Sleep & Hormones: Why You’re Tired But Can’t Sleep (and What to Do About It)


You spend your day accomplishing, and when it’s finally time to rest and rejuvenate, your mind is alert, your body won’t settle, and sleep feels just out of reach.
It’s not just frustrating, it’s disruptive to your energy, focus, and long-term health.

For many women in midlife, hormonal changes, stress patterns, and lifestyle factors intersect in a way that interferes with deep, restorative sleep, even when you feel you’re doing everything “right.”

Understanding the why behind your sleep disruption is the first step to reclaiming your energy, and feeling more like yourself again, as well as, staving off a slew of chronic diseases. When you begin to work with your body, rather than against it, sleep becomes a tool for renewal, not another challenge to navigate.


What’s Really Going On: The Hormone-Sleep Connection

1. Estrogen & Progesterone Decline = Poor Sleep Quality

As estrogen and progesterone levels begin to drop in perimenopause and menopause, your natural sleep architecture changes.
  • Estrogen helps regulate body temperature and serotonin production, its decline can cause night sweats, hot flashes, and mood changes that disturb sleep [1].

  • Progesterone has a calming, sedative effect, so when it drops, falling and staying asleep becomes harder [2].

2. Cortisol Imbalance = Wired at Night, Crashed in the Morning

Chronic stress, poor blood sugar balance, and a disrupted circadian rhythm can spike evening cortisol, keeping your body in a fight-or-flight state just when it should be winding down [3].

3. Melatonin Drops With Age

Melatonin is your body’s natural sleep hormone. Levels begin to decline in midlife, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep, especially if you’re exposed to artificial light at night [4].


The Impact of Poor Sleep on Midlife Health

Sleep isn’t just rest, it’s the body’s main healing and repair mechanism. In midlife, disrupted sleep is tied to:

  • Increased belly fat and insulin resistance [5]

  • Heightened anxiety and irritability

  • Brain fog and poor memory

  • Increased risk for cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline [6]

Your body can’t balance hormones, regulate weight, or build resilience without consistent, high-quality sleep.


What You Can Do Today: Sleep-Supportive Steps That Work

1. Reset Your Circadian Rhythm with Morning Light

  • Aim for 10–15 minutes of sunlight within 1 hour of waking to anchor your internal clock.

  • This helps regulate cortisol and melatonin, promoting better energy in the morning and deeper sleep at night [7].

2. Eat for Blood Sugar Balance

  • Avoid sugar and refined carbs at night as they spike blood sugar and cortisol.

  • Prioritize a light, protein-rich dinner with healthy fats and complex carbs to keep your body stable through the night.

3. Wind Down Without Screens

  • Artificial blue light from our screens suppresses melatonin.

  • Set a digital sunset: no screens 1 hour before bed, and consider using blue-light blocking (amber colored) glasses. .

4. Try a Nervous System Reset Ritual

  • Practice slow, diaphragmatic breathing, legs-up-the-wall pose, or guided meditation to shift into parasympathetic mode.

5. Support Your Sleep with Gentle Supplements (always check with your provider)

  • Magnesium glycinate

  • L-theanine.  (Fun fact, green tea is a great, natural source; of course, it also has caffeine, so best to drink it during the day, before 2pm)

  • Herbal blends like valerian, ashwagandha, and passionflower, and essential oils like lavender

  • Time-released melatonin (low dose, used sparingly)

Conclusion

Sleep is not a luxury, it’s a critical foundation for hormone balance, energy, and longevity.

If you’re feeling the effects of disrupted sleep, the next step isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about aligning your biology with rhythms that support deep rest and sustainable energy.

With the right strategies, you can transform your nights, and in turn, your days, so you wake up ready to lead, create, and thrive.

Looking for a personalized sleep strategy that works with your hormones?

Book a Free Discovery Call to explore how The Svasta Method can help you reset your sleep, reclaim your energy, and feel fully supported in this next chapter.



References:

  1. Polo-Kantola P. Sleep problems in midlife and beyond. Maturitas. 2011;68(3):224–232.

  2. Shaver JL, Woods NF. Sleep and menopause: a narrative review. J Women's Health. 2015;24(10):752–762.

  3. Meerlo P, Sgoifo A, Suchecki D. Restricted and disrupted sleep: Effects on autonomic function, neuroendocrine stress systems and stress responsivity. Sleep Med Rev. 2008;12(3):197–210.

  4. Pandi-Perumal SR, et al. Melatonin: Nature’s most versatile biological signal? FEBS J. 2006;273(13):2813–2838.

  5. Spiegel K, Tasali E, Penev P, Van Cauter E. Sleep loss and obesity: how lack of sleep can cause weight gain. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007;3(5):519–528.

  6. Yaffe K, et al. Sleep-disordered breathing, hypoxia, and risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in older women. JAMA. 2011;306(6):613–619.

  7. Wright KP Jr, et al. Entrainment of the human circadian clock to the natural light-dark cycle. Curr Biol. 2013;23(16):1554–1558.