Many women in perimenopause experience night sweats, hot flashes, insomnia, and other symptoms - but there is something you can do about it. Perimenopause does not have to mean insomnia! 


Take it from my client Emily who said:


"Things are going great. Getting to bed and falling asleep within 30 minutes now. Love it!!!"


In this article, I explain what happens to hormones that affect sleep during perimenopause, why there’s more going on than just hormones, and how to get 7+ hours of uninterrupted sleep even during perimenopause and menopause.


Read this article for yourself or share it with someone who needs it. 


Let’s get started…


What happens to hormones during perimenopause that affect sleep?


If you have symptoms during your regular menstrual cycle, then your symptoms will likely get worse during perimenopause unless you get your body back in balance.


Here’s what happens when you enter perimenopause:


  • Estrogen decreases and your regular menstrual cycle gets shorter, then longer, then inconsistent.
  • Low estrogen and low progesterone produce symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes, and insomnia.
  • When estrogen decreases, testosterone could end up higher than estrogen, which could lead to facial hair and acne, among other things. 


The point is: when you begin to enter perimenopause, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone begin to change and become unbalanced producing all kinds of symptoms, including insomnia.


But there’s more going on than just hormones. Let’s talk about it…


Why there’s more going on than just hormones


The majority of women in perimenopause have symptoms like I’ve described, but there are some who don’t. How can that be if perimenopause means a hormone imbalance?


It’s because there’s more going on than just hormones. 


The truth is: Hormones become depleted and out of balance primarily from chronic stress. 


When your body is making cortisol all the time to deal with stress, it takes those resources away from your sex hormones. 


Cortisol and your sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) are all steroid hormones, so they are using the same resources. And when you are stressed, cortisol is focused on helping you with that stress, instead of building your sex hormones. 


Some other things that can cause depleted hormones are:


  • Low cholesterol and a low fat diet (our hormones are made of cholesterol and fat!)
  • Mineral depletion
  • Gluten sensitivity
  • Childbirth and breastfeeding 
  • Birth control
  • Unbalanced neurotransmitters
  • Gut issues
  • Parasites in the gut


There’s a lot that goes into balancing your hormones during perimenopause, but it is totally possible. I’ll say it again…perimenopause does not have to mean insomnia! 


How to get 7+ hours of uninterrupted sleep even during perimenopause and menopause


There are many things that could be affecting your hormones during perimenopause. In order to get your body back in balance, we need to find out exactly what’s causing your issues.


Inside the Complete Sleep Solution program, we use assessments and functional lab testing to find out exactly what’s keeping you from sleeping normally, including what’s happening with your hormones. Then we give you a holistic plan to get your body and mind back in balance so you can get the deep sleep that you want and need. 


I run 4 functional lab tests on my clients: DUTCH, GI Map, Neuro Focus Panel, and Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). 


The DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is a comprehensive hormone test using dried urine that shows what’s going on with your cortisol, DHEA, sex hormones, and melatonin. This test also shows how your hormones are being broken down by your body which shows liver function.


The GI Map is a stool test that tells you what's living in your gut: the good, the bad, and the pathogenic. Most of our clients have some sort of overgrowth in the gut and this is a key cause of insomnia since those creatures are nocturnal. This test also gives clues about your digestion, detoxification, immune system, and more.


The Neuro Focus Panel looks at 7 key neurotransmitters so we can support any deficiencies and get you sleeping better as soon as possible.


The Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) test reveals your mineral balance and deficiencies, and it’s the key to getting your whole body back in balance so you can sleep well. It also shows how your adrenals, thyroid, blood sugar, and nervous system are functioning and it looks at heavy metals which can cause neurological and liver issues.


Conclusion 


Many women are dealing with insomnia in perimenopause, but there is something you can do about it.


When you understand what happens to hormones during perimenopause that affect sleep and what’s going on in your body other than just hormones, you can find the answers you need to optimize your health and your sleep during this time.


Sign up for the Complete Sleep Solution program, complete our assessments and functional lab tests, and implement your personalized holistic sleep plan to get your body and mind back in balance.


Ready to get 7+ hours of uninterrupted sleep consistently, even during perimenopause and menopause? Sign up for the Complete Sleep Solution program.