Feel like your hormones might be impacting your sleep at certain times of your cycle? You’re not alone. Around 60% of people say poor sleep is one of their PMS symptoms! But why does this happen and what can we do to improve our sleep quality before and during our period? Scroll down for our tips on getting solid sleep, every day of your cycle. 

Key Takeaways

• Sleep problems around the time of our period are extremely common 
• It’s thought they are caused by the dramatic drop in progesterone just before our period arrives
• Other factors, including increased anxiety and concerns around leaking, can also play a role
• Magnesium is a great supplement for supporting sleep and you can find it in our MyCycle blend! 
• Pain is one of the biggest reasons you might struggle to sleep during this time - our Myoovi Kit is the perfect solution for overnight pain relief.

Why do I find it harder to sleep around my period?

There are a host of reasons you might find it harder to nod off in the second half of your cycle, including… 

Hormonal Changes

Sleep problems are most common before and during our period and that's not surprising - it's a time of huge hormonal fluctuation.

After ovulation, we enter our luteal phase. During this time, progesterone is the dominant sex hormone - and our oestrogen levels are lower. Progesterone is thought to have relaxing qualities, which is why we can often feel pretty lethargic during the time of our cycle. 

However, a couple of days before our period, our progesterone levels drop pretty dramatically. It’s thought that this drop is one of the reasons we might experience pre-menstrual insomnia. One study suggests that these hormonal changes particularly effect the amount of REM sleep we get. REM sleep makes up about 25% of our sleep activity so that’s a pretty big chunk!  

Whilst these hormonal changes alone are enough to impact our quality of sleep, they also bring with them a whole bunch of symptoms that can also play a role. 

Anxiety

There is nothing worse than a spiral of anxious thoughts whilst you're lying awake at night. Anxiety is a common PMS symptom and is again connected to the spike in progesterone around this time. Progesterone likes to keep us safe (to protect any potential pregnancies aftr ovulation) but that can lead to us feeling hypervigilant and a it stressed out, which is not good news for our sleep patterns.. 

Myoovi Sleep Tip: A calm evening routine can help to quiet an anxious mind. Try turning your phone off so you can avoid any anxiety triggers and doing some breathwork or meditation before bed. Journaling can be another really helpful exercise to improve your sleep - getting your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper! 

Our MyCycle supplement is also a great addition to your relaxing bedtime routine. It contains a bunch of natural ingredients to help support PMS symptoms, including magnesium which is known to calm the mind and body and encourage better sleep. 

Worrying About Leaks

A common cause of anxiety around our periods is leaking. If you experience heavy periods and are prone to leaking, the worry that you might ruin your bed sheets could keep you awake at night - literally - especially if you are sharing a bed with someone. You also don’t want to worry about having to change pads or tampons in the middle of the night, disturbing your sleep further. 

Myoovi Sleep Tip: Try to find period solutions that work for you and give you the confidence to sleep soundly. Menstrual cups can be left in for hours at a time, meaning you don’t need to change them, and period underwear like NIXI Body has certain styles created specifically for sleep. 

Temperature

After ovulation, we see a small spike in our body temperature, which coincides with the rise in progesterone we experience at the same time 

As progesterone increases across our luteal phase, so does our core body temperature and whilst this is totally normal, it can mean that you end up tossing and turning more than usual. In some extreme cases, you might experience night sweats - although these are more commonly associated with life stages that come with huge hormonal shifts - like menopause and having a baby.  

Myoovi Sleep Tip: Focus on making your bedroom as cool and comfortable as possible. That might mean cracking the window, or even having a fan going during your luteal phase. It’s also important to dress for the occasion - think breathable fabrics, loose clothing or maybe even ditching the pyjamas together if you’re over heating! You can also try changing your bedding with the seasons and with your cycle! Having a lower tog duvet during this time can make all the difference. 

Pain

One of the most common sleep disturbances during this time in our cycle is pain. Some people will find that the time before their period is more uncomfortable whereas for others the pain can come along with their bleeding. Either way, if you're in agony, there is no way you’re going to be able to enjoy good quality sleep. 

Myoovi Sleep Tip: Our Myoovi Kit is the perfect solution to overnight period pain, Where painkillers wear off and a hot water bottle is pretty unsafe to sleep with, our wireless TENS machine can be worn under your pyjamas, relieving pain instantly - and the long battery life will keep you pain free all night!