Читать книгу Counseling the Contemporary Woman - Suzanne Degges-White - Страница 105

The midlife years will bring on sleep difficulties for most individuals, whether male or female (Pearson, 2017). However, the period surrounding the perimenopause and menopause transition has been shown to be particularly deleterious to women’s sleep hygiene (Jones, Zak, & Lee, 2018). While severe sleep disturbances may require referral to a physician, counselors can provide assistance to clients suffering from sleep problems. Cognitive-behavioral strategies related to relaxation can be as effective as medication (Pearson, 2017). Encourage clients to utilize free, downloadable apps (such as Calm, which includes relaxation, meditation, and sleep aids; Sleep; or a white-noise generator) that provide affordable relaxation scripts and “sleep stories.” These can be helpful in moving clients toward a state of relaxation at bedtime, which is highly beneficial. Educate clients about the importance of regular sleep–wake cycles and encourage them to limit any type of electronic stimulation (such as email, Candy Crush, Twitter, and so on) that is keeping their brain from slowing down in the hour before they want to fall asleep. Some clients also benefit from basic reminders about avoiding caffeine or large amounts of liquids close to bedtime. Some clients have irrational fears about missing sleep or being unable to fall asleep; help clients let go of these thoughts and encourage them to practice exercises such as “drop that thought.” When their brains get stuck in a loop of negative thoughts about missing sleep, which are on continuous playback at night, tell them to consciously and figuratively “drop that thought” and imagine themselves picking up their negative thought and “dropping it” off the edge of a cliff or the earth. The more clients are able to relax at bedtime, the more likely it is that they are able to drift off to sleep.

Not only does inadequate sleep decrease subjective well-being and mood, it is also linked to a greater risk for obesity (Jean-Louis et al., 2014). With the cultural messages regarding youth, size, and beauty, women’s aging bodies may be a significant cause of emotional distress.