Out of all these little moments in life that we look forward to, going to sleep in some freshly washed sheets is definitely hard to beat, but even if your sheets, lighting and atmosphere have created the perfect sleeping conditions (shout out to our 100% cotton eye masks!), you can still find yourself tossing and turning trying to get some shut eye.
I think we can all agree that one of the most frustrating things is not being able to sleep, you’re watching the clock and you’re just left counting down the hours until your dreaded alarm goes off. Although, it could just be that there’s a lot on your mind which is stopping your body from resting but did you know that your period can actually affect your sleep!?
Image credit: @rupikaur_
Two words.... Premenstrual Syndrome
Well, well, well, why does this not surprise me, PMS – your very own period rollercoaster. You’d think the mood swings, anxiety, body pains and desire for junk food was enough...okay, the junk food one isn’t too bad, but no, PMS has added sleep problems to its list!
Okay let’s start with hormones, or hormonal hell, whatever you prefer… (Sorry periods – we love you really).
Whilst trying to sleep you may find your body’s temperature sky-rocketing up and down, this is caused by your progesterone levels lowering (progesterone can make you feel sleepy, so this is not off to a great start), next thing you know you’re fighting with your duvet and spend most of the night throwing it off in sweats or wrapping your body into a human cocoon as soon as it gets a bit nippy.
To help with this, we suggest sleeping in thinner pyjamas to help regulate your body’s temperature, you can also draw yourself a relaxing bath before bedtime as this actually helps change your body’s temperature, as the drop in temperate once out the bath can send signals around your body that it’s time to sleep.
Oh, cra(m)p! Stomach cramps are not fun in the day, let alone when you’re trying to get enough sleep in before a long day ahead. I mean it is difficult to get settled and relaxed when your uterus is having a boxing match with your abdomen, it makes sense really.
On a cold night, hot water bottles are your friends to help ease the pain but say your mid-sweats, the last thing you want to be reaching for is a hot, bulky product. Have no fear though, BeYou have created the holy grail, their long-lasting, slow-releasing (we're talking over 12 hours) monthly patches help alleviate period pains and did I mention their made with all natural ingredients? Sign me up!
BeYou Monthly Patches
With periods come great responsibility and by responsibility we mean not bleeding through your new sheets (unless, you’re into that - we salute you girl!), but let’s say you’re staying round a friends or partners house and they may be a little more particular about what colour they like their sheets.
Instead of worrying about waking up in what looks like a scene from the movie Jaws, wear sanitary products you feel comfortable in. If you’re hoping for a long slumber, then we wouldn’t suggest tampons as the time limit for wearing them are for a maximum of 8 hours. But if you’re only sleeping under 8 hours, crack on girlfriend because these life savers will stay put for the night!
If you’re more of a pad person, there are different sanitary pads which have been made for sleeping, the ones with wings are angels sent from above as they also protect the sides of your underwear too! P.S as we all want to be reusable queens, there are plenty of different reusable sanitary pad companies that have created heavy flow/overnight cloth pads, we recommend Flo’s 'All-Nighter' pack which are made from 100% organic Oeko-Tex bamboo and they can be delivered straight to your door!
Staying on the topic of reusable menstrual products, menstrual cups are also great for wearing overnight. You’re able to wear them for up to 12 hours and they’re extremely comfortable so it’s a no brainer really. Sea + Flo’s menstrual cups strive to give a worry-free period and they have actually reduced menstrual cramps for some lovely ladies as well!
Sea + Flo Menstrual Cups
If you didn’t know already, your hormones fluctuate whilst going through its menstrual cycle, you can say thank you to them for your night sweats. To help you monitor your sleep patterns you could making notes in a journal. Journaling is more than just jotting down feelings; you can keep tabs throughout your cycle to see if there are any patterns in your sleep. By identifying these patterns, it can help you prepare for your next cycle and we hope you'll be having a bloody good night’s sleep! Our favourite journal for keeping track of every part of ourselves is the Note & Shine Self-Love Journal, which helps you to regularly check-in with what's going on with you - including changes in your sleep pattern.
Note & Shine Self-Love Journal