Menopausal women don't have it easy. Aside from having frequent mood swings, they also experience hot flashes and night sweats, both of which make sleeping very uncomfortable. Exercise has been known to help alleviate these symptoms, but a recent study has found that regularly doing routine physical activities such as, washing the dishes and taking the dog for a walk, may be a better alternative.

In a recent study featured on ScienceDaily.com, researchers at the Pittsburgh site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) worked with women between ages 54 and 63 who had hot flashes or night sweats. The participants were asked to wear sleep monitors, and to maintain journals about their sleeping patterns. They were also asked to answer surveys about their daily chores and other kinds of tasks, were also given out.

The results showed that women with more household and caregiving activities slept better and had fewer sleep interruptions due to night sweats compared with women who only relied on exercise.

However, this doesn't mean that working out doesn't have its benefits. Exercise generally helps people sleep soundly, so women undergoing menopause may want to try combining gym activities and household chores.

(Photo by Aaron Harmon via Flickr Creative Commons)