Trouble sleeping? Herbs, supplements & lifestyle changes to try.
Perimenopause Messing with Your Sleep?
Here’s Why—and What You Can Do
Ever notice how sleep in your 40s & 50s just isn’t what it used to be? You’re exhausted, you finally crawl into bed… and bam—you’re wide awake at 2am with your mind racing, in a pool of sweat, and just wide awake! Sound familiar? Welcome to one of the most common (and annoying) symptoms of perimenopause.
Let’s talk about why this happens—and more importantly, what you can do to get your sleep back on track
Why hormones mess with sleep
Progesterone drops: It’s known as nature’s relaxer. As it falls, so does your ability to feel calm and sleepy.
Estrogen shifts: Lower levels affect serotonin and melatonin, plus bring night sweats along for the ride.
Cortisol spikes: Your stress hormone doesn’t always get the memo—it can surge at 3am and jolt you awake.
Blood sugar swings: Hormonal changes make your body more sensitive to glucose dips at night, which can trigger sudden wake-ups.
Melatonin fades: This hormone naturally declines with age, and perimenopause speeds up that process.
Nervous system stuck “on”: Stress and hormones combine to keep your system wired when it should be resting.
Melatonin (the sleepy hormone) works in harmony with cortisol (the get-up-and-go hormone). When one is off, the other usually is too.
Your hormonal surges and dips are tightly linked to your sleep-wake cycle. Ignoring that cycle = hormonal chaos.
Disrupted rhythms affect insulin sensitivity, thyroid function, digestion, and yep, mood and anxiety, too.
The Power of Your Circadian Rhythm (and why it's basically hormone therapy, naturally):
Here’s the thing: your body wants rhythm. Light, food, and movement all give signals to your internal clock. When that clock is supported, hormones fall back into line and sleep improves.
Get morning light in your eyes within 30 minutes of waking.
Sunlight helps suppress melatonin and reset your clock. Your body needs this signal daily.
Keep your bedtime and wake time consistent
Yes, even weekends. Your body wants consistency more than a sleep-in.
Avoid blue light after sundown.
Phones, laptops, TV = artificial daylight = poor melatonin production. So keep the lights dim, and avoid screens Even better, introduce red light in the evenings - get a bulb, or a light device (I use my ‘red-light face mask’ as a light!)
Eat with the sun.
Bigger meals earlier, lighter meals in the evening. Late-night eating messes with melatonin and glucose balance.
Wind down before you're tired.
Rushing into bed from a screen or a scroll is like slamming the brakes mid-highway. Instead, create a calming bedtime ritual: candlelight, warm tea, gentle movement, legs up the wall, meditating, breathwork, journalling, gazing into the red light.
When you align your lifestyle with your natural rhythm, your hormones sigh in relief. Sleep deepens. Anxiety softens. Energy rebounds. And everything starts to flow.
Herbs + Supplements for Perimenopause Sleep Woes
Now for your herbal (and supplemental) toolkit—your allies in soothing the wired, sweaty, moody, hormone-rattled, insomnia-ridden self.
For Nervous System & Stress Regulation:
Magnesium Glycinate
Calms the brain, relaxes muscles, reduces cortisol. Glycinate is gentle and great for sleep.
L-Theanine
Found in green tea. Smooths over racing thoughts and promotes alpha brain waves (aka the chill zone).
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
An adaptogen that reduces cortisol, soothes anxiety, and helps rebuild adrenal reserves. Pairs beautifully with magnesium at night.
California Poppy Seed
Acts as a mild sedative and supports uninterrupted sleep with no groggy mornings.
Passionflower
A nervine herb that quiets an overactive mind, supports GABA, and gently nudges you into sleepiness without hangover.
Valerian Root
Stronger herbal sedative—great if you’re struggling to stay asleep. Use occasionally or cycle it.
Lemon Balm Root
Has naturally calming and sedative properties. Use occasionally or cycle it.
Melatonin (low-dose or timed-release)
low-dose, short term, or for resetting sleep cycles.
For Hormonal Balance & Hot Flushes:
Zizyphus (Suan Zao Ren)
A Traditional Chinese Medicine fave for insomnia linked to yin deficiency and Liver heat. Helps with dream-disturbed sleep, too.
Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus-Castus)
Supports progesterone production and balances estrogen dominance. Helps reduce PMS-style insomnia (great for early peri).
Schisandra
Liver-supportive and adaptogenic. Used in both TCM and naturopathy for hormonal fatigue and stress-based sleep issues.
Reishi Mushroom
Deeply calming for the nervous system and an immune adaptogen. In TCM, it’s considered the “mushroom of spiritual potency.”
Black Cohosh
This herb is commonly used for menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, and may help balance estrogen and progestogen levels.
Red Clover:
Red clover contains phytoestrogens, which can mimic estrogen in the body and potentially help with symptoms like hot flashes.
Dong Quai:
A study suggests a combination of dong quai and other herbs, including black cohosh, can reduce hot flashes and night sweats.
There is hope! And it you can turn this no-sleeping ship around…
I get it, getting no sleep can be brutal, particularly during peri & menopause when everything just feel so damn hard already—but it’s also fixable. Supporting your circadian rhythm, balancing blood sugar, calming your nervous system, and working with targeted herbs can transform your nights (and your days).
Your body wants rhythm. Your hormones want support. And your soul just wants some damn SLEEP.
Please note: do you own research, talk to your women’s health practitioner, and don’t give up!
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