How to Manage Drowsiness During Menstruation

Have you ever struggled with sleepiness during your period? Here, we’ll explore the causes of drowsiness during menstruation and ways to manage it.

Why Do You Feel Sleepy During Menstruation?

Cause 1: Hormonal Balance

Two hormones, progesterone and estrogen, are secreted in sync with the menstrual cycle. Progesterone has a sedative effect that can increase feelings of drowsiness. Typically, progesterone is secreted heavily from just before ovulation until just before menstruation, after which estrogen becomes more prominent. Although progesterone decreases with the start of menstruation, its effects can linger, leading to drowsiness during this time.

The brain is also highly sensitive to stress. When brain function decreases due to stress, hormonal signals from the brain can become disrupted, potentially causing progesterone levels to remain high and leading to pronounced sleepiness during menstruation.

Cause 2: Basal Body Temperature

Basal body temperature (BBT) also fluctuates with the menstrual cycle and is measured right after waking up, without moving. BBT has two main phases: a low-temperature phase before ovulation and a high-temperature phase after. It typically drops to a low phase at the start of menstruation, a shift that can make us feel sleepy, as lower body temperatures generally encourage drowsiness.

Cause 3: Anemia

During menstruation, blood flow is directed toward the uterus to aid in the expulsion of menstrual blood, sometimes creating a temporary state similar to anemia. Reduced oxygen in the bloodstream can cause brain function to slow down, impairing decision-making and leading to drowsiness.

How to Get Quality Sleep

Ensuring quality sleep is key to preventing daytime sleepiness and allowing your body and mind to rest. Here are four essential points for quality sleep:

To meet these four points, how you spend your time before bed is important. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to spend your evenings to enhance sleep quality:

STEP 1. Take a bath in 39–40°C (102–104°F) water for 10–15 minutes.

STEP 2. After bathing, do light stretching to relax your body and mind.

STEP 3. About 30 minutes before bed, dim the lights and start winding down.

Letting your favorite aroma fill the bedroom can enhance the relaxation effect, helping you aim for a better quality of sleep.

Improved sleep quality can prevent daytime drowsiness, maintain work performance, and promote overall health by balancing the autonomic nervous system and hormones. Prioritize your pre-bedtime routine to achieve better sleep.

Ways to Manage Sleepiness

If you’re feeling sleepy, a short nap of 30 minutes or less in the early afternoon can help refresh your brain. If a nap isn’t possible, try the following methods:

• Stimulate your brain by speaking

• Refresh by splashing cold water on your face or neck

• Drink cold water to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system

• Use caffeine or chew gum to stay alert

• Consume glucose for a quick energy boost

• Do light stretches to wake up your brain and body

• Press acupressure points effective for sleepiness:

- Seimei: Located near the inner corners of the eyes, slightly toward the nose

- Taiyo: On the temples, near the outer corners of the eyes

- Fuchi: At the back of the neck, near the hairline in small depressions

When sudden drowsiness hits, stimulate your brain, move your body, or change up your activities to stay alert.