Why Hormones Matter for Sleep in Peri-Menopause and Menopause

Sleep changes are one of the most common complaints I hear from women in their forties and fifties. Many tell me they used to sleep well, then suddenly they are waking at 2 or 3 am, lying there wide awake, or tossing and turning after night sweats.

This is not simply ageing. It is often hormonal.

As oestrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate during peri-menopause and then decline in menopause, the body’s sleep architecture changes. Add stress, blood sugar instability and a busy modern lifestyle, and it is no surprise that sleep becomes fragile.

In clinical practice, I regularly see women who feel exhausted yet wired, desperate for rest but unable to switch off. The encouraging news is that once we understand the hormone-sleep connection, we can address it properly and practically.

Hormones influence brain chemistry, temperature regulation, stress responses and circadian rhythm. All of these directly affect sleep.

Oestrogen supports serotonin and GABA activity in the brain. These neurotransmitters promote calmness and help initiate sleep. When oestrogen fluctuates or declines:

• Falling asleep may take longer
• Night waking becomes more frequent
• Anxiety can increase
• Deep restorative sleep may decrease

Oestrogen also helps regulate body temperature. When levels become unstable, the brain’s temperature control centre becomes more sensitive. This contributes to hot flushes and night sweats that interrupt sleep.

Progesterone has a naturally calming effect and enhances GABA signalling in the brain.

As progesterone declines, many women notice:

• Lighter sleep
• Increased anxiety at night
• Feeling tired but unable to settle

This explains why some women feel physically exhausted yet mentally alert at bedtime.

Cortisol should peak in the morning and gradually decline through the day. In midlife, especially during times of stress, cortisol rhythms often become disrupted.

When evening cortisol is elevated, you may experience:

• A second wind at night
• Waking between 2 and 4 am
• Difficulty returning to sleep
• Racing thoughts

This pattern is extremely common in peri-menopausal women managing work, family and emotional load.

Melatonin signals darkness to the brain. Light exposure, stress and circadian disruption can reduce melatonin production. Hormonal changes can make this rhythm more fragile.

Supporting melatonin naturally means morning sunlight exposure, reducing blue light at night and stabilising cortisol patterns.

Sleep disruption in midlife is rarely due to one single cause. It is usually a combination of:

• Hormonal fluctuations
• Night sweats and hot flushes
• Stress and elevated cortisol
• Blood sugar instability
• Reduced deep sleep
• Anxiety and mood changes

If you would like a deeper overview of menopause symptoms and hormonal shifts, our blog Recognising the Signs of Menopause: Understanding Your Changing Body is a helpful companion read.

Let’s move to what you can actually do.

Go to bed and wake up at consistent times, even on weekends. This trains your brain when to release melatonin and when to suppress cortisol.

Morning sunlight exposure within 30 minutes of waking is one of the most powerful circadian regulators available.

For foundational sleep hygiene strategies, revisit our blog 7 Tips on How to Improve Your Sleep Naturally and use this blog as your hormonal overlay.

Balanced oestrogen and progesterone levels support calmer brain chemistry and more stable temperature regulation.

Hormotion™ Lotion Natural Wild Yam Cream is designed to support the body’s natural production of oestrogen and progesterone as the ovaries transition into retirement. When these hormones become more stable, many women report improvements not only in mood and joint comfort but also in sleep quality and night sweats.

For women navigating peri-menopause and menopause, addressing hormone balance at the source can be transformative.

Evening is not the time for stimulation. It is the time for nervous system regulation.

Instead, focus on:

• Gentle stretching
• Deep breathing
• Reading instead of scrolling
• Warm showers rather than hot ones
• Calming essential oils
• Acupressure mat relaxation

Lights Out™ Lotion Natural Sleep Cream can also be applied as part of this ritual. Formulated with botanicals traditionally used to calm the nervous system, it helps signal to the body that it is time to unwind.

Used consistently, a structured wind-down routine retrains the stress response and supports deeper sleep.

Sleep does not begin at bedtime. It begins with how regulated your nervous system is throughout the day.

If your system is running in fight or flight from morning until evening, it is unrealistic to expect it to suddenly switch off at night. Cortisol patterns are shaped by daily stress load, emotional pressure and sensory overload.

Small daytime rituals can make a meaningful difference.

Applying UnFrazzled™ Calm Body Lotion or Hand Cream as a deliberate pause, even for 60 seconds, becomes more than skin care. The aromatherapeutic blend and tactile stimulation create a moment of parasympathetic activation. Repeated daily, this helps lower baseline stress tone so that by evening, your nervous system is not as wired.

When you head into the night less frazzled, sleep comes more naturally.

A cooler bedroom supports better sleep, especially for women experiencing night sweats.

Consider:

• Breathable sheets
• Adjustable bedding layers
• Airflow or a fan
• Avoiding alcohol and heavy meals before bed

Temperature stability reduces micro-wakenings and helps maintain deeper sleep cycles.

Blood sugar dips overnight can trigger cortisol release, waking you suddenly.

A small protein-based snack in the evening, such as a handful of nuts or yoghurt, can help stabilise blood glucose levels through the night. This is particularly helpful for women waking consistently at the same early morning hour.

If you regularly wake between 1 and 3 am, Traditional Chinese Medicine identifies this as liver time. From a TCM perspective, this may indicate that the liver is under strain. From a modern physiological perspective, the liver plays a central role in hormone metabolism and detoxification.

Supporting liver function can therefore indirectly support hormonal balance and sleep. PlantEm Essentials® CleanEm Detox is formulated with whole food ingredients designed to gently support the liver’s natural detoxification pathways and daily metabolic workload. For many midlife women, this becomes an important piece of the sleep puzzle.

Regular movement improves insulin sensitivity, reduces stress and enhances deep sleep.

Avoid intense workouts late in the evening as they can elevate cortisol and body temperature.

One area often overlooked in sleep conversations is sleep ergonomics.

As a chiropractor, I frequently see women whose sleep is disturbed not only by hormones but by neck, shoulder or lower back discomfort. Poor pillow support can strain the cervical spine and cause subtle muscle tension that disrupts deep sleep.

For most people, side or back sleeping is preferable. A supportive adjustable contoured pillow that maintains neutral neck alignment can significantly reduce overnight strain. When the spine is supported properly, the nervous system settles more effectively.

This becomes increasingly important in menopause when joint stiffness and inflammation may already be present.

While this blog focuses on peri-menopause and menopause, hormonal sleep disruption is not exclusive to women.

Men also experience gradual hormonal shifts, particularly declining testosterone and altered cortisol rhythms as they age. These changes can contribute to lighter sleep and increased night waking.

Sleep apnoea is also more common in men and should always be investigated if loud snoring, gasping or excessive daytime fatigue are present.

The same foundational principles apply. Stabilising circadian rhythm, supporting metabolic health, reducing evening stress and maintaining spinal alignment all support deeper sleep.

Sleep in midlife is not just about fatigue. It influences weight regulation, blood sugar control, cardiovascular health, mood stability, joint repair and cognitive clarity.

When sleep improves, everything else becomes easier.

For women navigating hormonal transition, the most powerful approach is layered support:

• Hormonal balance with Hormotion™ Lotion Natural Wild Yam Cream
• Liver and detoxification support with PlantEm Essentials® CleanEm Detox
• Nervous system calming at night with Lights Out™ Lotion Natural Sleep Cream
• Nervous system regulation during the day with UnFrazzled™ Calm Body Lotion and Hand Cream
• Structural alignment through proper sleep ergonomics
• Circadian rhythm and blood sugar stability

When these layers work together, sleep stops being a nightly battle and becomes a natural expression of balance.

You deserve restorative sleep at every stage of life. Hormonal change may alter the terrain, but it does not remove your ability to rest deeply and wake feeling refreshed and restored.