Sleep - who stole it and how to get it back?

Over the next few weeks, I will be diving into more detail on all the pillars I outlined previously. This will hopefully create an easy reference point without overwhelming you with information.

Sleep is also foundational to all other pillars. Your mood improves with better sleep. Your food choices are less drawn to highly processed sugary options. You have more energy to exercise, etc. You feel more balanced - and in fact, your metabolism and hormones are genuinely closer to homeostasis when the sleep cycle is better.

Now, that’s easier said than done - we all know that one of the most common signs of perimenopause is affected sleep:

• Waking up regularly between 2 and 4 am

• Wired at bedtime

• Trouble falling asleep

• Light and restless sleep

• Unrefreshed in the morning

• More sensitive to stress

Hormonal fluctuations affect melatonin levels (they go down) and cortisol (they go up). Melatonin is the hormone released in the evening and signals to our body it’s time to rest. Cortisol - we spoke about it before - is the ‘stress’ hormone. It was designed to keep our body alert. 

So, there’s a valid reason why you feel like your sleep has been stolen from you. But there are ways to manage it, and although none of it will happen overnight (no, pun intended), it is possible to get your sleep back. 

Here’s my take on it: 

• The first step is to recognise its importance and make it a non-negotiable: 7h minimum. Probably more - your body will tell you exactly how much it needs.

• De-prioritise empty time ruthlessly: doom scrolling, TV time - they need to go away if they are eating into your sleep time

• Sleeping arrangements: if you are sharing a bed with your partner, you may need to have a conversation about the logistics: temperature, noise, schedules, etc. and make sure you at least find a happy medium with your partner: there’s evidence confirming women need more sleep than men, and we also sleep better in cooler spaces.

• Routine over catch-ups: there’s no such thing as banking on sleep. Our bodies recover best within a routine - meaning they prefer to wake up and go to sleep around the same time every day. I appreciate this one may be the most difficult to implement - but understand that those short, midweek nights cannot be overruled by weekend sleep-ins.

• Supplements: Magnesium and Ashwagandha are your friends. Use external melatonin with caution, and it can further impair the body’s ability to produce its own. It’s pretty useful for tackling jet lag, though!

Try these and let me know what you think. And if you would rather work with someone who is going to keep you accountable and further adapt this to your lifestyle. Hire a lifestyle coach. It may just be the change you need.