle has a different impact on sleep, claims Michael Breus, PhD. In order to control the menstrual cycle, estrogen and progesterone levels rise and decrease. These fluctuations can have an impact on a woman's ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, as well as the quantity and quality of her sleep.

We suggest you do the following to solve these problems and improve your overall health:

  • Exercise more: Exercise can help promote restful sleep, as it secretes the growth hormone needed for cell repair and regeneration.
  • Avoid drinking: as it can worsen the effects of alcohol, because progesterone is at its highest level during the luteal phase of ovulation (or any other type of depressant). So drinking alcohol at night can keep you awake and lead to restless sleep.
  • Keep a sleep diary: to monitor the quality of your sleep. You should write down on a calendar any mornings when you have trouble falling asleep, have trouble staying asleep, wake up early, or feel tired and sleepy during the day. To find out how your menstrual cycle influences your sleep, do this and check the results with a menstrual tracking program.