There is no question that sleep disturbances are a big part of menopause. At least 50% of postmenopausal women note sleep problems. Not getting a "good night's" sleep reduces the quality of life. Just ask the postmenopausal woman with chronic sleep problems!
There are a wide variety of treatment options, both prescription and nonprescription. Hormone replacement is the first obvious choice, but because of stroke and breast cancer risk, not as many women are using that option. Herbal remedies have been tried and reports have been inconsistent. Today, I will discuss the first of it's kind, a report, published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society in Sept 2011, using valerian in a rigorous clinical trial of postmenopausal women.
Researchers divided 100 postmenopausal women into two groups: one to receive placebo and one to receive valerian for four weeks. The researchers and the participants were blinded during the study. The women were matched for age, family size, education, occupation and economic status.
At four weeks 30% of the valerian group reported improvement in sleep quality, but only 4% of the placebo group noted any improvement. This finding was confirmed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Notably no adverse events were reported.
You have probably read in the news that not all supplements are made the same and that sometimes the amount or even the product on the label is not what is in the pill. There is a source that lists reliable manufacturers and labels. The Thompson Company in the PDR for Nonprescription Drugs, Dietary Supplements and Herbs and online, provides the testing to confirm that what the label says is what is in the pill. This is the same company that does the testing for prescription medications and publishes the PDR (Physicians Desk Reference).
Call (512-451-5788) or email www.thedoctor@owenwinsettmd.com for more information.
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