Black cohosh helps women cope better with the symptoms of menopause.woman's menstrual cycle stops and she can no longer have children. You can also understand this from the word itself. "Menos" in Greek means "month" and refers top the menstrual cycle, but "pausis" means "to cease" instead of a real pause. With improving science this term could be modified, still, we as physicians keep it as is. In general, this happens in women in their mid-40s to mid-50s. But it happens to all women. There are three stages of menopause that are defined with different symptoms and problems. The stages are pre-, peri-, and post-menopause, meaning before, during and after. It is important to know what all of them bring to your life either separately or cumulatively. You may have heard, or some of you may have even experienced, the effects of menopause, especially hot flashes. Let's describe how the stages of menopause affect sleep and how hot flashes occur.


Black cohosh helps women cope better with the symptoms of menopause.

Perimenopause: When the first major biological change occurs around the age of 40, which could be any time between the ages of 40 and 55, in the ovaries, contributing to the dormancy of this organ via a slowdown in the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This is also the act of falling asleep when you start to feel that success is important in life.

Menopause: More than 75 percent of menopausal women experience night sweats when sleeing when the brain awakens to decrease the levels of estrogen and progesterone that cause hot flashes. Through menopause the hormone that aids sleep is depleting, leading menopausal women to wake up frequently and have trouble falling back asleep. Having a problem falling asleep is one of the early symptoms of menopause.

Post-menopause: Unfortunately, even after hormones stop going up and down, sleep problems still persist. Hormone imbalances continue to affect quality of sleep. Moreover, after menopause, about 10 percent of women have problems due to thyroid insufficiency known as hypothyroidism. This means a reduction in thyroid hormones, which may cause weight gain that may result in snoring and sleep apnea – breathing problems during sleep, a dangerous irregularity. The decrease of this hormone may result in the narrowing of airways, causing sleep apnea.

What can be done about these symptoms? First, create and follow a program that includes healthy and melatonin-rich foods that contribute to sleep. Melatonin supplements might be an option, but no more than 5 milligrams taken about two hours before bedtime. Melatonin literally pulls the curtains in your bedroom. It tells the body that the sun is gone and it is time to sleep. While getting ready for bed wear light pajamas and use light sheets that dry easily to wick the moisture from your skin. Choose darker colors for your sheets instead of light ones. Research indicates that estrogen levels can be reduced and hot flashes controlled with a plant-based, high-fiber, low-fat diet. The sooner one starts this type of diet – even in one's 20s – the better hot flashes can be controlled in the future. It's never too late to start. On the other hand, research indicates that 40 milligrams per day of the herbal supplement black cohosh helps women cope better with the symptoms of menopause. In addition to a healthy diet, exercise is a must. Exercise aids weight lose or maintaining a healthy weight. Try using special pillows that are designed to assist keeping airways open during sleep and stop snoring. If you experience the symptoms of sleep apnea such as chronic and severe snoring, shortness of breath and choking, consult a sleep specialist who can suggest special treatments that keep airway open during sleep.Depression during the transition into menopause is another problematic issue. Research shows that feeling sad and depressed is more common for women in the menopause transition period, but very little research shows an increase in depression that requires treatment. However, depression is more common if the transition period is prolonged at more than 27 months.

There are many opinions about why women going through menopause are more depressed. This may be a consequence of different events happening in the body, from hormonal changes to interruption of daily routine due to the symptoms themselves.

Hormones play a role in the increase of endorphins, the happiness hormone that plays a role in reducing the intensity of pain in the body. Thus, changes in a woman's hormones will affect their mood in either a positive or negative way. Serotonin receptors in the brain, which are part of the mechanisms that affect a person's mood, increase in women who take estrogen therapy after menopause. Finally, numerous double-blind studies, long-term surveys and long-term analyses indicate that the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause affect the mood. The best thing to do is to cope with them instead of running away.