17 Jan The bracelet that nixes premenstrual insomnia
There are certain times in your cycle when falling asleep or staying asleep is more challenging, for instance, during your Week 1 (your menstrual week) due to aches and pains, during your Week 2 (the week leading up to and including ovulation) when high estrogen ramps up mental energy, which can prompt anxiety or racing thoughts, making it difficult to drift off or get back to sleep if you wake up, and during the start of your Week 3 (which starts right after ovulation) and throughout your premenstrual Week 4 when plunging estrogen lowers levels of sleep-regulating serotonin in the brain, making deep, undisturbed sleep harder to come by.
No matter what phase of your cycle you’re having trouble snoozing, a 2013 study in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment suggests an easy, pill-free way to clock more restful zzz’s: Apply gentle pressure to a certain part of your wrists at night by wearing an anti-nausea acupressure bracelet (like this one).
As the researchers explain, stimulating this acupressure point prompts your body to relax, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep. You can find anti-nausea acupressure bracelets in drugstores and at Amazon.com.
Never miss a single Hormonology tip:
Click here to subscribe to the free Hormonology newsletter today!
- Menstrual cycle tracking is an important tool for teen sadness - February 23, 2023
- When does estrogen boost your beauty? - November 24, 2022
- 4 ways magnesium makes menstrual cycles better - November 24, 2022