About this episode
Wish you could get some sleep during menopause? You’re not alone. Though programs like the 28 Day Kickstart (inside our Flipping 50 membership) have helped some women increase sleep by 2 hours a night, others of you listening I know, struggle either to make the habit changes consistently, or to sleep. This is for you. Sleep during menopause is possible! I’ll go to sleep counting my blessings. Ah, Bing Crosby in White Christmas in case you couldn’t place it! My Guest: Dr. Mona Fahoum specializes in women's health, hormones and gut health. She’s a Naturopathic Doctor who uses a personalized approach to help each of her patients feel their best. In addition to her private practice in Seattle, Meridian Medicine, Dr. Fahoum is the Director of Clinical Services Bastyr University and is also on the medical team of Symphony Natural Health, the makers of Femmenessence, which I personally love and use. You may recognize Dr. Mona from a previous episode The Natural Menopause Solutions You’ll Love but today we’re diving more into the helpful habits and tips for healthy sleep along with other daily routines to help you during and after menopause. Questions & Discussion supporting sleep during menopause: Let’s review for listeners the difference between peri and post menopause and how can each stage impact health, sleep, and life? How can a woman naturally support her hormone balance in each of these stages? Let’s lay out why women start to have difficulty sleeping at this point in life? What is the relationship between hormones like our sleep-regulating hormone melatonin and sleep? What others also play a part in poor sleep and then on the other side: the after-effects of poor sleep. Many of our listeners and my clients will go through a sleep needs assessment and like to use their Fitbit or Aura ring to monitor sleep, how do you suggest women gauge their quality of sleep? Likely one of the biggest reasons sleep still doesn’t happen after I’ve coached clients through sleep hygiene and food and exercise timing that matters if they’re in their peri or early post menopause stage is hot flashes. How can women waking up with hot flashes and night sweats get better quality sleep? What is the cause of hot flashes during sleep - since they're such a big disruptor in trying to sleep through the night? For those women who haven’t yet prioritized sleep or who are shrugging and giving up focus on it, let’s talk about ways specifically impacts the body: Truth or myth: value of sleeping in supporting adrenal reset How sleep impacts pillars of Health: How can poor sleep impact the body? Weight gain, etc Diet plays a big role in sleep and type and timing of food is a major part of Flipping 50 coaching, let’s dive into that? How does the body decide to process food or do other roles while we sleep? Detox promoting foods, minerals (salt/Sole), vitamins, pH Quintessence. “Another pillar is whole foods - those support the above, hormone health, blood sugar support (for mood, sleep and hormone balance” Do you recommend spreading out meals and hydration? If so, how? Can eating too early or too late impact bedtime and digestion? Are there certain times of the day that the body detoxifies and digests the best? Can that impact sleep and/or sleep quality? There seems to be a lot of confusion about bedtime snacking and its benefits v. drawbacks. Can you speak to that and the woman who is a good candidate for it and who is not? Blood sugar is a big component in hormone balance. Talk about how one eats throughout the day affect how she sleeps and the blood sugar cycling while they are sleeping? Research on Intermittent Fasting and women who fast often experience much deeper sleep, what do you have to say about that phenomenon? Selfcare tips: Mental health and sleep Exercise Relaxing bath Meditation Sleep hygiene/routine Supplements: MacaLife and MacaPause , Herbatonin, Quintessence You’ve got a unique product to support sleep during menopause. What makes Herbatonin different from other melatonin options? You also mentioned a green’s supplement, pH Quintessence . Can you tell us more about that? It’s Giveaway time!! 1 lucky winner will receive a Femmenessence Menopause Essentials Pack (MacaLife if in perimenopause, MacaPause for post menopause), 1 pH Quintessence Welcome Pack, 1 box of Herbatonin 0.3mg, and a NEW indulgent Menopause aromatherapy bath salt blend perfect for pampering yourself. Entering to win is easy, all you have to do to enter to win is Share this podcast on your facebook timeline tagging both @flipping50tv and @Femmenessence Make sure you’ve liked both facebook pages I’d Love to hear from you! Are you having trouble with sleep during menopause? I’d love to hear about it and whether the Herbatonin has been helpful for you! If you’re already using Macapause or Macalife and have had results yourself, share in the comments.