Menopause - Part 3
The Hormone-Sleep Loop
Part 3: Sleep, Stress & the Hormone-Sleep Loop
Sleep: the sacred reset we crave… and yet, for so many women in midlife, it becomes elusive, erratic, or downright exhausting.
Sleep is a requirement for your health, it’s not optional. I’d argue that it’s more important than your diet, because you can live much longer without food than without sleep.
But still, we as a culture, don’t prioritize sleep. Sleeping in or sleeping longer than the bare minimum is seen as “lazy”...but why would you want more sleep if you didn’t need it???
Then, enter the hormone shift of perimenopause and menopause.
Waking at 3 a.m. with your heart racing, drenched in sweat. Tossing and turning while your mind replays every detail of the day. Feeling wide awake at night…and utterly depleted in the morning.
If you weren’t impossibly tired before….you sure are now.
In this section, we’ll explore why sleep is often disrupted during perimenopause and menopause, how stress and hormone changes create a self-reinforcing cycle, and, most importantly, how to begin gently restoring your body’s capacity to rest, reset, and rebuild.
Why Sleep Gets So Disrupted in Perimenopause & Menopause
I used to be a great sleeper, I could literally sleep through anything (including the sounds of fire trucks when a neighbour’s house caught on fire). Ever since early perimenopause hit, sleep is something I have to work at (but I can get 9 - 11 hours most nights). My mom, on the other hand, hasn’t slept a full night for most of my life. For her, 4 hours straight is something to celebrate.
No matter where you fall on the sleep spectrum, you CAN get better sleep. Well, unless you’re already getting 10 hours of deep sleep every night and are full of life all day…but you probably aren’t reading this if you’re in that category.
Your hormones have or will affect your sleep, it’s inevitable, but it’s not impossible to get a good night’s sleep.
Let’s start with what’s going on:
1. Progesterone’s Calming Influence Declines
Progesterone is often called the “natural Valium” of the body. It promotes calm by stimulating GABA, a neurotransmitter that quiets the brain and helps you fall asleep. But progesterone is one of the first hormones to drop during perimenopause.
Less GABA = less calm. Less calm = less restorative sleep.
2. Estrogen & Thermoregulation
Estrogen helps regulate your body’s temperature control center in the hypothalamus. As estrogen declines, your internal thermostat becomes more sensitive to small changes in core temperature, triggering:
Night sweats
Sudden feelings of heat
Waking up too hot, sometimes with a racing heart
These are sleep disruptors that jolt your nervous system awake, sometimes multiple times a night.
3. The Cortisol Connection
When you’re not sleeping, your body registers this as a stress signal.
This activates your HPA axis, the system that regulates your stress response, prompting the release of cortisol, especially in the early morning hours.
This is why many women describe waking between 2–4 a.m. with a racing heart, an overactive mind, or a sense of unease they can’t explain.
But here’s the deeper layer: estrogen normally helps regulate cortisol, acting almost like a dimmer switch that keeps your stress response balanced and proportional. It ensures that your body responds with just enough cortisol to manage the moment, without flooding your system.
When estrogen declines, that dimmer switch becomes faulty. The body loses its buffering mechanism, and instead of gentle cortisol waves, you get big, sudden surges, even when the stressor is minor (or entirely internal, like a blood sugar dip or a poor night’s sleep).
This leads to a state of nervous system overactivation, often mistaken for general anxiety or even panic.
This is not “just anxiety.” It’s your body trying to recalibrate in a system where the normal hormonal brakes are no longer functioning as they used to.
The Sleep–Stress–Hormone Feedback Loop
What starts as a few nights of poor sleep can quickly spiral into a loop:
Hormonal shifts cause sleep disruption
Poor sleep increases cortisol and blood sugar instability
Elevated cortisol and insulin make it harder to fall or stay asleep
The body stays in a heightened stress state, disrupting melatonin, digestion, and mood
Over time, this wears down your ability to regulate stress, cravings, and emotional resilience
It makes sense why this feels like an impossible task to fix. This loop doesn’t just affect your nights, it spills into your days:
Lower energy and motivation
Increased cravings (especially for sugar or carbs)
Mood instability
Higher inflammation
Slower muscle recovery
You may find yourself doing “all the right things”, like eating well, moving your body and still feeling stuck. Sleep is often the missing key.
Dehydration, Cortisol & the Midnight Bathroom Run
We don’t often link hydration to hormonal sleep disruption, but we should, especially in midlife.
Here’s what most people assume:
“I get up at night to pee, so I should stop drinking water after 6 p.m.”
But here’s what’s actually true:
You’re likely getting up to pee at night because your sleep is shallow, your cortisol is high, and your body is dehydrated (not overhydrated).
Dehydration = Stress for Your Body
When your body is even mildly dehydrated, it interprets this as a physiological stressor. This triggers a cortisol response, your body’s way of saying: We need to hold onto fluid, keep blood pressure up, and stay alert.
And as we’ve already explored, elevated cortisol in the evening or early morning:
Makes it harder to fall into deep sleep
Causes early wakeups
Keeps your nervous system in a light, reactive state
Why You Wake to Pee (It’s Not Just Your Bladder)
If you’re waking up to pee once, twice, or even three times a night, the problem may not be hydration…it may be sleep depth.
During deep sleep, your brain doesn’t fully register a full bladder. That signal is muted by vasopressin, a hormone that tells your kidneys: Hold onto water, we’re sleeping.
But when you’re stuck in light sleep, your bladder’s messages get through. You wake up. You pee. You go back to bed…but now your sleep cycle is fragmented.
The Fix: Hydrate More, Earlier
One of the most effective (and overlooked) ways to improve your sleep is to get properly hydrated (consistently).
Try this:
Front-load your water: Aim for at least 1–1.5 litres (32–50 oz) by early afternoon
Add minerals: A pinch of sea salt or a squeeze of lemon helps with electrolyte absorption
Ease up in the evening: You don’t need to chug water at night—but don’t restrict so much that your body goes into dehydration stress
When you hydrate well during the day, your body becomes more efficient at producing vasopressin at night, so you wake up less, sleep more deeply, and support your nervous system, metabolism, and hormones all at once.
Sleep and Body Composition: The Missing Metabolic Link
If you’re trying to change your body, whether it’s building strength, reducing inflammation, or shifting fat stores -> sleep is non-negotiable.
Here’s why:
1. Sleep is When Your Body Burns Fat
Much of your fat metabolism happens at night, especially during deep, slow-wave sleep, when:
Growth hormone is released
Insulin levels drop
The body enters a repair state
When you’re not sleeping, this process is disrupted. The body holds onto fat (especially around the belly) and becomes more resistant to change.
You can exercise and eat beautifully, but if you’re chronically sleep-deprived, your body will fight fat loss in order to protect you.
2. Poor Sleep Leads to Muscle Loss, Not Fat Loss
Studies show that even when you’re in a caloric deficit, sleep deprivation causes your body to lose muscle not fat. This makes your metabolism slower and your body composition worse, even if the scale goes down.
What you want is to preserve muscle and reduce fat, which requires deep, consistent sleep to rebuild tissue and regulate hormones like growth hormone, insulin, and cortisol.
3. Sleep Controls Hunger, Cravings & Willpower
When you’re not sleeping, your body produces:
Less leptin (the hormone that signals fullness)
More ghrelin (the hormone that increases hunger)
This creates intense cravings, especially for quick energy like sugar, bread, caffeine, or wine. It’s not a willpower problem, it’s a biological override caused by exhaustion.
In this state, your ability to make thoughtful food and movement choices is impaired, through no fault of your own.
In short:
You don’t just need to sleep because you’re tired, you need to sleep because your body literally can’t transform without it.
Gentle Support for Restoring Sleep
Let’s be clear: you don’t need to “fix” your sleep overnight. This is about gradually retraining your body to feel safe, regulated, and ready to rest again.
Here are key foundations:
1. Create an Evening Rhythm (Not a Routine)
Your body craves signals of safety, especially at the end of the day.
Think less about a rigid “bedtime routine” and more about a gentle, sensory-based wind-down ritual that tells your body: It’s safe to let go.
Remember -> Small stresses can cause a flood of cortisol now instead of a trickle, so it’s important to create a rhythm that doesn’t trigger cortisol unnecessarily.
(it can be helpful to give your loved ones some guidelines too, my husband knows that once I start heading to bed, it’s no longer time to talk through problems and stresses)
Try:
Low, warm lighting after sunset (lights on dimmers, salt lamps, candles, or dimmed lamps)
A warm bath or magnesium foot soak
Light stretching or yoga nidra (check out our yoga nidra masterclass)
Journaling or gentle reflection
Turning off screens at least 30-60 minutes before bed (or, don’t bring your phone to bed)
2. Balance Blood Sugar to Reduce Night Waking
Many women experience blood sugar dips at night, which trigger cortisol spikes and wakefulness.
To support stable nighttime blood sugar:
Avoid sugar or high-glycemic carbs late in the evening
Try a small protein + fat snack before bed if you’re prone to 3 a.m. wakeups (e.g. a spoonful of almond butter or a few walnuts)
Don’t go to bed hungry…even if you’ve “eaten enough” during the day. Your body wouldn’t be asking for food unless it needed it! Your body knows what it’s doing :)
3. Use Natural Sleep Allies Thoughtfully
These aren’t “sleep aids” in the traditional sense, meaning they don’t force your body into sleep the way sedatives do. Instead, these are restorative tools that help recalibrate your nervous system, improve sleep architecture (how deeply and how long you sleep), and reduce nighttime overactivation.
You can think of them as nutritional or botanical support for a dysregulated system and they often work best when paired with the foundational practices you've already explored: circadian rhythm support, blood sugar balance, and nervous system care.
Let’s look at each one more deeply:
Magnesium (Bisglycinate, Glycinate or L-Threonate)
Magnesium is a mineral that regulates over 300 enzymatic reactions, many of which impact the nervous system, muscle relaxation, and melatonin production.
Most people are mildly deficient, especially under chronic stress.
Magnesium bisglycinate or glycinate: Calming and gentle on the stomach; supports muscle and nerve relaxation, ideal for tension and anxiety-driven sleep disruption.
Magnesium L-threonate: Supports cognitive health, especially if you're experiencing brain fog alongside sleep issues.
Suggested dosage:
Glycinate: 200–400 mg in the evening
L-threonate: ~200 - 400mg in divided doses
Always look for the “elemental” magnesium dosage. In Canada, that’s what’s always listed. In the US, often you have to search for it, but it’s usually found on the back of the label. Most capsules are 100mg - 200mg of elemental magnesium, if it’s significantly higher than that, it’s probably not the elemental #.
L-Theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea that promotes alpha brain wave activity, a relaxed, meditative state. It reduces mental chatter, supports GABA production, and works well to soften the “racing mind” at bedtime.
It doesn’t sedate, it shifts the brain out of high-alert mode. I keep L-Theanine beside my bed if I wake up in a panic.
Suggested dosage:
100–200 mg, taken 30–60 minutes before bed
Can also be combined with magnesium or glycine
Especially useful if your insomnia is stress- or anxiety-driven.
Adaptogens (Ashwagandha, Tulsi, Schisandra)
Adaptogens are herbs that help the body adapt to stress by modulating cortisol, not suppressing it, but helping it stay in a healthy range. These are most effective when used consistently over time.
Ashwagandha: Calms the nervous system and lowers evening cortisol; best taken at night.
Tulsi (Holy Basil): Soothes anxiety, especially when mental stress is the cause of sleep disruption.
Schisandra: Supports HPA axis regulation and also protects the liver. Great for women with both stress and hormonal detox concerns.
Suggested dosage:
Ashwagandha: 300–600 mg of standardized root extract, typically taken 1–2 hours before bed
Tulsi: 500–1000 mg in capsules or as tea, earlier in the evening
Schisandra: 500 mg as a capsule or 1–2 dropperfuls of tincture, daytime or early evening
Use adaptogens daily, not just as-needed for best results, think tonic, not quick fix.
Nervine Herbs (Passionflower, Skullcap, Magnolia Bark, Lemon Balm)
These herbs are known as nervines, gentle, non-habit-forming botanicals that calm the nervous system and ease the transition into sleep. Many work by modulating GABA, much like progesterone does.
Passionflower: Quietly calms mental chatter and reduces anxiety.
Skullcap: Eases muscle tension and hyperactive nerves.
Magnolia bark: Supports deep sleep and may reduce cortisol.
Lemon balm: Uplifting, especially if mood and sleep are both affected.
These herbs can be taken as:
Tinctures (fast-acting and adjustable)
Teas (soothing, best for lighter effects)
Capsules (if you prefer measured doses)
Suggested dosages (individual herbs or blends):
Tinctures: 1–2 dropperfuls 30 minutes before bed
Capsules: Follow label—usually 300–500 mg per herb
Tea: 1–2 cups in the evening, steeped 10–15 minutes
Look for combinations in sleep formulas or create your own blend based on your specific needs (e.g. tension, overthinking, cortisol spikes).
A Note on Combination Formulas
Many high-quality supplement brands offer nighttime blends combining magnesium, GABA-supporting amino acids, adaptogens, and nervine herbs. These can be a great starting point if you’re overwhelmed.
Look for formulas that:
Don’t contain melatonin (unless guided by a practitioner)
Focus on nervous system regulation, not sedation
Are gentle enough for regular use
A Note on Melatonin
You might be wondering why I haven’t talked much about melatonin.That’s because melatonin is often misunderstood and misused.
Melatonin is not a sedative. It’s a hormone your brain naturally produces to signal that it’s time to sleep. Think of it as a starter pistol, not a sleep aid. It helps you fall asleep, but it doesn’t keep you asleep or ensure deep, restorative rest.
Why caution is needed:
Most over-the-counter melatonin supplements are far too high in dosage, typically 3–10 mg, when the body naturally produces only about 0.3 mg.
High-dose melatonin can disrupt your natural melatonin rhythm, lead to grogginess the next day, and even suppress REM and deep sleep in some people.
It may also cause vivid dreams, headaches, or hormonal imbalance with long-term use.
When it can be helpful:
For short-term use, particularly if your sleep onset is delayed (e.g., you're wide awake at bedtime but sleepy in the morning)
If taken in a very low dose—between 0.1–0.5 mg, ideally under practitioner guidance
In cases of circadian rhythm disruption, such as shift work or jet lag
If you choose to try melatonin, think microdose not megadose.
Ultimately, your goal is to support your body's natural melatonin production by:
Limiting screens and bright light after sunset
Getting morning light exposure
Supporting your nervous system, cortisol, and sleep architecture with the supports outlined above
4. Soothe the Overstimulated Nervous System
If your mind races or your heart pounds at night, your body is stuck in sympathetic overdrive.
Support the parasympathetic state (rest and repair) with:
Breathwork: Try 4-7-8 or box breathing
Legs-up-the-wall pose for 5–10 minutes
Left nostril breathing to calm the nervous system
Body scan or guided meditations
Weighted blankets or soft soundscapes
These sound WAAAAY too simple to work, but are surprisingly effective. Each signal to your body that it’s safe, and that can calm your nervous system. You’ll find more ideas in our Vagus Nerve Masterclass.
What to Expect as You Rebuild Sleep
Sleep may not return all at once. Some women see improvements within weeks; for others, it’s a gradual reweaving. The key is to work with your body, not against it.
Progress looks like:
Falling asleep more easily
Fewer night wakings
Feeling more rested—even if sleep isn’t perfect
Fewer cravings and better energy regulation
Improved capacity for healing, muscle repair, and fat metabolism
Sleep is not just where healing happens. It is a form of healing itself. Keep trying until you find your secret sauce. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting socks on at bedtime, and others times it takes some trial and error to find your perfect herbal sleep cocktall.
And -> there is a solution out there, and restful sleep can be yours :)
Up Next:
In Part 4, we’ll explore how to build sustainable strength, metabolic flexibility, and resilience through nutrition, movement, and natural therapies that support your whole-body healing.