Did you know that our hormone health affects our sleep cycle?

Over the course of our menstrual cycle, our oestrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate, which has a knock-on effect on many aspects of our lives. As well as difficulties with emotional regulation, there is a direct link between our hormone health and our quality of sleep.

This is only exacerbated when we enter into perimenopause and menopause, with out-of-whack heat regulators causing hot flashes while we sleep and increased anxiety levels disrupting downtime. However, according to sleep expert Tom Coleman, there are preemptive steps we can take to guarantee a good night’s sleep, and help us feel a renewed sense of vitality.

Here, Tom Coleman shares some sleep-related wisdom…

Any supplements you’d recommend?

I would be a fan of L-Theanine. It’s an amino acid and can be found in your health food store. There are no side effects, and it has been shown to improve sleep quality and reduce wake episodes. I would also consider Apigenin, which is a floral plant compound. Magnesium bi-glycinate and a vitamin D supplement can also be useful.

Why is getting a good night’s sleep especially important during this life stage?

There are so many changes that happen during this stage of life, and sleep is the ultimate act of self-care, repair and restoration both physically and mentally. If you want to feel better physically and mentally, there is nothing more powerful than sleep. Make sure you are aligning your daily habits, choices and activities to work with your body to improve sleep, and you will feel that vitality returning again.

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