Why Sleep Becomes an Issue during Peri-menopause

If you are over 35 and you are struggling with sleep, it’s official, you are in peri-menopause!

Peri-menopause is the time period before menopause, (any time after 35, everyone is different) where your hormone levels start to shift and change. Hormones are chemical messengers that coordinate different functions in your body like your metabolism, your sleep and your menstrual cycles to name a few. Several glands, organs and tissues make and release hormones, and this is what we refer to as your endocrine system.

Why is Sleep Impacted?

There are a number of possible reasons for the increase in sleep problems at this time.

Hormonal Changes

Melatonin is a hormone your body releases into the bloodstream to promote a regular sleep-wake cycle and as you age and your body releases less and less melatonin, especially over 50. [Study]

Estradiol – a form of estrogen – is another hormone that can be involved in sleep problems during peri-menopause. For example, a fall in estradiol levels – common during the menopausal transition – is linked with poorer sleep quality [study].

Additionally, studies show that sleep quality tends to deteriorate as FSH levels rise – which is also common during the menopause transition. (FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone, plays a key role in the menstrual cycle.)

2. Temperature Changes

Hot flushes or sweats at night time frequently trigger awakening during the night, and often women will struggle getting back to sleep or find themselves changing clothes in the night! I’m sure you are wondering if you can change this and know that you can! If your gut, liver and digestion are all at their best, you may not notice as many hot flashes!

My top 4 tips:

1. I Stay cool with breathable clothing and bedding to help reduce or stop hot flashes.

2. Change your relationship with Stress

3. Limit the following foods: spicy foods, caffeine, chocolate, soy, and alcohol. Perhaps keep a journal to find out what may make your hot flashes worse, and work to avoid those triggers whenever possible.

4. Increase liver loving foods like bitter foods + raw cruciferous veggies and work on gut health!

5. Get tested to see what your hormones are doing! You can set up a free Strategy Call to figure out the right one for you.

3. Increased Mood Symptoms

Women commonly experience heightened anxiety and low mood. as Progesterone levels starts to drop. This is often the first hormone that starts to shift and is important for keeping you cool, calm and collected. Low progesterone may cause irregular or absent menstrual cycles, mood changes (particularly anxiety or depression), hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and headaches or migraines in women who aren't pregnant. If you go to your Dr. about this, you will likely walk away with a script for anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds. Just know that this isn’t fixing the problem. I’m not against them but I don’t believe you need to jump to this solution before you dig deeper. I’m a fan of the Dutch Hormone test first…to address gaps and then target supplementation. There is a lot you can do to support progesterone levels. Or a natural bio-identical can also be a good choice. I can help you in my Discover Your Balance Coaching should you decide to dig deeper.

4. Stress

Women over 35 can often experience more stress and worry based on this phase of life for a number of reasons. This stress can also lead to issues with sleeping due to the impact of cortisol, also a hormone and how it connects to all of the other hormones doing their thing in your body. When one is out of balance, the entire body won’t feel balanced. Remember the symphony example? All musicians (hormones) need to be on ‘key’ for the song (body) to sound perfect. So reframing stress and or how your body responds to it is key. (that’s another blog).

More on this in my video below!

5. Metabolic Health and Glucose

In the graph to the right, you’ll notice how your circadian rhythms

and sleep cycle shifts with the natural light.

If the body is struggling with managing glucose and insulin (hormone) levels, it impacts cortisol - which then impacts melatonin and sleep. Your body will wake you up at night if your blood sugar levels drop low. A recent study found that almost 90% of people in the united states is metabolically weak! If you already know this about yourself, consider this if you’d rather go it alone.

So understanding how to get your circadian rhythms back into the right rhythm is key!

How to Improve Sleep

1. Strategize light exposure to reset your circadian rhythms. You can start by maximizing sleep at night by ensuring your bedroom is dark. And I mean pitch black with not one tiny light coming in. This will ensure that your sleep is deep and the clean up work that happens at night is complete.

2. Eat a higher protein breakfast and have your higher carbohydrate meals for dinner. (unless you are working out earlier in the day in which case you can have more carbohydrate meals earlier in day)

3. Try using calming oils at night like lavender, cedarwood or magnolia. Or try this kit (US), or if in Canada click here, which is one I created to start getting your hormones balanced. (you will then get a free consult with me)

4. Get tested! If we know exactly what your hormones are doing, this helps us get to the cause quickly. I like to use the Dutch Test (24 hour dry urine test) with my clients because it’s the most accurate.

5. I don’t jump to melatonin before we test for it because there is usually more at play and this approach could then be considered a ‘bandaid approach’ and so you’re not getting to the root of what’s really going on!

If you are ready to consider coaching to achieve lasting change by getting to the root, check out my Rediscover Your Balance Coaching Here!