Menstruation is a natural phenomenon that women everywhere in the world go through. This hormonal change is imperative not just for fertility but for our overall health.
However, periods still suck! They do! The pain, bloating, cramps, sugar cravings, and mood swings make it challenging to go through the day. The worst part about having menstruation is night, though. When you are on periods, sleeping becomes painful and a challenging task. You are either worried about staining the sheets or your PJs or tossing and turning due to the tiredness and pain you feel. But what if we tell you that you can make your nights easy while menstruating? Not worrying about leaking or tossing and turning due to discomfort? Too good to be true? Absolutely not! Here are a few hacks to try to have a peaceful night’s sleep, even during your periods.
Try different options
Women bleed more at night, whether they bleed heavily or not. To sleep better and have peace of mind, it is best to try different options without worrying about stains. For instance, you can use double pads or tampons. Or much better option, you can even use menstrual cups. Moxie menstrual cups are perfect for the night because they collect blood without you feeling icky due to wetness. To ensure more safety, you can use a light pad under the cup.
Other options are large pads with wings to secure your PJs, or laying down towels to keep the sheets clean. Another thing, if there is still a stain, it’s okay! Do not be afraid or ashamed of the stain. Sometimes no matter what, the stains will be there.
Take a hot shower or bath
Being on periods can make you feel icky or unclean. Also, the entire day takes a toll on you, and you feel tired and stiff, which makes it challenging to sleep. Thus, take a hot shower or bath before your bedtime. Not only it will help relax the stressed muscles but also it will clean the genital area, as doctors suggests, while you are on periods. A hot water shower will also make you sleep better and peacefully.
Try sleeping on your side
Many experienced women suggest that sleeping sideways can reduce your chance of leakage. Thus, ensuring you get your eight hours of sleep without worrying about anything else.
Cycling shorts hack
Many women say wearing cycling shorts at night during periods is great to practice. It ensures there is no leakage or at least reduces the chance of the same.
Massage your abdomen and use a heating pad
Some women feel pain in their abdomen, and others feel backache. Both can make you uneasy and make it tough to sleep. What you can do to relieve the pain is take a heating pad and use it on your back or abdomen. It can reduce the pain and help you sleep better. Try the heating pad, which you can stick to your skin without any side effects.
Also, massaging your abdomen is perfect as it helps with bloating and pain. In addition, it gives you some comfort, making sleeping at night during periods bearable.
Work on creating the right ambiance
The ambiance matters! So, when you find sleeping during menstruation difficult, try and change the ambiance of your room. For example, put your favourite soothing music on, light up candles or diffuse your favourite essential oil. It will help calm your brain and ease the worry out, which helps with better sleep.
Have herbal tea before you sleep
Stomach ache is not the only thing that women deal with on their periods. Headache is also another thing that keeps you from sleeping. Instead of popping a pill, try drinking herbal tea, like chamomile tea. It may help you sleep or relieve the pain a bit. Remember, no caffeine before bed! Also, limit the intake of caffeine you drink during periods too.
Periods or menstruation is normal, and it’s time that we do the talking about it and normalise it too. If you are in too much pain, get help. If you are finding discomfort in sleeping, try these simple hacks. Without a good night’s sleep, your hormones will suffer, affecting your menstruation cycle directly. So, use these tips and have a happy period.