Three quarters of women experience an interrupted night’s sleep when they’re on their period, research has found.
A poll, of 1,000 women who menstruate, found 53 percent get anxious at night-time when on their period and will do whatever they can for a peaceful night’s sleep.
It also emerged that of those having an interrupted night, they’re waking up to five times, spending up to 30 minutes awake on each occasion (71 percent).
Sleeping in the fetal position and wearing extra layers of clothing are among the things women do to try and improve their sleep.
When asked what’s causing these ‘period wakeups’, 38 percent said it’s because they’re worried about leaks, getting up to change their protection (30 percent) or general discomfort when lying down (25 percent).
Four in 10 (41 percent) said getting a good night’s sleep is more important to them when on their period than any other time of their menstrual cycle, and 85 percent admit to trying “period hacks” to avoid leaks and get a better night’s sleep.
These include wearing multiple pads (22 percent) and even sleeping on towels (20 percent).
The research was commissioned by Always, which has joined forces with Silentnight’s in-house sleep expert, Hannah Shore, to give advice on how to get a better night’s sleep while on your period.
She said: “Not getting enough sleep can have a profound effect not just emotionally, but physically too.
“The less sleep we get, the more our pain tolerance decreases, meaning the worse our sleep gets and the worse our cramps are likely to get. That’s why I wanted to empower women to reclaim a night of uninterrupted sleep and share my top tips to help.”
The impact of a bad night’s sleep is also felt the next day with 68 percent admitting they feel more irritable and 51 percent unable to concentrate.
And 47 percent said it takes them between a few days and a week to catch up on sleep following their period.
Half of those surveyed (50 per cent) also feel there isn’t enough awareness about the impact menstruation has on their sleep quality.
Farah Azmy, from Always UK, which has launched its Ultra Size 6 night pads, designed to help prevent leaks at night, added: ‘’We’ve all experienced period leaks during restless nights and had to deal with the period hangover the next morning.
“Sleep is so important, but even more so during your period when your body needs the rest.