Remember when you used to sleep through the night and wake up feeling rested? Weren’t those great times?
Seriously, now do you find yourself taking forever to fall asleep, waking in the middle of the night and not getting back to sleep? Waking up in the morning feeling like you like you got hit by a truck? Yes, and Yes!!
As we approach our 40’s we can experience perimenopausal insomnia which can be frustrating. During this time, progesterone levels decrease, causing this top player that typically keeps our sleep schedule in check, now is acting erratically causing all sorts of imbalances.
Other factors such as hot flashes, stress and blue light from our devices all can cause disrupted sleep and take you an extra 10-30 minutes or more to fall back asleep.
What the heck can we do with this craziness? Let’s talk about Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate our circadian rhythm. Its superpowers work at night when it helps you fall asleep AND stay asleep. When your melatonin is low, our cortisol (stress) levels increase at night and over time it becomes a continuously cycle of anxiety and lack of sleep.
Taking melatonin can be a game changer to a better night’s sleep, but a change in your sleep routine is also key to getting better sleep. Here’s a few…
1. Unplugging your device an hour before bedtime will allow melatonin to start doing its job. Blue light from your device actually disrupts production and secretion of melatonin, so being on your device late in the evening is kissing your melatonin hormones goodbye.
2. Eating refined sugar create crazy hormone imbalances, which in turn escalate hot flashes. Increasing your fiber and probiotics keeps your gut happy and is also a way to a good night’s sleep.
3. Move your body during the day. Whether it’s a good sweat or a nice yoga session, moving your body releases dopamine which decreases stress and relaxes the body.
Feeling overwhelmed? Just change one thing in your sleep schedule routine and slowly integrate another change one or two weeks later. Soon your nighttime routine will consist of you falling asleep when your head hits your pillow and stay asleep for the entire night!
Need accountability and extra support? Reach out for a FREE health coaching consultation. https://www.kicksparkfitness.com/healthcoaching
