Skilled Sleep For Women

Let's be real: sleep is really important, but it's hard for women to make it a top priority all the time. Whether it's kids waking you up, new insomnia during perimenopause, stress messing with your sleep, or staying up late for some "me" time, balancing it all can be tricky.

Poor sleep negatively impacts your weight loss, hormone balance, and other health objectives.

Sleep, Chronic Disease, Weight, and Hormonal Health

Sleep is absolutely vital for detoxification, repair, and keeping your body in top-notch condition! A restless night can dramatically affect your mood, energy levels, appetite, productivity, focus, and so many other facets of your emotions and performance.

Poor sleep is associated with:

• Increased accidents

• Increased inflammation

• Increased risk for chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia

• Increased all-cause mortality

• Weight gain

In a small study of healthy reproductive-age women, lower sleep duration was associated with increased energy intake (i.e., eating more calories) and weight and fat gain. The day following only 4 hours of sleep, they ate an average of 415 more calories!

Another small study found a single night of partial sleep deprivation (4 hours of sleep) increased insulin resistance, where cells lose sensitivity to insulin signals. Over time, insulin resistance leads to metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes.

It's pretty interesting that during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle and perimenopause, women have increased insulin resistance. This makes getting enough sleep (and keeping blood sugar in check) even more crucial.

Loss of ovarian hormones in perimenopause and menopause can cause sleep disturbance, as estrogen and progesterone play key roles in the circadian rhythm and sleep modulation. Increased cortisol levels from stress and poor sleep also impact weight, sleep, and various symptoms.

Integrative Sleep Approaches

The goal of sleep is to obtain sufficient high-quality rest, allowing you to wake up rejuvenated and prepared to face the day. You should have the energy to be active, prepare meals, and manage your daily health activities. Additionally, you want to feel drowsy in the evening, fall asleep effortlessly, and remain asleep throughout the night. If you do wake up, which commonly occurs after a sleep cycle, it should be simple to fall back asleep.

Here are some ideas for supporting sleep from an integrative perspective:

1. Prioritize sleep – Recognize the vital importance of sleep in maintaining your health and overall well-being. By prioritizing sleep, you can greatly improve various aspects of your life, such as hormone regulation, metabolism, and patience with children. Cultivate the habit of protecting your sleep and confidently decline activities that disrupt it.

2. Adopt good sleep hygiene habits – Sleep hygiene refers to all the daily behaviors that impact sleep. Beneficial sleep hygiene includes:

   • Daily exercise and movement

   • Exposure to natural sunlight early in the day

   • Eating well-balanced meals at regular times

   • Letting your digestion rest for 2-3 hours before bed

   • Dimming the lights in the evening

   • Limiting the use of screens before bed

   • Establishing a relaxing bedtime routine that includes reading, journaling, stretching, bathing, meditation, a gratitude practice, etc.

   • Setting a phone/email/social media curfew and sticking to it

   • Going to bed at a consistent time each night

   • Making your bedroom cool, dark, and comfortable

   
   

3. Consider herbs and supplements. Understanding the root cause of your sleep issues can help you dial in a supportive lifestyle and supplement plan to help you fall asleep.

   
   

Supplements to consider include:

• Herbs for the nervous system and stress support – passionflower, lemon balm, chamomile, lavender, oat seed, skullcap, ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, and valerian root.

  
  

• Other sleep support supplements may include melatonin, taurine, and magnesium.

4. Support hormonal health – Sex hormones, adrenal hormones, thyroid hormones, and others contribute to healthy sleep. Achieving balance can enhance sleep and overall well-being. It's important to test hormones to identify your unique patterns and create a personalized treatment plan.