If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep during perimenopause, you’re far from alone. Insomnia, night sweats, anxiety, and early waking are some of the most common and disruptive symptoms women face as hormones begin to shift in midlife.
In this blog, we’re exploring the powerful connection between perimenopause and sleep, why these issues happen, and most importantly, what you can do to feel rested again.
Why Perimenopause Wrecks Your Sleep
Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause, when the ovaries gradually produce less oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones don’t just regulate your cycle, they also play a critical role in sleep quality.
Here’s how hormonal changes in perimenopause can affect your sleep:
- Low progesterone: Often referred to as the body’s natural calming hormone, progesterone has a mild sedative effect. When levels dip, falling and staying asleep becomes harder.
- Fluctuating oestrogen: Oestrogen helps regulate body temperature and mood. Its decline can lead to hot flushes, night sweats, and increased anxiety, all of which disrupt sleep.
- Cortisol sensitivity: With the buffering effect of hormones reduced, your body may become more reactive to stress, causing spikes in cortisol that wake you in the early hours.
Studies show that up to 60% of perimenopausal women experience sleep disturbances.¹ And poor sleep isn’t just exhausting, it can also worsen other menopause symptoms like brain fog, irritability, and cravings.
The Vicious Sleep-Anxiety Cycle
Many women find that poor sleep in perimenopause is tied to increased anxiety or racing thoughts at night. You lie down exhausted… only for your mind to spin with tomorrow’s to-do list or worries you haven’t had time to process.
This loop, known as psychophysiological insomnia, becomes self-fulfilling. You expect sleep to be difficult, so your nervous system stays on high alert, and the cycle continues.
That’s why treating perimenopause and sleep issues isn’t just about supplements or blackout curtains (although those help!), it’s also about calming your nervous system and changing your relationship to sleep itself.
7 Ways to Improve Sleep During Perimenopaus
Here are some of the most effective strategies to help you get better rest:
1. Create a Calm Evening Routine
Wind down with the same steps each night, low lighting, gentle music, journaling or reading. Signal to your brain that sleep is coming.
Need support? We’ve just added new sleep-focused meditations inside the Owning Your Menopause app. They’re designed to ease anxiety, regulate breath, and help you drop into deep rest naturally.
2. Cool Your Bedroom
Night sweats? Keep your bedroom between 16–18°C, and use moisture-wicking bedding or a cooling pillow. A fan or temperature-regulating duvet can be a game-changer.
3. Balance Blood Sugar
Spikes and crashes in blood sugar can disrupt sleep, especially in the early hours. Avoid caffeine after 2pm, reduce refined carbs, and eat protein with dinner. Our in-app nutrition support has tips on exactly how to do this.
4. Try Cognitive Behavioural Techniques
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the gold standard for treating chronic sleep issues. Apps like Sleepio or working with a specialist (like OYM podcast guest Kathryn Pinkham) can make a big difference.
5. Move Your Body (But Not Too Late)
Regular exercise helps regulate circadian rhythms, but avoid intense sessions close to bedtime. Our on-demand classes inside the app include low-impact strength, stretching, and breath-led movement to support better sleep.
6. Rethink Alcohol
While it might feel like a glass of wine helps you relax, alcohol can seriously interfere with REM sleep. If you’re waking at 3am wired and dehydrated, that nightcap might be to blame.
7. Talk to Your GP
If symptoms are severe, it’s worth discussing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Replacing declining hormones can improve sleep, reduce hot flushes and restore quality of life for many women. In our app there are plenty of information packed videos with our in house GPs for guidance, or listen to our podcast episodes with trusted doctors in this space.
You’re Not Alone
Perimenopause and sleep problems can leave you feeling drained, isolated and even hopeless, but you are not the only one. And more importantly, there are solutions.
Inside the Owning Your Menopause app, we’ve created a toolkit to help you sleep better:
- Brand new sleep meditations for anxiety, overwhelm and early waking
- Expert-led nutrition advice to balance blood sugar and reduce nighttime wakings
We know that when you sleep better, everything else feels more manageable.
Final Thoughts
Sleep challenges in perimenopause are incredibly common, but they’re not something you just have to “put up with”. From lifestyle tweaks to mindset shifts, community support and expert tools, you can find your way back to rest.
💡 Try our new guided meditation for sleep today inside the Owning Your Menopause app and give your body the reset it deserves.
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