Period insomnia is something that many women experience. They feel restless and unable to sleep at night, either due to menstrual cramps or worries. Insomnia worsens the already weakened state during menstruation, so it is important to properly regulate the menstrual cycle.
Methods to Help Sleep During Menstruation
1. Apply Heat to the Abdomen
If you are experiencing pain, cramps, or muscle tension, you can apply heat to your abdomen to relieve discomfort. Remember that the temperature of the heat should not be too high, and the duration should not be too long.
2. Abdominal Massage
In addition to applying heat, massaging your abdomen can also help alleviate discomfort. You can use lotion or essential oils and massage your abdomen clockwise, which can also help with bowel movements.
3. Lower the Room Temperature
Raised body temperature can disrupt sleep. Therefore, you can lower the room temperature to make yourself feel cooler and avoid restless sleep.
4. Exercise
Although you may feel physically uncomfortable and have muscle pain, exercise can help relieve muscle tension, expend energy, and make it easier for you to fall asleep, thus avoiding sleep problems.
Recommended Diet During Menstruation
1. Ginger and Coix Seed Porridge
Ingredients: 10g dried ginger, 10g mugwort leaves, 30g coix seeds.
Instructions: Boil the first two ingredients, extract the juice. Cook the coix seeds until 80% cooked, then add the ginger and mugwort juice and cook until fully cooked.
Effects: It warms the menstrual flow, disperses stasis, dispels cold, removes dampness, and moisturizes the skin. Suitable for cold and dampness causing painful menstruation.
2. Dried Plum and Brown Sugar Drink
Ingredients: 15g dried plums, 30g brown sugar.
Instructions: Put the dried plums and brown sugar in a pot, add one and a half cups of water, simmer until reduced to one cup, remove the residue, and drink warm.
Effects: It nourishes the blood, stops bleeding, and improves skin complexion. Suitable for excessive menstrual flow in young girls or functional uterine bleeding.
3. Black Fungus and Red Date Drink
Ingredients: 30g black fungus, 20 red dates.
Instructions: Rinse the black fungus and red dates. Remove the pits from the red dates. Boil both ingredients in water, remove the residue, and drink.
Effects: It tonifies the middle, invigorates Qi, nourishes the blood, stops bleeding, and improves skin complexion. Suitable for excessive menstrual flow, anemia, and weakness.
Notes for Regulating Menstruation
1. Avoid eating spicy foods
In the hot summer, having some cold drinks or frozen beverages is refreshing, but during menstruation, the pelvic area and vagina may become congested. Consuming spicy or stimulating foods can cause contractions and spasms of the uterus and pelvic blood vessels, leading to menstrual pain or even amenorrhea.
2. Keep warm
During summer, many people love to use air conditioning or fans while sleeping. However, women have lower resistance during menstruation and are more prone to catching cold, which can cause menstrual pain or even trigger arthritis. Therefore, it is important for women to keep warm during menstruation.
3. Avoid cold showers
Women should avoid taking cold showers during menstruation, especially cold baths. The shedding of the endometrium during menstruation dilutes the acidity in the vagina, making it less effective in inhibiting and killing bacteria. Cold water contains more bacteria, which can easily invade the reproductive organs and cause internal infections.
4. Avoid intense exercise
Many people love exercise, but strenuous activities such as high jump, long jump, running, or playing soccer are not suitable for women during menstruation. Intense exercise can disrupt hormonal balance and cause menstrual irregularities. Girls with severe menstrual pain or genital inflammation should temporarily suspend physical activities during their period.
