Heat helps relax your muscles, easing painful cramps so you can sleep pain-free. If your heating pad has a timer or automatic “off” feature, use that so it’ll go off after an hour or two. That way, you won’t wake up in a sweat. If you don’t have a heating pad, you can also put a small, damp towel in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds and lay it over your stomach. Just make sure it’s not too hot so you don’t burn your skin. If it is, fan it out for 1 minute.
Light some scented candles and listen to calming music while you’re soaking to soothe your body and mind. Consider adding 2 cups (256 grams) of Epsom salt or bath salts to the water to relieve tension and cramps.
Always follow the dosing directions and heed the listed warnings on the package. Don’t take OTC pain medicine if you take blood thinners—talk to your doctor about alternatives.
You can also place a tennis ball between your back and a wall and shift your positioning to break up knots and massage hard-to-reach spots. Use a scented lotion containing lavender to help calm yourself into sleep.
Stretching your hamstrings and lumbar spine can help loosen up any tight or achy muscles that may be giving you trouble during your period.
You can also place your hands on your knees and push down while you’re sitting upright to stretch your inner hip and thigh abductors. After the stretch, try flapping your knees up and down like butterfly wings to loosen up your pelvis muscles even more. For a deeper stretch while you’re leaning over, use your elbows to push your knees toward the floor.
This move will help relieve excessive bloating and pain or spasms in your lower back.
Your back should slightly rise up and down as you rotate your hips. Go slow and try to coordinate your breathe with your movements (that is, inhaling when your pelvis is tilted upwards and exhaling when your pelvis is tucked in and your back is arched).
The soles of your feet will come off the ground as you twist. Don’t focus on pushing your knees toward the ground. Be gentle with yourself; go as far as you can and stop if you feel any discomfort.
It’s easy to get magnesium from eating greens at every meal—just one cup of spinach contains 157 mg. Too much can cause diarrhea, so avoid going overboard with magnesium in an effort to ease your cramps.
Animal-based sources of B6 include milk, cheese, salmon, tuna, eggs, chicken liver, and beef. Spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, green peas, chickpeas, bananas, and avocado are great plant-based sources of B6.
Almonds, chia seeds, broccoli, kale, collards, cheese, yogurt, beans, tofu, and fortified cereals are all great sources of calcium.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can get omega-3 from walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, seaweed, algae, winter squash, edamame, and kidney beans. Consider taking a fish oil supplement if your doctor says it’s okay.
Brown rice, black rice, wild rice, quinoa, bulgar, barley, oats, and sorghum are all great alternatives to fill you up.
Yogurt and fruit and good pre-bedtime snack options. The probiotics and antioxidants will help soothe your tummy and ease cramps.
Squeeze a lemon wedge into your tea for extra protection against nausea and bloating.
Figure out something else to do instead of having a drink or a smoke. Reading, stretching, or listening to calming music are much healthier bedtime rituals to bring on restful sleep.
