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1st February 2016
02:43pm GMT
Ah, our periods.
Those miserable days every month when all we want to do is curl up into a ball on the sofa and binge watch Netflix while inhaling Ben & Jerry's.
We have all been there. But were you aware that you could in fact be committing a whole lot of (menstrual) sins that is making that time a month even worse than it needs to be?
Yup, it's true. Many of us are indeed making these seven period blunders regularly, not knowing it will come back and bite us – big time.
1. Skipping the Pill (more than once)
Hey, we've all forgotten to take it here and there (I know I have – I even have the baby to prove it!), but did you know that regularly missing your pill, or taking it at irregular intervals, could actually be making your PMS symptoms far more severe than they need to be (as well as severely increasing the risk of falling accidentally pregnant, of course...)? Since the pill it all about hormones, messing with these is bound to send your body into meltdown.
2. Being super-duper stressed all the time
Seriously? As if it is not bad enough that stress can, in fact, actually kill you, but did you know that it can also seriously mess with your period?! This is because stress causes your body to release cortisol—the fight or flight hormone—and that constant state can change your menstrual habits, and in many cases, cause irregular or a loss of menses. In other words; Chill. Out.
3. Not sleeping enough
I know, I know: Eight hours of sleep just isn't always possible. Said every mum ever. But here another reason you should take turns with your partner getting up with the baby (kids) at night: According to a study in the journal Health Care Women International, sleep disturbances can cause menstrual irregularities. Meaning; without enough sleep, you could experience longer periods. Ouch.
4. You drink (a lot of) coffee
UGH. Apparently the one flippin' thing that can actually lure us out of bed when we have our periods, can, in fact, lead to worse periods! (Ahhhhhhhh!)
5. You are a slave to the Wine O'Clock glass of vino
Alcohol—great for celebrating the end of a hell-ish week (or day!), is apparently terrible for your period. In fact, experts suggest that too much boozing can actually prolong cramps. Seriously; we are loosing our hope here...
6. You travel a lot
It's not that travelling is bad for your and your period per se, it all comes back to your sleep schedule, really. This especially becomes important if you regularly travel internationally, across time zones, so that your melatonin production levels are off their normalcy.
7. You work out too much (or too little!)
If you're training for a marathon or triathlon, all the claps for you. However, that daily rigorous exercising and physical stress can also lead to hormonal imbalances, which again can lead your your period being and period problems being off whack.
On the other hand; light to moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day can actually relieve your PMS struggles.
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