How to Reduce Length of Menstrual Cycle

A woman's menstrual cycle can become long or irregular, but they all have to do with a delayed or nonexistent ovulation. This can make trying to conceive especially difficult because the woman might not know when she is most fertile. This can also add stress to the life of a woman who does not wish to have a baby yet because the delayed menstruation may make her think she is pregnant. It could also become a headache trying to predict when your delayed period will begin, living in anticipation of a messy event that still may be weeks away. If you are having long menstrual cycles, there are ways to speed up your reproductive system and make your cycle more regular.

Instructions

• 1

  Evaluate your eating habits. If your body is not getting proper nutrition, it may be avoiding ovulation because it knows your body is not healthy enough to support a growing fetus. Include more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fiber and protein in your diet to see if your cycles begin to even out. According to Kate Singer, author of "The Garden of Fertility," specific foods can sometimes be the culprit, such as soy, sugars or excessive amounts of caffeine.

• 2

  Get seven to eight hours of sleep. When you are sleep-deprived, no part of your body functions at its best, including your reproductive cycle. Make sure your sleep schedule is refreshing and regular, and your menstrual cycle will follow suit.

• 3

  Experiment with night-lighting. Women's cycles used to regulate themselves according to the fullness of the moon. Thanks to the abundance of artificial light today, women no longer enjoy this biological quirk naturally. Invest in some thick curtains or an eye mask for bed time. Make sure you sleep in darkness for days 1 through 13. Flip on a night light for days 14 through 17, then go back to darkness for the rest of your cycle. This light pattern should affect your pineal gland while you are sleeping, effectively regulating your menstrual cycle.

• 4

  Relax. Your body knows when you are stressed out, and it will not give you the opportunity to conceive if it thinks you are not emotionally ready to care for a child. If you are operating under a great deal of pressure on a daily basis, your body will either wait to ovulate until you mellow out, or it will simply skip ovulation altogether. If you want shorter and regular monthly cycles, learn some breathing techniques, buy some slow and dreamy music, or sign up for yoga.

• 5

  Moderate your weight. If you are considerably underweight, your body will not ovulate. Women need to be a healthy weight to provide nutrition for a fetus. If you are barely getting enough calories to keep yourself running, your body won't chance you getting pregnant and needing enough food for two.