Reducing menopausal belly fat through easy sleep strategies
Menopause, a natural phase in a woman's life, can bring about numerous changes, including disrupted sleep and weight gain. Recent research suggests that these sleep disturbances play a significant role in weight gain and the increased risk of diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.
Disrupted sleep during menopause contributes to weight gain primarily by affecting hormones that regulate appetite and stress. Menopause-related hormonal changes—particularly drops in estrogen and progesterone—can disrupt circadian rhythms and cause night sweats or hot flashes, impairing sleep quality. Poor sleep then leads to greater appetite, fatigue, and metabolic disturbances that increase the risk of weight gain and related diseases such as cardiovascular and metabolic problems.
Natural methods to improve sleep and help prevent weight gain during menopause include maintaining a consistent bedtime routine, keeping the bedroom cool and using breathable bedding, limiting stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol, and screen time before bed, eating a diet rich in antioxidants and hormone-supportive foods, and practicing stress-reduction techniques like guided breathing exercises, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), or sophrology.
Dr. Leilah Grant of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital is researching factors contributing to menopausal weight gain beyond estrogen levels. In a study, Dr. Grant and her team found that after three nights of disturbed sleep, the bodies of 21 healthy pre-menopausal women used fat at a significantly lower rate compared to when their sleep had been uninterrupted. This finding suggests that maintaining good sleep habits may help prevent weight gain during menopause.
Foods containing significant amounts of melatonin, such as tart cherries, tomatoes, walnuts, or grapes, can aid sleep. Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, can help regulate sleep and is safe and effective for improving sleep.
Half of menopausal women experience some level of sleep disturbance. Obesity rates for women go up around the time of menopause, and obesity is directly linked to various life-threatening conditions. By focusing on improving sleep, women may be able to reduce their risk of weight gain and related health issues during menopause.
Sources for this information include Neuroscience News, Harvard Health Publishing, and the American College of Cardiology. To maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of diabetes and related diseases during menopause, it is essential to prioritise good sleep hygiene and lifestyle choices.
- The significant role of sleep in maintaining health-and-wellness, especially in relation to women's health during menopause, is underscored by the finding that disrupted sleep can contribute to weight gain and the increased risk of diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.
- Incorporating science-backed approaches, such as maintaining good sleep hygiene, eating hormone-supportive foods, and practicing stress-reduction techniques, into one's lifestyle may help reduce the risk of weight gain and related health issues during menopause, thereby promoting overall health-and-wellness and womens-health.
