How To Help With Period Cramps At Night

Rest And Sleeping Position

Sleep like a baby. Literally and figuratively.

During menstruation, many women suffer both physically and psychologically. The hormonal changes create havoc in a womans body with sudden cramps and spasms, headache, nausea, mood swings, and cantankerousness.

The best way to ease cramps at night without much work is to have a nights rest. Taking adequate naps and having a sound sleep of 7-8 hours reduces the bodys stress. In case of severe back pain or cramps and spasm, it is recommended to sleep on a hard bed that provides back support instead of a soft mattress.

While the common sleep positions are either on the back or stomach, the most recommended way by the National Sleep Foundation to sleep to cope with period-induced cramps and spasms is to sleep in the fetal position by sleeping on either of the side and curling in by tucking in hands between leg with knees curled beneath.

This helps in relieving muscular stress by taking pressure away from the abdominal muscle, thereby letting the muscle relax. Another sleeping position is to keep a pillow under your knees which helps to increase blood flow and thereby reduce the pain.

For those who have trouble sleeping, it is recommended that the room may be maintained at a cooler temperature as the body temperature increases during periods, and a cooler room will help to fall asleep.

What Are Some Other Ways To Relieve Period Cramps

Realistically, most of us cant rely on yoga or sleeping positions to help ease the pain of period cramps throughout a normal day. If youre looking for other ways to make yourself more comfortable when youre PMS-ing or to pass along to your tween or teen try one of the following:

• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or aspirin.
• Apply a heating pad to your stomach or back.
• Soak in a warm bath.
• Massage your stomach with essential oils like lavender or cinnamon.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Avoid salty snacks and caffeine.

If your cramping ever feels more severe than what youre used to on your period, or PMS symptoms are interfering with your day-to-day life, it could be a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor. Otherwise, try these positions and home remedies the next time period cramps come along to well, cramp your style .

Lack Of Sleep Is Not Good For Your Body Especially On Your Period

If theres ever a time you NEED quality sleep and rest its when youre on your period. Your body goes through a change during menstruation emotionally and physically. Its important to listen to your body and get ample amount of rest. But your menstrual cycle could be affecting the quality of your sleep!

As sleep expert, Dr Neil Stanley explains, The hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which play a role in regulating the menstrual cycle, can also influence sleep. Many women report 23 days of disrupted sleep during each cycle. Some women experience more awakenings and other sleep disturbances during their premenstrual period, while other women report excessive sleepiness, fatigue and longer sleeping hours.

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/4sleeping With A Pillow Under Your Knees

Take a round pillow, which is not too high. Lie down on your back and keep this pillow under your knees. Keep your legs straight and not higher or lower in height as that can affect the blood flow.

If you do not have a round pillow, you can roll a towel or any other cloth and keep it under your knees. This will help relax your muscles and bring you at ease.

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What I Can Do To Relieve Pms

Many of the things that help ease cramps can also help with PMS. Here are some different ways to relieve PMS symptoms:

• Take over-the-counter pain medicine like ibuprofen , naproxen , or acetaminophen . Always follow the instructions on the bottle. Talk with your doctor before taking pain medication if you have an allergy to aspirin or severe asthma.

• Do aerobic exercise, like walking, running, riding a bike, swimming, or any activity that gets your heart rate up. Regular exercise is ideal.

• Do breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga.

• Get plenty of rest. Sleeping regularly every night can help with stress, mood changes, and feeling tired or fatigued.

• Eat healthy foods like fruits, veggies , whole grains, and yogurt.

• Limit fat, salt, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.

• Make sure you get enough vitamins in your diet, or take vitamin supplements. If you dont get enough calcium, take a supplement of 1200 mg of calcium daily. Magnesium and Vitamin E might also help.

• Use hormonal birth control . Your doctor can help you find a birth control method that can help with PMS.

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Take Steps Before Bed

Before you actually get into bed, Dr. Grossman suggested taking time for a little self-care to help ease cramps in general. Things like taking a bath or working out can both ease period cramps before you get into bed, she said, allowing you a restful night’s sleep.

There’s still no definite cure for PMS, but at least we now know a way to sleep a little bit sounder. So, until PMS medicine makes itself known, you can find me in fetal position hopefully fast asleep this time.

What If I Have Endometriosis Or Pcos

Period pain can be extremely severe if you have endometriosis or PCOS, but there are some solutions. Here are a few recommendations from Dweck that you may explore with your healthcare professional:

• surgical intervention

Agénor recommends doing meditations that involve diaphragmatic or deep belly breathing. This can be done in any position thats comfortable to you, with the goal of calming the central nervous system and decreasing pain sensitivity.

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What Can I Do For Cramps

If cramps bother you, you can:

• Take a pain reliever. Talk to your mom or dad or your doctor about which medicine is best for you. They can help you figure out how much to take and how often.
• Exercise! Being physically active can ease cramps, probably because exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the body that make you feel good.
• Get warm. Try placing a warm water bottle, warm heating pad, or warm compress on your belly or take a warm bath.

If these tips dont help, talk to your parent or your doctor about other treatments.

Pain Relievers When Nothing Else Works

If you feel like youve tried every solution, and youre still experiencing pain, there are a few different pain relievers you can try.

Its also OK to take over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen and NSAIDs. These anti-inflammatory medications, when taken at the correct dosage, can significantly reduce pain and menstrual flow.

However, its always a good idea to speak with your doctor if youre consistently relying on NSAIDs to ease cramps.

Want to learn more? Get the FAQs below.

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Plants That Relieve Pain

Herbal Treatment

Health practitioners may prescribe herbs to treat a womans menstrual cramps. Black cohosh, cramp bark, turmeric, and chasteberry are a few herbs that have been used. They are effective for pain relief and decreasing inflammation. Chasteberry has been used extensively in Europe for the treatment of irregular menstrual cycles, cyclical breast discomfort, premenstrual syndrome , and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Make sure your doctor knows about all of your medical conditions, medications, and supplements because herbs are not appropriate for every woman. Herbs may interfere with the action of some medications or decrease their effectiveness.

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Best Yoga Positions To Ease Period Cramping

Period cramps. Ouch. The tell-tale sign that your period is on its way! As your uterus prepares to shed its lining, your body releases prostaglandins, a type of hormone that causes muscles in your uterus to contract. Our bodies are amazing, but dang those period cramps can get so annoying. During your period, its important to listen to your body and give it what it needs. We hear from menstrual cup users all the time how using a Saalt Cup helps them keep more in tune with their cycle and actually reduces cramping! The Saalt Soft Cup, designed for those sensitive to cramping, could be the perfect cup for you to find ease and comfort during your gentle Yin Yoga flow.

Here are our top 5 favorite period-cramp easing yoga poses. These don’t take long by any means and you don’t have to be a professional yogi to do them. You don’t even have to have a yoga mat! Try them in bed as you’re waking up to get the day started on the right foot. While you try these relaxing poses, dont let a wet tampon string or pillowy pad ruin your flow. Take our quizto find the sustainable period care product thats right for you and get 10% off to make the switch to period bliss!

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If It Is Becoming Increasingly Hard For You To Deal With Period Cramps Then These Period Hacks Will Come In Handy

Period hacks are one of the most needed things during those days of the month. The most dreadful of them all is when you get severe period cramps due to hormonal fluctuations in your body. From teas to herbs, there are many tricks that can actually help you relieve period cramps, but theres one thats a sure shot winner and i.e. trying some sleeping positions.

Sleeping is a great way to relax your mind and body. Similarly, it can also do wonders, when it comes to providing relief from period cramps. Imagine yourself all the more cranky in an already grim situation, due to lack of sleep. Well, this can ruin your next morning for sure.

And not to mention, you dont want to wake up in a pool of blood thats why we want to recommend to you some comfy and easy sleeping positions to prevent period cramps.

Here are top three sleeping positions that can aid you in period cramps

1. Sleeping in the fetal position

Have you seen the fetus in a womb? Thats how you have to be all curled up. Basically, when you sleep this way, the muscles around your abdominal area get relaxed, and this provides much-needed relief for your period cramps. Also, if you sleep like this, then there are almost zero chances of leakage.

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2. Sleeping with a pillow under your knees

If you dont have a round pillow, then you can simply roll a towel and keep it under your knees. In a few minutes, you will feel that your muscles are relaxed, and you are at ease.

What Drinks Help Period Pains

• Avoid alcohol and caffeine

‘Firstly, make sure you are well hydrated by drinking plenty of water,’ says Dr Shree. ‘Consider hot drinks such as ginger or turmeric tea, for their anti-inflammatory properties which can help soothe muscle pain and swelling.’

Dr Brewer recommends coconut water. Calcium-rich coconut water can help to relieve spasms, bringing relief to digestive issues common during menstruation such as like flatulence and diarrhoea. It can also prevent water retention. ‘If you live in a hard water area, then tap water is a great source of magnesium which can relax muscle cramps,’ says Dr Brewer. Some studies have also suggested rose tea drinks.

Drinks to avoid include caffeinated drinks, which can cause water retention and bloating, and alcohol, which can lead to dehydration.

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Listen To One Of These Apps

One thing I always personally do if I wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to get back to sleep, is reach for my phone. I know this sounds bad , but hear me out I actually use it for a sleeping app. Keeping the light level on low, I click on the iSleep Easy app, which features a ‘Wee Hours Rescue’ playlist. This uses meditation and calming sounds to help you drift off back to sleep when you’re up and panicking. Most meditation-style apps such as Headspace and Calm have a selection of sleep stories or playlists to help distract you from those period cramps in the middle of the night.

However, if period pain starts to negatively affect your daily life, and is keeping you up most nights, it probably warrants a trip to the doctor. There, your GP will be able to advise you on the best plan of action for your nighttime menstrual cramps.

Natural Home Remedies For Leg Cramps At Night

Leg cramps which are also called night cramps can happen to anybody during the course of the night although the elderly and pregnant women are the most susceptible to this problem. Leg cramps or night cramps can be caused by many reasons. Because it can interfere with the sleep and make the patients uncomfortable and painful, many people want to find the relief. Treatments for leg cramps may include medical care or natural alternative solutions. However, in this article, I would like to focus only on the natural home remedies for leg cramps at night that help you to ease pain and discomfort.

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Medication For Nocturnal Leg Cramps

As with general muscle cramps, NSAIDs or acetaminophen may help alleviate pain from NLC.

In chronic cases, a doctor medication for leg cramps, including:

• muscle relaxers such as carisoprodol and orphenadrine
• calcium channel blockers such as verapamil and diltiazem
• anticonvulsants such as gabapentin

While a doctor may prescribe these medications for leg cramps, researchers have not identified a standard treatment. The evidence for the effectiveness of these medications in treating NLC is inconclusive, so more research is necessary.

How Do I Know If My Cramps Are Severe

Menstrual cramps feel like a throbbing or cramping pain in your lower abdomen. You may also feel pressure or a continuous dull ache in the area. The pain may radiate to your lower back and inner thighs.

Cramps usually begin a day or two before your period, peaking around 24 hours after your period starts. They typically last for two to three days.

Menstrual cramps can be accompanied by other symptoms, including:

• spotting between periods

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Opt For Soft Breathable Period Care

Did you know its recommended to switch to pads at night time? Even if youre a tampon user. Opt for 100% certified organic cotton pads . Synthetic, non-organic and perfumed pads can irritate the delicate vaginal area which can lead to itching and discomfort which can keep you up at night. Organic cotton is soft, breathable and many people who switch report to experiencing increased comfort. Which is just what you need when youre settling down for a restful nights sleep. To see our full range of organic cotton period care, visit our shop.

When Should We Call The Doctor

If your daughter’s PMS is severe, her doctor can help with other treatments, including medicine. Call the doctor if your daughter:

• does not feel better after trying home treatments
• seems very sad or hopeless
• ever talks about hurting or killing herself
• can’t do her usual activities because of her PMS symptoms
• has PMS symptoms that don’t go away after the first few days of her period

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Massage Therapy With The Help Of Essential Oils:

Lower abdominal massage with essential oil has soothing effect on the internal organs especially uterus. Cyprus oil is important in this regard as the massage of this oil helps in improving the blood circulation. It can be mixed with lavender oil and peppermint oil for additional benefits. How to get rid of period cramps without medicine? Massage gently with essential oils.

Dont Worry About Leaks

If you leak on your sheets itâs fine. Use a warm water bottle for cramps and you can drink an herbal tea before sleep for your headache or tummy cramps. âAnonymous, female, 22, Montevideo, Uruguay

I wear pads and lie on a towel if I am in someone elseâs house. My advice is to be overly cautious until you know how heavy your period is, but if you do accidentally bleed onto something itâs no big deal, just tell someone. I wouldnât wear a tampon overnight as you might wear it for longer than the recommended 8 hours which can be dangerous. âAnonymous, female, 18, North East England

Getting your period is an important milestone, and a happy one at that. I think we all talk about periods in such negative ways sometimes, that it makes it seem like the worst thing in the world, but itâs actually a completely natural thing, and so a beautiful one. I could give you plenty of advice, but the most important thing, I think, is to remember to not panic. Youâll get the hang of things. Donât be afraid of trying out new things, finding the right menstrual products for you. Donât be scared, youâll figure it out. Even if sometimes there is a leak, itâs not the worst thing in the world, I promise. If the blood is fresh, wash it with cold water first and then put it in the washer. I have woken up with blood stains many times before and Iâm still a perfectly normal human being. So no worries. 🙂 âMh, female, 24, Slovenia

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