Sleep Like a Queen (Without Counting Sheep)
Waking Up at 3 AM Like Clockwork? You’re Not Alone.
If you’re waking up in the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling, and wondering why your brain has decided that now is the perfect time to reanalyze every awkward conversation from 2003—you’re not alone.
Welcome to midlife sleep struggles. The place where you’re exhausted all day, wired at night, and running on caffeine and sheer willpower.
But here’s the good news: This isn’t just “aging.” Your sleep struggles actually have a lot to do with your hormones—and once you understand what’s happening, you can fix it.
Why Sleep Goes Sideways in Perimenopause & Menopause
Before you blame your mattress (again), let’s talk about what’s really happening inside your body. Your hormones control everything from falling asleep to staying asleep—and when they start shifting, so does your ability to get a full night’s rest.
Here’s the breakdown:
🔥 Estrogen & Sleep: Estrogen helps regulate body temperature (goodbye, night sweats), boosts serotonin (your feel-good neurotransmitter), and keeps your circadian rhythm on track. As it drops, sleep quality suffers.
💤 Progesterone & Sleep: Progesterone is your natural sedative. It calms the nervous system and promotes deep, restorative sleep. When levels decline, falling asleep gets harder and staying asleep feels impossible.
🚀 Cortisol & Sleep: Cortisol should be high in the morning (to wake you up) and low at night (to help you sleep). But stress, blood sugar swings, and midlife hormone shifts can throw it completely off, leading to wired-but-tired energy, 3 AM wake-ups, and exhaustion by noon.
So if you’ve been blaming your coffee habit for your bad sleep, think again. Your hormones are calling the shots.
How to Reset Your Sleep (Without Popping Melatonin & Hoping for the Best)
Now that you know why sleep is a mess, let’s talk about how to fix it.
1. Balance Blood Sugar Before Bed 🍫🚫
That glass of wine or late-night snack might seem harmless, but if your blood sugar spikes and crashes overnight, your body will wake you up.
✅ Fix it: Eat a protein + healthy fat combo before bed (like almonds or Greek yogurt) to keep blood sugar stable.
🔬 Science Check: Research shows that stable blood sugar supports melatonin production and reduces cortisol spikes at night. (Source)
2. Light in the Morning, Darkness at Night ☀️🌙
Your circadian rhythm is a diva—it needs clear signals about when to be awake and when to power down.
✅ Fix it:
Get outside in the morning (even for 10 minutes) to signal "wake up" to your body.
Dim the lights at night and ditch screens at least an hour before bed (blue light suppresses melatonin).
🔬 Science Check: Exposure to natural morning light has been shown to reset circadian rhythms, reduce sleep latency, and improve overall sleep quality. (Source)
3. Magnesium: The Sleep Mineral 🧘♀️💤
If you’re waking up in the middle of the night or feeling anxious at bedtime, magnesium might be your new best friend.
✅ Fix it:
Try magnesium glycinate or magnesium threonate (best for sleep & brain function).
Take it 30-60 minutes before bed to help muscles relax and quiet the mind.
🔬 Science Check: Studies show that magnesium reduces cortisol, promotes deep sleep, and helps regulate melatonin. (Source)
4. Keep Your Room a Cool, Dark Cave 🏕❄️
If you’re waking up hot and sweaty, your body temperature is disrupting deep sleep.
✅ Fix it:
Keep your room at 65-68°F (18-20°C).
Use breathable sheets and moisture-wicking pajamas.
Try a chilling pad for your bed if night sweats are waking you up.
🔬 Science Check: Research confirms that cooler sleeping temperatures improve sleep efficiency and reduce nighttime wake-ups. (Source)
5. Manage Cortisol Before Bed 🧘♀️📖
If your brain turns into a stress-filled tornado at night, your cortisol is too high.
✅ Fix it:
Do a 5-minute breathwork session before bed (like 4-7-8 breathing).
Journal or brain-dump stressors before shutting down.
Avoid doom-scrolling on your phone (because your emails will still be there tomorrow).
🔬 Science Check: Mindfulness practices have been shown to lower cortisol and improve sleep quality. (Source)
Final Thoughts: Your Sleep Makeover Starts Tonight
You don’t have to accept midlife sleep struggles as your new reality. Once you understand how hormones, blood sugar, light exposure, and stress impact your sleep, you can start making small changes that actually work.
And the best part? You don’t need to rely on sleeping pills, wine, or counting sheep.
🚀 Ready to take back control of your sleep, hormones, and energy?
Join Midlife Unfiltered, my 6-week group coaching program designed to help you navigate perimenopause like a pro. I offer this program 2X per year; in the Spring and Fall. The next group starts April 10th 2025.
📌 Sign up now—because better sleep = a better you.
