PMS: When You Are Armed, Tired and Extremely Dangerous

The topic of this study concerns a 33- year-old woman who has a history of insomnia during PMS. She suffers from a deep fatigue that has sapped all her energy. Is there help out there within the realm of natural remedies for she who always has “many miles to go before she can sleep?”

Case #: 517

Concern：

I have lived with PMS for years, but my problems with this syndrome have never been so damaging to my life as they are now. At the age of 33, I suffer from chromic fatigue during PMS and can’t seem to get my feet off the ground. In the past, I could summon the necessary energy to function, but these days, I just can’t. Please, please help me.

Discussion：

Why is sleep so elusive during PMS and where the hell did it go?

Generally speaking, sleep problems occur twice as often in women as they do in men. A recent poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation revealed that during their menses, 33% of women indicated that their sleep is often disturbed. The menstrual cycle wreaks havoc with female hormones (progesterone and estrogen) especially for those suffering from PMS.

How can you help insomnia find someone else’s bed?

Insomnia is most common in the second half of the cycle, as studies have documented that the amount of progesterone decreases towards the end of menstruation and that dream sleep (REM) is also reduced. Insomnia related to PMS is a monster because it not only affects the ability to sleep but also the quality of slumber. There is hope however, through lifestyle adjustments and the application of natural remedies.

Keep a sleep diary

By recording the days of the month that you have trouble falling or staying asleep, you will be able to see if there is a link between your menstrual cycle and sleep. Once you see this, however, the diary won’t help you at all unless it can serve as some kind of hard surface you can sleep on.

Exercise more often

Since you can’t sleep, you might as well do something productive with the time that keeps ticking away on your bedroom clock. Make a pot of coffee and get on that treadmill or walk around outside and wake your neighbors. (Why should they sleep, if you can’t?) Exercise aids deep sleep because it promotes cell repair and regeneration.

Avoid alcohol

Drinking alcohol at night can cause insomnia and/or fragmented sleep. Although a glass of wine can be soothing and can even make you sleepy, too many drinks can make you climb the walls chasing the little sheep that you would be glad to count if you could only catch them!

PMS can be miserable for many women but there is help available. Herbal remedies can restore the production of hormones and help regulate balance of estrogen and progesterone in the female body.

So put down that assault rifle and give natural remedies a try.

You can always shoot someone later...