Doing yoga during menopause may help treat insomnia

Taking a 12-week yoga class and practising at home has been linked to less insomnia - but not to fewer or less bothersome hot flashes or night sweats, according to scientists.

Lead author Katherine Newton, PhD, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute, said that many women suffer from insomnia during menopause, and it’s good to know that yoga may help them.

MsFLASH (Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health) Network randomised controlled trial tried to see if three more “natural” approaches - yoga, exercise, or fish oil – may help ease these menopause symptoms.

The study assigned 249 healthy, previously sedentary women at multiple sites, including Group Health, to do yoga, a moderate aerobic exercise program, or neither - and to take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement or a placebo.

Exercise seemed linked to slightly improved sleep and less insomnia and depression, and yoga also was linked to better sleep quality and less depression - but these effects were not statistically significant.

The omega-3 supplement was not linked to any improvement in hot flashes, night sweats, sleep, or mood.

The findings have been published online in Menopause.