New research has shown the benefits of regularly practicing yoga on the sleeping patterns of menopausal women.
Insomnia is one of the main symptoms of menopause and is one of the most distressing, as getting less than six hours of sleep regularly can have a number of side effects – creating a vicious circle of poor rest and anxiety.
Researchers from the Group Health Research Institute in the US assigned 249 healthy women with a 12-week course of yoga and those who managed to keep up with the regime reported substantially better sleep.
However, a group prescribed with omega-3 supplements showed no improvement in the reduction of symptoms.
Weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats and depression are other problems women facing the menopause have to deal with, but the social stigma attached to discussion around this stage of life mean many women struggle to let their partners know of the issues they face.
Lead author Katherine Newton said: “Hormone therapy is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for hot flashes and night sweats and fewer women are opting for hormone therapy these days.”
