How important is sleep in your life? How many hours do you usually get to be able to function properly the next day?
My mother, Tiny, would always say sleep is for those who have passed on, and she would sleep then. She’d utter these words during one of our many conversations when I’d say she was too old to go to all-night church services, especially over the Easter holidays.
Those who attend Zion churches can relate because these services mean one leaves home on a Friday morning, and inkonzo ayivalwa until early Sunday afternoon.
Umlindelo was never my thing, and it’s one of the reasons I quit Zion. I just love sleeping.
All of us should get enough shut-eye every night as it is important for our proper functionality the next day, says Dr Alison Bentley, a sleep expert at Restonic Ezintsha Sleep Clinic.
“From puberty to pregnancy to menopause, getting good sleep is a moving target for many women,” warns Bentley. “Sleep is affected by fluctuating hormones, shifting life roles, and changing health issues and risks.
“The importance of getting enough sleep is the same no matter what your age is. It’s about physical and mental restoration from the day before, so that you are ready in all respects for the day coming. Sleep is not one-size-fits-all.
“Women’s sleep needs change dramatically over their lifetimes, but we don’t talk enough about how things like menstruation, pregnancy and menopause can directly affect sleep quality. Understanding this is key to managing sleep better and supporting women’s health overall.”
Dr Mokgohloe Phasha, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, points to new research which suggests that there may be “lasting developmental effects for children of mothers who are significantly sleep deprived during pregnancy”.
“Sleep disturbance occurs commonly in pregnancy, though it is often under-reported as women tend to accept it as the norm and therefore simply persevere in the belief that it is part and parcel of pregnancy,” she says. “While it is a common experience of pregnancy, some of the potential causes of disrupted sleep can be managed to help you get some much-needed rest during these crucial months.
“Some causes of insomnia are specifically pregnancy-related, such as severe nausea and vomiting, frequently needing to urinate because of the uterus pressing on the bladder, aches and pains associated with pregnancy, heartburn, and dyspnoea or difficulty in breathing.
“The value of sleep for fetal, pregnancy, and post-partum outcomes should not be underestimated, and there is some evidence to suggest that women who sleep for less than seven hours could be at higher risk of developing insulin resistance or gestational diabetes while their children could potentially be more at risk for neurodevelopmental delays in areas including social, emotional, behavioural, motor, cognitive, or speech skills,” Phasha adds.
Bentley says from the moment a girl starts getting her period, hormonal changes begin to affect her sleep.
“Oestrogen and progesterone, both of which are present in abundance during the menstrual cycle, can support better sleep by improving its duration, enhancing deep sleep and protecting against sleep apnoea [where the throat closes repetitively during sleep often due to a blockage in the nose or weight gain leading to lots of waking up to reopen the throat, fragmented sleep and daytime tiredness]. For women with painful periods, disrupted sleep is common, and poor sleep makes pain harder to tolerate.”
Bentley says sleep disruption can intensify dramatically during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. “A growing belly, increased night-time bathroom trips, and hormone-related nasal congestion or iron-deficiency-related restless leg syndrome can all contribute to poor sleep. About 50% of women report poor sleep in pregnancy.
“We now know that poor sleep in the third trimester is linked to a higher risk of post-partum depression, so it’s essential to get support early. Then comes menopause, where declining oestrogen and progesterone levels can disrupt sleep directly and indirectly, whether through hot flushes, mood swings, or increased risk of sleep apnoea.
“It’s not just about hormones. As we age, melatonin levels drop, which means we produce less of the hormone that tells our body it’s time to sleep. Women in their 50s and 60s often find they just aren’t as sleepy at bedtime as they used to be.”
Bentley urges alertness.
“If you never snored before and now you do, don’t brush it off. It might be sleep apnoea. By maintaining good regular sleep, one can prevent age-related changes from affecting their sleep.
"Go to bed at the right time, don’t do things that interfere with sleep [like] increased coffee consumption. Wake up at the same time ... even on holidays or when you retire to keep your sleep healthy.”
She explains that sleep apnoea can affect one at any age and the effect is the same. “Poor quality sleep with daytime tiredness or sleepiness means you are likely to get ill and have a higher likelihood of cardiac or metabolic disease and obesity,” Bentley says.
“The effects of sleep apnoea are more pronounced the longer you have it, usually increasing in age means you are more likely to get the big cardiometabolic diseases anyway and adding apnoea further increases that risk.
“If anyone has an ongoing sleep disorder ... whether it is insomnia or suspected sleep apnoea, they need to speak to their doctor about it and get a proper diagnosis and treatment. There is no quick fix that works for everyone.”
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