WHY HORMONES AFFECT WOMEN’S SLEEP
Let’s talk about sleep and why it is so important. Research shows that women need more sleep than men and that they also tend to sleep slightly longer than men, by just over 11 minutes. While men and women have biological differences, such as hormone production, they also play different roles. Women are more likely to wake up to take care of others in a household and are often juggling home life, work, and social responsibilities, which results in less undisturbed, quality sleep.
Hormonal shifts in menstruation and menopause may also make women more susceptible to sleep issues and sleep disorders throughout their lives. Hormonal changes can lead to symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats that can interfere with sleep. According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep disturbances vary from 16%–42% before menopause, 39%–47% during perimenopause, and 35%–60% of women report sleep disturbances after menopause, which can lead to anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, and mood swings. As our body ages, it produces less melatonin, the sleep hormone. This starts to happen in the lead-up to menopause and can contribute to sleep disturbances.
During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and to maintain your physical health. Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep over a long period of time can increase your risk for some long-term health issues such as…
memory issues
trouble with thinking or concentration
mood changes (anxiety, depression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts)
increased risk of accidents
weakened immune system
high blood pressure
risk of diabetes (affects your body’s release of insulin)
weight gain (chemicals that signal to your brain that your full can be affected)
low sex drive
risk of heart disease (increased blood pressure and higher levels of chemicals linked to inflammation could lead to heart disease)
poor balance
hormone imbalance (hormone production needs proper sleep)
Some short-term effects of inadequate sleep can affect…
your work
learning
how well you think
reduced alertness
irritability
daytime fatigue
poor motor skills
attention problems
So, how can we get more shut-eye? Here are some recommendations to get a proper 7-9 hours of sleep, which is what is needed for most people between the ages of 18 and 64.
Create a sleep sanctuary - make your bedroom a calm and relaxing space. Don’t have things like a TV in the bedroom to keep you up at night.
Light Viewing - within 30 minutes of waking up, go outside and view sunlight for 2–10 minutes. Doing this daily triggers healthy cortisol release to promote wakefulness and starts our timer for melatonin. Light viewing has a strong impact on alertness and the capacity to fall asleep and, even better, stay asleep all night.
Pink noise - this is essentially a bass-boosted white noise where the amplitude decreases as the frequencies get higher. This is considered a balanced white noise that many people are comfortable with and sounds similar to the rumble of a thunderstorm. It has been proven to help people sleep.
Try a sleep mask - this blocks out external stimuli and distractions. This allows you to focus on falling asleep and reaching REM sleep
No phone before bedtime - the blue light emitted by your phone restrains the production of melatonin (the hormone that controls your sleep cycle), which makes it difficult to fall asleep. Putting your phone on DO NOT DISTURB also allows you not to be distracted by texts and phone calls.
Stick to a routine - going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning reinforces your circadian rhythm (biological clock) and helps your body run more efficiently. Sorry, this includes the weekends.
Avoid heavy meals within 3–4 hours prior to bedtime - this gives your body time to digest your food, so you’re not up at night with indigestion or acid reflux. It helps you stay asleep at night.
Exercise regularly - according to Hopkins Medicine research, doing a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise decreased sleep complaints and insomnia in patients. The effects of aerobic exercise seemed to be similar to people who took sleeping pills.
No caffeine starting in the early afternoon - caffeine is designed to keep you awake and alert. It is quickly absorbed and distributed throughout the body, including to your brain. Caffeine blocks sleep-promoting receptors in your brain called adenosine receptors.
Meditation before bed - there are plenty of apps now available that have specific meditations for sleep or to help you wind down before bedtime. Meditation is a wonderful way to not only calm and focus your mind but also relax your body.
Magnesium - not only can magnesium help you get to sleep, it also plays a part in helping you achieve deep and restful sleep. You can take a supplement or eat more magnesium-rich foods such as leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, collard greens, turnips, and mustard greens), nuts (almonds, cashews, brazil nuts), dark chocolate, avocados, legumes, tofu, seeds (flax, pumpkin, chia), quinoa, oats, barley, fish (salmon, mackerel, halibut), and bananas.
Yoga - Two of my favorite Yin yoga and Restorative yoga poses for better sleep are: Wide-knee child’s pose (Balasana), Reclining Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana), and Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani). Remember to relax into the pose and just breathe.
Traditional Chinese Medicine - Acupuncture has been found to be highly effective in supporting sleep, as well as herbs, Chinese food cures, and Qigong. In Chinese medicine, it is believed that sleep issues are caused by an imbalance of Yin and Yang energy. Yang energy is connected with movement and doing. As Western culture lives a more Yang energy lifestyle, it becomes harmful when it falls out of balance with Yin (slowness, quiet).
Supplementation Dr. Lara Briden, ND, recommends one or more of the nutritional supplements that calm GABA receptors in the brain. Vitamins such as taurine, vitamin B6, and the amino acid glycine are included in her list. While Andrew Huberman talks about a sleep cocktail, he recommends in one of his podcasts. This sleep cocktail includes magnesium (threonate or glycinate), theanine, apigenin, glycine, and GABA. **It is important to check with your health care professional (western medical doctor, naturopathic doctor, or pharmacist) before taking any supplements if you are on any prescription medications.
To set yourself up for success, I always recommend introducing one change at a time. See how it works for you, and then add another as these changes become your new routine.
Sweet dreams!
xo