How much sleep do you need on your period?
The relationship between periods and sleep is a wildly understudied subject.
Think about it. 8 hours? That’s from tests on people who don’t period. So how much do we need? We reached out to Dr. Raylene Reimer, world renowned nutrition researcher and period health advocate, from the University of Calgary for her insights.
Here’s what she shared:
Big picture: try to get as much sleep as you can for the healthiest period possible. Not only will getting too little sleep potentially disrupt your menstrual cycle, but people who period are 40% more likely to report insomnia symptoms compared to people who don’t. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, people who have heavier bleeding and irregular periods tend to experience more physical discomfort, stress, and depression, all ailments that can hurt the quality of our sleep.
But even those of us who are having fairly moderate periods will see our sleep interrupted by our cycle. Every phase of our menstrual cycle marks a change in our hormone levels, which instigates a change in the quality of our sleep.
Here’s how your sleep quality might change over the course of your cycle:
Week One: You’re flowing. Your hormone levels are low. You might feel more tired than usual, and need to get more sleep. Aim for early nights, and naps if you can. Try to introduce some light exercise and stretches for better sleep.
Week Two: The bleeding is over. The follicular phase peaks around day 14 at ovulation. Your estrogen levels rise, giving you an energy boost. Your period symptoms should be over, and the rising estrogen levels help regulate your body temperature, meaning interruption-free sleep.
Week Three: The luteal phase means rising progesterone levels, which simulates GABA, a neurotransmitter that will make you feel more tired, and more relaxed, leading to better sleep.
Week Four: PMS, and a late luteal phase means progesterone and estrogen levels drop, lowering GABA production. PMS can cause pain and discomfort, and a rise in body temperature, leading to difficulty sleeping. There are reports that people have less REM sleep during this late luteal phase. Try to cut down on caffeine and alcohol, avoid screen exposure before sleep time, and play around with relaxation techniques like meditation or a warm shower.
Like everything, our relationship to sleep is different for everybody and every body. Hopefully these tips can give you a bit of insight into what’s going on over the course of your cycle, and how you can better support your sleep health.
We feel smarter already! Thanks Doc! So get yourself a sleeper and off to bed!
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