Sleep & Menopause – Reclaim Your Rest

lynsey635
Jul 3
5 min read

Updated: Aug 9

How to reset your sleep during peri/menopause – with rhythm, rest, and a little rebellion

Sleep isn’t a luxury – it’s a non-negotiable

Sleep is the foundation of everything: your mental health, your hormones, your ability to function when the inbox is bulging and your to-do list keeps growing.

But the menopause transition? It often doesn’t play fair. Night sweats. Early waking. The 3am spiral of overthinking.

It’s no wonder so many women describe this stage of life as utterly exhausting.

And it’s more than just tossing and turning.

As estrogen and progesterone decline, your brain’s sleep-regulating systems get disrupted. These hormonal shifts affect body temperature, stress response, and even how you metabolise melatonin. Add in blood sugar dips after dinner, cortisol spikes from a packed diary, and too much late-night scrolling, and your system stays wired when it should be winding down.

You can’t fix sleep with willpower alone. But you can build a rhythm that works with your changing body and mind, not against it.

3 ways to reset your rhythm and reclaim your nights

Create a “sleep nest” and protect it fiercely

Your sleep space should feel like a cocoon, not a corner of chaos. Dark, cool, quiet. Start with one small shift: blackout blinds, an eye mask, or moving your phone charger out of the bedroom, and no you don’t need it for your alarm, that’s what alarm clocks are designed for!

Ditch the tech after sunset (if not before!)

Blue light prevents your melatonin production, and this is the hormone that tells your brain it’s time to power down. Try a tech cut-off an hour before bed, these can easily be set up in your phones settings or by installing apps such as Opal. Instead? A podcast, a bath, a cup of tea....

Build a consistent wake + wind-down routine

You don’t need a 12-step ritual. Just a warm-up and cool-down session, that changes the pace of your brain and body. Wake with light and movement. Wind down with less stimulation and comfortable movement. Think: warm shower, stretch, journaling, or nothing at all except breathing.

Glow Science

A little science to make sense of your symptoms.

So, how much sleep do menopausal women need?

Most adults thrive on 7–9 hours a night , and peri/menopausal women are no exception.

But the way we get that sleep can look very different during this stage of life.

As we move through the menopause transition, changes in oestrogen, progesterone, and melatonin can:

Shorten our deep, restorative sleep
Lead to more frequent wake-ups
Increase the chances of those frustrating 3 am–5 am awakenings

And here’s the kicker — our ability to “bounce back” from a poor night’s sleep can change too. You might notice:

It takes longer to feel properly awake in the morning
You feel wired-but-tired at night
Afternoon energy crashes hit harder (especially after sugar or caffeine)

Oestrogen helps regulate body temperature and supports sleep quality. When it drops, we’re more likely to get night sweats, restlessness, and disrupted REM cycles. Progesterone, on the other hand, has a naturally calming effect — so when it declines, anxiety and racing thoughts can creep in, making it harder to drift off.

The takeaway? Menopause doesn’t necessarily mean we need less sleep — but it does mean we may need to work differently to get the deep, uninterrupted rest our bodies and brains rely on.

Let’s Talk Caffeine: Timing Really Does Matter

One difference to consider is your caffeine intake, as it can affect not just sleep, but also hot flushes, anxiety, and migraines.

Caffeine has a half-life of around 5–6 hours, but in some people (especially during hormonal changes), it can linger even longer. That means your 2 pm coffee might still be messing with your sleep at 9 pm.

It's not just about not having coffee too late, it’s also about when to have it to work with your alerting hormones, not against them. If you don't fancy decaf, try this rhythm:

Here's the rhythm to aim for:

Your body naturally produces cortisol (your alerting hormone) in a peak first thing in the morning, usually between 6am–9am. This is what helps wake you up and feel alert.

Avoid coffee within the first 90 minutes of waking.

Let your natural cortisol do the job and build your energy naturally, otherwise, you’re layering on caffeine and when you do crash you will come back to that baseline of alertness meaning the crash will feel much harder and you’re more likely to reach for another cup!

Best time for caffeine?

Between 90 to 120 minutes after you wake.

For the average person this might be between 9:30 an 11am if you are on a typical schedule. This gives your natural cortisol rhythm time to work, and means the caffeine will hit just as your alertness dips slightly. It also avoids disrupting sleep later (especially if you’re sensitive post-40).

One Small Spark -Rethink Your Daily Rhythm

Instead of chasing energy with caffeine, try pacing your day with small, steady shifts that work with your body, not against it. These simple changes can support your focus, mood, and sleep, especially during peri/menopause. One small shift in your routine can help your energy feel steadier and your glow more lasting.

Remember: consistency beats intensity. One small spark, done daily, can create real change. This month, choose from one of these simple practices, like

Morning Light → Seek first light, movement, hydration without caffeine, protein for breakfast

Afternoon Action → Walking meetings, sunlight breaks, no-scrolling through lunch

Evening Engagement → Slow transitions, consider winding down with less stimulation, what calms your system - reading, music, a bath?

Start small, stay steady and watch your glow return.

Real-life reset

*Zoe, one of my workplace coaching clients, swapped her post-dinner biscuit-and-scroll ritual for a 20-minute “evening nest”: herbal tea, no screens, lights low. After two weeks, she had found her 3am wake-ups reduced and her energy improved.

Make this as easy for yourself as you can, by having a bedtime basket with books, journals, activities and items that make downtime feel more inviting.

Downtime Tip: Instead of saving rest for bedtime, build micro-moments into your day where your brain can pause. Go for a quick walk without your phone. Let your thoughts settle. It’s part of the warm-up for better sleep later.