Many women recognise it.
You wake up in the middle of the night. Sometimes around 03:17. Sometimes even several times. You turn over, glance at the clock, and try to fall asleep again.
The next morning, your sleep feels less deep than you'd like.
It is often thought that this is due to stress or just “bad nights”.
But for women, there are often other factors at play: hormones.
Your sleep changes with your cycle
During the menstrual cycle, different hormones are constantly changing. Oestrogen and progesterone, in particular, play an important role.
Those hormones affect, among other things:
-
your body temperature
-
your melatonin production
-
how deeply you sleep
-
how sensitive your nervous system is
In certain phases of the cycle, many women therefore sleep more lightly or wake up more often. This is especially common in the days before menstruation.
It doesn't mean something is wrong. It means your body is in a different phase.
Cortisol and waking up at night
In addition to the cycle, cortisol also plays a role.
Cortisol is the hormone that helps your body wake up and stay alert. Normally, it is low at night and only rises toward morning.
But when your body experiences more stress, cortisol can rise earlier.
That can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Sometimes with an active mind, sometimes just with the feeling that you're suddenly wide awake.
Pregnancy and lighter sleep
During pregnancy, the body changes continuously.
Hormones, body temperature, and circulation shift. As a result, many women sleep more lightly and wake up more often.
In part, that is also protective. Your body stays a little more alert.
Many women notice that sleeping through the night becomes temporarily more difficult.
Menopause
Sleep often changes during menopause too.
Falling oestrogen levels can affect temperature regulation and the nervous system. As a result, waking up at night and night sweats become more common.
Many women notice that their sleep changes from what they were used to. Not necessarily worse, but more sensitive.
One simple action you can take starting today
Hormones follow a rhythm of about 24 hours. That rhythm is mainly driven by one thing: light.
When you get little daylight in the morning, your body clock can shift slightly. As a result, cortisol may rise earlier at night, which can wake you up in the middle of the night.
Fortunately, you can do something very simple about that.
Every morning, within 30 minutes of waking up, go outside for 5 to 10 minutes.
No sunglasses.
No phone.
Just daylight in your eyes (don't look directly at the sun, that can be harmful to your eyes).
Even on a cloudy day, outdoor light is much stronger than indoor light. That signal helps your brain reset your body clock.
The result:
-
more stable cortisol rhythm
-
deeper sleep in the first half of the night
-
less chance of waking up around 03:17
Try it for a week and see what it does.
Sometimes better sleep doesn't start at night, but in the morning.
1% Better Every Night.
Guy - Snoozeless
PS. Do you notice that you sleep restlessly at night or wake up more often? Sometimes it already helps to make your breathing calmer during the night. Nasal strips can open the airway a little, making it easier to keep breathing through your nose.
