---
title: "215: Still Not Sleeping? The 3-Step Fix For Adults 40+"
entity: "podcast"
canonical_url: "https://www.thesleepdetective.com/podcast/215-still-not-sleeping-the-3-step-fix-for-adults-40"
markdown_url: "https://www.thesleepdetective.com/llms/podcast/215-still-not-sleeping-the-3-step-fix-for-adults-40"
lastmod: "2025-08-13T09:00:00.000Z"
---

Are you still lying awake at night, even after trying everything? Well, the fact is sleep gets harder after 40. BUT there's a reason why and a 3-step fix that can finally change it for good. 

In this episode, you’ll learn what really causes sleep issues and how to fix them for good so you can consistently sleep 7+ hours without drugs.

[Schedule a consultation](https://p.bttr.to/3VJwvDs) to get started with the [Complete Sleep Solution program](https://thesleepdetective.com/complete-sleep-solution) so you can consistently sleep 7+ hours uninterrupted, naturally and permanently: [https://p.bttr.to/3VJwvDs](https://p.bttr.to/3VJwvDs)

00:00 Introduction: The Struggle with Sleep After 40

00:16 Who This Program is For and Who It's Not For

02:19 My Personal Journey with Insomnia

05:44 Understanding the Root Causes of Sleep Issues

07:55 Common Misconceptions About Sleep Problems

13:03 The Sleep Detective Method: A Comprehensive Approach

19:12 Case Studies: Real Success Stories

27:45 Step-by-Step Guide to Better Sleep

38:22 Introducing the Complete Sleep Solution Program

43:09 Conclusion: You Deserve to Sleep Well

Episode Transcript

[00:00:00] Are you still lying awake at night, even after trying everything? Well, the fact is sleep gets harder after 40, but there's a reason why and a three step fix that can finally change it for good. So who is this for? This is for you if you've had a hard time sleeping for months, years, or even decades and have tried multiple approaches without really getting better.

It is if you have trouble falling asleep or you're waking up in the night, and of course if you don't feel rested in the morning,

if you are tired of bandaid solutions and are ready to invest in comprehensive testing, then this is definitely for you. And if you want ongoing support and guidance through a personalized protocol based on your specific test results, 'cause that's likely what has been missing so far, and you value your health, you're ready to sleep seven to nine hours and [00:01:00] live a long, healthy, happy life without needing medication to do that.

So I also wanna say who this is not for, just so you know if you're in the right place or not. So if you're looking for a quick fix or a magic pill to your sleeping problems, this isn't for you because there really isn't one. I mean, yes, you can take medication and maybe it will work for you, but that's just covering up the symptom.

It's not getting to the root of why you weren't actually sleeping, where the reason why you aren't sleeping is because your body is unhealthy. So that does take a little bit of time to get your body back in balance so you can sleep normally. But the good news is that then it is a permanent fix and you don't need to depend on medication and deal with the side effects of medication.

If you want results without actually doing the work or following recommendations, obviously this isn't for you If you're satisfied with just managing your sleep issues rather than solving them permanently. [00:02:00] If you're not ready to invest in comprehensive testing to find the actual root causes of why you can't sleep, so let's talk about.

My story for a minute, because I was where you were many years ago. So for two years, starting in late pregnancy, but it didn't go away after my son was born, after he was sleeping through the night, after I became a pediatric sleep consultant to help parents with their baby sleep. I was awake from three to 6:00 AM every night, and exhausted and frustrated during the day.

I tried all the things and nothing worked. Probably many of the same things you've tried. I tried doing a bedtime routine and not watching screens, even though I watched TV for years before and was fine. I tried no caffeine late in the day, dozens of supplements, so I was actually managing the supplement department of a health food store at this [00:03:00] time, so I had access to tons of supplements that promised to help with sleep, and nothing ever worked.

I tried meditation, exercising more, exercising less, eliminating certain foods that might be causing an issue, and all I wanted to do was sleep well, like I used to. I wanted to not have to have a two hour bedtime routine, not take drugs. I wanted to get my life back, be healthy, enjoy time with my family and friends, and have the energy and motivation to help others with their sleep.

So I finally uncovered what was keeping me awake using my master's in holistic nutrition expertise in gut health. I became certified by functional diagnostic nutrition, and that gave me all the answers that I was missing. Once I heard about this functional lab testing for underlying health issues to solve sleep [00:04:00] issues, it's like this light bulb went off in my head and I was like, oh my gosh, this makes so much sense because I'm doing all the right things and nothing is helping.

There's got to be more going on. And so this certification taught me how to run these lab tests. Interpret them from an educational standpoint and then give recommendations based on the results. I found out that I had a parasite, I had hormone imbalance. I had some heavy metals like uranium, and I had too much copper.

I had neurotransmitter deficiencies like serotonin and gaba, and all of those things were affecting my sleep. It wasn't just one. It was the combination of those things. I also have since learned so much about life coaching and our mindset as far as sleep and helping manage stress. And now I've worked with hundreds of clients to get to the bottom of their sleep issue so they can sleep well too.[00:05:00] 

Now I sleep eight and a half hours most nights, just like I used to. And I've helped hundreds of clients sleep better too. So I have lots of success stories on my website of my clients who have been kind enough to come and talk about their experience in the program and how they were sleeping and feeling before, and how they're sleeping and feeling as a result of working together.

So you can find those on my website and I will talk about a few of these case studies. In the presentation today. So I'm not going to go into the harmful effects of not sleeping because I'm sure you already know that. And my goal here is not to scare you, but I think Dr. Matthew Walker, the author of Why You Can't Sleep sums it up really well when he wrote, the Shorter your Sleep, the shorter Your Life.

We know the short term effects it has on our mood, on our focus, on [00:06:00] everything, but it's also affecting our health over time. And what baffles my mind is that. There were approximately 333 million Americans with insomnia in 2022, so that's almost 73 million people every night are not able to sleep even though they want to.

And I want you to know if you can't sleep normally and you've tried what seems like everything, you are not broken. Okay? This is fixable. This is what is really going on. Your body's outta balance. And I mean this, even if you care about your health. think about my story. I was a nutritionist. I had a certification in gut health, like I have been in the wellness and health space for 20 years, and yet I still developed insomnia.

I ate well, I exercised. I, again, took supplements. I was working in a health food store that this is my passion, and yet my body still got out of balance [00:07:00] enough. That it affected my sleep. So even if you are healthy, if you can't sleep normally, your body isn't totally healthy. Now, also, your mind stress and your nervous system could be sabotaging you as well.

So it's usually a combination of a body and mind issue. And again, you haven't failed, especially if you've even gone to. Other practitioners, alternative practitioners, functional medicine practitioners, it just means that something has been missed so far. It doesn't mean you can't get better,

so this is what you think might be causing your sleep issues. Watching TV before bed. I mean, right. We're always told don't watch TV before bed. That's why we can't sleep well, there are millions of people watching TV before bed every night and sleeping just fine. Now, yes, it can affect the quality of your sleep a little bit, but it's not why you have chronic [00:08:00] sleep issues.

Maybe it's a nutrient deficiency problem. we're not thinking about this way, but it's like we're told to take magnesium or melatonin or CB, D, so maybe it's those things are missing. And the truth is a lot of my clients are deficient in magnesium or they don't have enough melatonin, but. That's not the only reason why, right?

Or else then those supplements would work. There's more going on than just low magnesium or low melatonin. Maybe it's a racing mind problem,if you're trying to go to sleep and your mind is just racing, or you're waking up and your mind is racing. Maybe that's the issue, and maybe your doctor or psychiatrist, psychologist has even told you this.

Maybe it's anxiety. but if your mind is racing at night, that can be because it's releasing hormones at night that it shouldn't be. That is making your mind race. It's not because you can't control your mind. Maybe [00:09:00] it's a mental problem, like stress or anxiety. Has anyone told you, oh, it's your anxiety that's keeping you awake.

I actually believe that if you are feeling anxious, especially at night, but anytime, if you're feeling anxious and you can't sleep, there are imbalances in your body that are causing both of those things. It's not necessarily one causing the other. it can become a vicious cycle, right? Where not sleeping leads to anxiety.

That anxiety of course, isn't helping with sleep, but there's something more going on, kind of the umbrella over both of those things. Maybe it's a medical or neurological problem. I have so many clients who have done sleep studies, they've done MRIs, they've done all kinds of things to try to figure this out, and everything comes back normal.

So I would say for 99.9% of you, it's not an actual medical problem. It's a health problem, but it's not, a medical problem that requires surgery or drugs. [00:10:00] Or you have no idea.that's how I was, right? I remember lying in bed at three in the morning just trying to figure out what I did wrong that day, trying to figure out what was going on.

And so if that's where you are, then luckily we can find out why you weren't sleeping and fix it. So none of these things are your fault that you think that it's these. Causes, right? This is what we've been told. Everything says, don't watch screens before bed. Take magnesium or melatonin, meditate to calm your mind, deal with anxiety.

All of these things. There just isn't a good reason for insomnia that is recognized by our medical system. So let's talk about your options for insomnia so far. So there's. Again, what I call the sleep rules or sleep hygiene. No [00:11:00] screens before bed, no caffeine afternoon. Have a relaxing bedtime routine.

Keep your room cool and dark, right? Those things aren't enough, or else you would not be here watching this. Sleeping pills, as I already mentioned, are a bandaid. They have side effects. They're actually sedating you, so they're masking the symptom of sleep. They aren't addressing, okay, why aren't you able to sleep?

There's CBTI, which is great at working on the mental part of not sleeping, but it's usually not enough because there is a physical reason why you aren't sleeping as well. There are imbalances in your body that are affecting your sleep, and we'll talk about what some of those are. As I talk about the different case studies.

You can go do a sleep study. I have, most of my clients have done sleep studies, and it might show that they weren't sleeping or that there's mild apnea, but it's not showing why they aren't sleeping. So again, the only solution is from these people is usually CBTI [00:12:00] or a drug. Now you can also guess at random supplements, the melatonin, the magnesium, the theanine, all the things.

but that again is guessing because we don't know what your body actually needs. So what is the answer? It is to find and address the root causes with ongoing support so that we permanently restore balance in your body so that you can continue to sleep well from here on out.

So now let's talk about the three steps. What I. Have developed as the sleep detective method. So instead of looking at one thing at a time, which may be different doctors and practitioners have done, oh, well, let's do blood work. Or, oh, let's look at hormones, especially for women, or let's look at gut health or adrenal health.

That's going to take a very long time to Look at each thing individually at a time. [00:13:00] My approach is to look at everything at once. This is the fastest way because then we get all the clues right up front. Instead of testing gut health, doing a three month protocol for gut health, and then, okay, that didn't help us test for hormones.

Do a three month protocol for hormones, so on and so on. When we get all the clues at the same time, that's gonna be so much faster and. Everything in the body is connected, so your gut is affecting your hormones, is affecting your neurotransmitters, is affecting everything. So when we only look at one thing at a time, we're ignoring that everything in the body's connected and affecting everything else.

So, because there's always more than one imbalance affecting your sleep. So like I told you, mine was many different things. It's the same with all my clients. It's never just gut health. Even if you have gut issues, your gut health has affected your hormone imbalance, has affected your [00:14:00] neurotransmitters, has definitely affected your mineral balance.

And so again, there are multiple imbalances. So what makes us different is that it's testing instead of guessing, so we're not guessing at random supplements and things that might help. It's addressing both the body and the mind together because. I talk a lot about the physical, physiological reasons why you can't sleep, but the mind is usually playing some sort of role as well and provides six months of ongoing support.

And this, again, is what is missing from many other practitioners and programs. We're looking at all the possible causes at the same time. And I love my client, Rachel. Wrote me this. Knowing what I know now through this experience with you makes me realize how terrible the literature and culture on insomnia is.

It blows my mind to [00:15:00] all the people in your Facebook group who comment on the crazy stuff they've been doing to try to sleep, such as weighted blankets, psych drugs, cognitive behavioral psychology, studies, pills, pills, and more pills. You hold the easy answer to everyone's sleeping problems, and it's almost criminal that society makes people think all these other tools are the solution to what is simply an out of balance body.

She said it so much better than I ever could have so let's talk about the method. So step one is to investigate. So we are going to find all the root causes in both the body and the mind through comprehensive testing and assessments, and I will explain what this actually looks like. Step two is to customize.

So this is where I create a personalized protocol based on your specific imbalances and also in your life. So we all are different and. Some changes are gonna be easier for some people and harder for other people, and so [00:16:00] definitely take into account what's going to work for you individually. And then step three is support.

So you have a guide as you implement your plan with ongoing coaching sessions and daily chat messaging available, so you always get your questions answered. So let's talk about step one, the comprehensive sleep and health investigation. So I do different assessments for things like blood sugar. I'm looking at your diet, I'm looking at your habits.

I'm assessing to see if there's possible mold toxicity, how your genes are acting up, what is called epigenetics, your nervous system, your mindset, again, getting to the mental part and more. And then I use lab testing to look at hormone balance at cortisol, at liver detox. Most of my clients, 95, 90 9% need [00:17:00] liver support, whether they're drinking alcohol or not.

There's another test for gut health, looking at the good bacteria, pathogens that disturb sleep at night and more. Your neurotransmitters, which are responsible for mood and sleep and mineral balance and toxins such as heavy metals and more. So this gives me the big picture of what's going on. In all aspects of your life, right?

It's not even just your body, just your gut health. It's like what are you eating? What are your habits? Where's stress coming from? Looking at what's going on for you in a very holistic way. So before this comprehensive sleep and health investigation, you're lying awake, wondering why you can't sleep, right?

Testing your blood work. It's normal, so it must be psychological. That's what many people are [00:18:00] told. Maybe you too, following sleep hygiene, that does not help going to your general practitioner or functional doctor's naturopaths, and they don't specialize in sleep, and so certain clues are being missed.

And after you know exactly what's causing your sleep issues through comprehensive testing and analysis. So let's talk about my client, John. So before John and I started working together, he had trouble falling asleep and he was waking up in the middle of the night. He was wired but tired at night. This really common, right?

It's like you're exhausted, but your brain just won't shut off. It was taking him 10 hours to get eight hours of sleep, and he was not waking up rested. He was waking up exhausted. He was getting through the day with what he called brute force. So step one to investigate. So through the comprehensive testing and assessments, I discovered first of all [00:19:00] what had been missed so far for him was mold and candida.

He had high cortisol at night from the mold and candida because any kind of pathogen living in the body and the gut is most active at night, and so it's a middle of the night that they're eating and excreting and causing all this inflammation. Then the body releases cortisol to deal with that inflammation 'cause cortisol is an anti-inflammatory hormone.

And then that's going to wake you up with your mind racing with energy. Just increase your body temperature so you feel hot. So high cortisol at night is usually why people are having a hard time sleeping. But the question is why is there high cortisol at night? Where is that coming from? He had depleted sex hormones and neurotransmitters, liver detox issues.

So now we knew what to do to, we knew what to work on. I knew how to help him because I had [00:20:00] this data.

So now he's falling asleep easily going back to sleep quickly when he wakes up in the night, and this was even while he was taking care of his elderly mother-in-law. So he was having to wake up a couple times a night to assist her and he was able to fall back to sleep afterwards, which was not happening before.

So he wrote, you were a genius and a lifesaver. Sorry, I have to scroll in a little bit here. I have been sleeping since Sunday. I wake up and I'm still groggy and I fall back to sleep. Not perfect, but way better than I have been used to. It's night and day, so this is a month of us working together. I've tried so many things over the last 25 years.

I tried so many tools that didn't work. I've seen maybe eight to 10 professionals. If it were the placebo, I would've thought myself better with one of those. Certainly, I'm filled with so much gratitude and appreciation for you and what you have uncovered to help me. And then I also interviewed him for [00:21:00] my podcast

he wrote, getting through the day, went from brute force, cranking through the day to much more effortless. Now that I'm sleeping better, things just …