The Shocking Truth About Menopause And 3 AM Wake-Up Calls

The hormonal changes during menopause can lead to disruptions in sleep, including difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up earlier than desired.

Menopausal women may be more susceptible to conditions like insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome.

Let’s take a deeper look into the reasons why.

Hormonal Changes

During menopause estrogen levels fluctuate whilst progesterone levels steadily decline.

Hot flushes and night sweats are caused by sudden drops in estrogen. The body’s attempt to regulate temperature might be one reason for waking up around 3 am.

Low estrogen and progesterone also play havoc with sleep.

Estrogen helps move magnesium into tissues which supports the synthesis of sleep neurotransmitters and melatonin, our sleep hormone.

Progesterone is the body’s natural antidepressant, it supports the body to reduce anxiety which is why a common symptom during the menopause transition is anxiety. Due to these effects low progesterone can also affect the sleep cycle.

Menopausal women often experience hormonal fluctuations, specifically a decline in estrogen and progesterone. These changes can affect the sleep-wake cycle and lead to disruptions in sleep patterns.

Stress and Anxiety:

Cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone,” plays a crucial role in the body’s stress response and the regulation of various physiological processes, including the sleep-wake cycle.

The relationship between cortisol levels and sleep patterns is complex, and fluctuations in cortisol can impact both the ability to fall asleep and the quality of sleep.

Cortisol levels naturally rise in the early morning hours, acting as a natural wake-up signal. This increase in cortisol is part of the body’s awakening response and helps promote alertness and readiness for the day.

In response to stressors, whether physical or psychological, the body releases additional cortisol.

Chronic stress and prolonged elevation of cortisol levels can lead to a dysregulation of the circadian rhythm and disrupt normal sleep patterns.

Circadian Rhythm

The circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours.

The term “circadian” comes from the Latin words “circa,” meaning “around,” and “diem,” meaning “day.” This biological rhythm is driven by an internal “biological clock” that responds to external cues, such as light and darkness, to synchronize with the day-night cycle.

Understanding and respecting the circadian rhythm is essential for promoting good sleep hygiene and overall health. As well as our sleep cycle our inner rhythm is responsible for;

Body Temperature Fluctuations
Hormonal Release
Alertness and Performance
Metabolic Processes
Cellular Repair and Maintenance
Synchronization with External Cues

Disruptions to the circadian rhythm, such as hormone disharmony, shift work, jet lag, or irregular sleep patterns, can lead to difficulties in falling asleep, staying asleep, and maintaining optimal alertness during waking hours.

Cortisol follows a diurnal rhythm, with levels typically peaking in the early morning (around 6 to 8 a.m.) and reaching their lowest point in the evening and early night.

Bladder Issues:

Bladder issues are a common concern for women during menopause, and they can significantly impact the quality of life.

The hormonal changes associated with menopause can affect the health of the urinary system, leading to various bladder issues such as;

urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Urinary Incontinence (leakage during activities like coughing or sneezing or urge incontinence sudden, intense urge to urinate)
Tissue Changes (Weakening of pelvic floor muscles Vaginal atrophy)
Nocturia (Nighttime Urination)
Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM encompasses a range of symptoms related to the genitourinary tract, including the bladder and urethra symptoms can involve dryness, burning, and irritation in the genital and urinary areas).

Managing bladder issues during menopause often involves a multifaceted approach that addresses hormonal changes, pelvic floor health, and overall well-being, particularly gut health.

Psychological Factors:

Sometimes, waking up at 3 AM can become a habit or a stress response.

Overthinking, worrying, and other psychological factors can contribute to not being able to fall asleep again once you have woken.

It is common for women to find their minds racing during the night, disrupting their sleep.

The early morning hours may be a vulnerable time for these mental processes, leading to 3 am wake-up calls.

Natural Remedies for 3 AM Wake-Up Calls

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the early hours of the morning is when the liver is detoxing, could focusing on liver health reduce 3 AM wake-up calls?

Whatever your beliefs, well-functioning organs will reduce dis-ease in the body.

Through my work with menopausal women, I created the SHIFT System.

The SHIFT System provides a pathway to get to the root cause of unique menopause symptoms focusing on the health of the liver and gut, balancing blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation, the cause of all disease.

The effect of broken sleep can be damaging to long-term health.

During the night blood pressure naturally dips to rise again when cortisol rises to wake us up naturally. Waking in the middle of the night can lead to non-dipping blood pressure increasing the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Broken sleep leads to fatigue and brain fog which can interfere with mood affecting relationships and negatively affect day-to-day life.

Take action today and start your journey to a full night’s sleep with my top tips;

Routines – create morning and evening routines that support good sleep hygiene. You can read more in this blog post.
Reset your body clock – Get 10 minutes of natural daylight in the morning.
Move your body, 30 minutes of walking is ideal.
Maintain blood sugar levels by eating well-balanced meals and snacks.
Don’t consume food too late at night, blood sugar drops can contribute to waking.
Increase foods containing Tryptophan in your diet, this supports melatonin production (oats, bananas, dried prunes, milk, tuna fish, cheese, bread, chicken, turkey, peanuts, and chocolate)
Increase foods containing melatonin (Milk, pistachios and almonds)
Consider a Magnesium Bisglycinate supplement.
Try using Vitamin E oil for vaginal dryness (or any dryness)
Minising hot flushes and night sweats comes by creating hormone harmony, focusing on root causes, adaptogenic herbs can support this process, learn more in this post.

Conclusion

It’s important to note that waking up at 3 am may not be exclusive to menopausal women.

Various factors, such as lifestyle, stress, and sleep hygiene, can affect anyone’s sleep patterns.

Understanding these connections can empower women going through menopause to address specific aspects of their lifestyle that may be contributing to their sleep difficulties. If you would like to learn more about addressing the root causes of your menopause symptoms book a free Wild Wll-Being call and reclaim your zest for life.