Menopause Sleep Problems? Get the Best Natural Solutions

menopause sleep Oct 18, 2024

Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep can be one of the first signs that something is “off” in the reproductive hormone department. It’s one of those early signs of perimenopause that often gets missed, or dismissed as something unrelated. But then, when you look back, you realize the sleep difficulties were your body trying to tell you something. Luckily, you don’t have to live like a sleep-deprived zombie for the next ten years. Because I’m going to give you some natural solutions to your menopause sleep problems.

Let’s talk about how hormonal shifts in peri+menopause affect your sleep and what you can do about it.

Anxiety, Menopause And Insomnia

You may start to experience bouts of insomnia during different phases of your cycle early in perimenopause. For some women, perimenopause starts to rear its head as early as age 35.

In perimenopause, your progesterone levels drop sharply. And that’s a big problem for your sleep quality because progesterone is a lovely little hormone that helps you sleep.

Progesterone interacts with the GABA receptors in your brain.

GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. That essentially means it has a calming effect. So we want progesterone and GABA hanging around and encouraging relaxation if we want to get quality sleep (and less anxiety, fewer hot flashes, and less PMS too).

Speaking of hot flashes, they are another big reason sleep gets disrupted in menopause and perimenopause. It’s hard to get back to sleep when you wake up drenched in sweat and now you feel ice cold because you’re wet from head to toe.

And then there is the menopause anxiety at night. Those racing thoughts that hit as soon as you’re ready to sleep. You know, when you go to lie down and you feel overcome with worry and then run through every negative thing that’s happened in your life for the last two decades. This again, is tied to dropping progesterone, which often leads to increased anxiety.

Understanding how menopause affects sleep is the first step toward finding effective solutions. So let’s talk about how some simple lifestyle changes can promote better sleep.

Best Sleeping Pills For Menopause

The best sleeping pills for menopause aren’t sleeping pills at all. In fact, I’d argue that sleeping pills are dangerous, and you don’t want to rely on them, ever.

Instead, a thoughtfully designed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimen combined with a few lifestyle changes and sleep hygiene routines can make all the difference in your sleep quality.

The goal here is to get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night.

Here are the non-negotiables for improving sleep hygiene for menopause:

The bedroom is for sleep and sex. Period.
Get plenty of exercise. Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to improve sleep during menopause. I always say, if you’re not moving your body during the day with some exercise, you don’t get to complain about not sleeping at night. Resistance training and/or walking are wonderful tools for calming the mind and body. Just don’t exercise too late at night or it may have the opposite effect.
Keep it dark and cool in the bedroom. Dark like a tomb. Use blackout curtains, cover all LED lights and keep it below 70 degrees F.
Turn the lights down low in your house when the sun sets to encourage melatonin production.
Help your natural circadian rhythm by getting outside during the day, ideally in the morning and late afternoon and get light on your eyes so your brain knows what time it is.
Try wearing earplugs and an eye mask
Reduce or eliminate screen time before bed, yes that includes your phone and the TV in the bedroom.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekends.
Create a nice nighttime ritual that signals to your body that it’s time to sleep. For example, take a bath, have a glass of Relax Tonic, read for 30 minutes, and then turn out the lights.
Cut out or cut down on alcohol — even though it might seem like it helps you sleep, research shows it just doesn’t. It WRECKS your deep sleep. (1-8).

You don’t have to do all of these at once, but try incorporating one at a time until you’re sleeping soundly the whole night through.

I have an entire chapter devoted to engineering the perfect night’s sleep in my best-selling book, Pain-Free and Strong. Download your FREE copy of it here for help with creating a resilient body that feels amazing and serves you well into the future.

Sleep Support Supplements For Menopause

While it may seem like relief for menopause insomnia is hard to come by, there are actually several supplements that can support your body and help insomnia symptoms in menopause.

Here are some of my favorites:

Magnesium

Hands down, magnesium is the most overlooked and best over-the-counter sleep aid for menopause. You can find magnesium in many foods, from seeds to dairy and leafy greens. Magnesium is such a crucial mineral for hundreds of chemical reactions in the body — and so many women have lower-than-ideal levels. Taking magnesium at night helps promote calm. Look for 75 mg of high-quality magnesium. (9,10)

GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid)

We talked about GABA earlier and how it’s an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps your brain chill out.

GABA also helps to produce endorphins. And it signals your pituitary to release growth hormone. (11)

Many medications, like sedatives and benzodiazepines, aim to increase the sensitivity of GABA receptors in the brain. (12,13)

Taking it in supplement form could help improve the relationship between menopause and sleep — because of the relaxing, calming influence it could exert on the body. (14)

L-theanine

L-theanine is a non-protein amino acid that’s made from green tea. It’s a compound that’s well-regarded for calming the mind and helping you feel relaxed. L-theanine is a stress-buster, sleep supporter, and all-around feel-good supplement. (15-17)

One animal study found that when l-theanine was combined with GABA, both sleep duration and REM sleep increased. (18)

Myo-inositol

Myo-inositol is such an underrated choice for perimenopausal and menopausal women. If you’re still cycling, it helps support ovulation (which is your body’s natural source of progesterone, a hormone that massively supports sleep) and more regular cycles. (19) Myoinositol also supports healthy blood sugar balance, which can be a sneaky source of sleep disruption. Overall, it’s a hormonal insomnia winner.

Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid, and it may interact with GABA receptors in the brain to help support relaxation. (20) Taurine is also thought to support melatonin production, healthy levels of inflammation, and brain health. (21,22) Researchers are also beginning to think that a loss of taurine is associated with aging-related diseases. (23)

My Relax Tonic elegantly combines all of these menopause sleep support superstars to help put menopause sleep problems where they belong — in the bin.

Sleep And Adrenal Health

When you feel extra tired all day, and then seem to get a second wind at night, that can be a sign that your adrenals need some extra support.

Adrenal health is crucial in menopause and perimenopause because when your ovaries are slowing down in the reproductive hormone department, your adrenals can serve as a backup generator of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Your body then takes DHEA and turns it into more hormones…which can make the whole menopausal transition so much smoother.

Plus, when your adrenals are behaving the way they should, they can help support your sleep-wake cycle and give you boundless energy during the day.

My #1 favorite sleep hack isn’t for “sleep” at all — it’s an adrenal support supplement that you take in the morning so your adrenals can do their job properly…and you can get to sleep at night. My Resilience supplement is designed to support adrenal health, which plays a role in overall well-being. Check it out here.

HRT For Menopause Sleep

HRT can be a game changer in menopause and perimenopause. I break down my thoughts on it in this podcast episode:

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) involves using pills, patches, creams, gels, and pellets of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone to help ease the hormonal imbalances that lead to sleep disturbances in menopause.

But you’ve got to be careful, as with any intervention. Introducing hormones into a metabolically compromised body could lead to issues.

That’s why I also recommend using HRT in conjunction with other lifestyle changes and dietary adjustments.

This is also where I believe GLP1 agonists can be a game changer to help clean up the metabolic milieu so the body is better equipped to handle HRT.

I break down how I use GLP-1 agonists and HRT to feel fantastic in menopause in my GLP-1 Done Right University course. Enroll here.

Menopause Sleep Problems Natural Remedies

When you combine an insulin-sensitive lifestyle that includes strength training for menopause with the right natural sleep supports, and maybe even just a sprinkle of GLP-1s, you could say goodbye to perimenopause and menopause sleep struggles.

It’s important to get a handle on your sleep, because it really is the foundation of your health. Integrate the suggestions I’ve made in this article, stick with them, and enjoy deeper, sounder sleep in menopause and beyond.

For an all-in-one sleep support supplement that tastes amazing and is fun to indulge in at night, be sure to check out my Relax Tonic > HERE.

Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog/podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. While Dr. Tyna Moore is a licensed doctor, she is not the reader’s or listener’s personal doctor. Individuals should always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about treatments, supplements, sauna use, or significant changes to their exercise routine. The benefits of strength training and other exercise interventions can vary among individuals, so personalized advice is essential to avoid potential injury. Professional medical advice should not be disregarded or delayed because of something read or heard in this content.

This blog/podcast may contain affiliate links, meaning Dr. Moore may earn a small commission if purchases are made through these links, at no additional cost to the consumer. Links to Dr. Moore’s courses and supplements are provided for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Statements about supplements and products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Individual results may vary.

Use of this content does not establish a doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Tyna Moore. Readers and listeners are advised to consult a licensed healthcare professional for personalized medical guidance.

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