Sleep, Hormones & Women – blog
During a woman’s life, she will experience seven significant shifts in her hormonal, during the following different stages. Puberty, during adult menstrual years, during pregnancy, postpartum, twice during perimenopause and post-menopause.
Therefore, it will be no surprise to you now to learn that the National Sleep Foundation has reported there is a much higher percentage of women reporting issues with their sleep and developing sleep problems than men. It is those hormone levels being mostly and entirely to blame for this phenomenon. The fluctuations in the hormonal are causing a direct change in relationship with the quality of sleep.
A bit more about Estrogen and Progesterone
Estrogen
In our body, we have over 50 different hormones, all working to perform specific biological functions. Estrogen and progesterone are the most important for females. Without exception, these two hormones are the ones that go through the most dramatic shifts in a woman’s life, as a result of the woman’s age and environmental factors.
Estrogen is the first hormone produced by the ovaries during the time of puberty. Estrogen being released each month in line with the menstrual cycle. When estrogen levels have risen to a point in a woman’s cycle, an egg is released. Which, in turn, triggers a quickening decrease in estrogen production. Estrogens function typically is to travel via the bloodstream, in fluids. Their role is to interact with the cells in numerous tissues around the body while being a messenger and delivering instructions.
Progesterone
The hormone progesterone is secreted by the corpus luteum in the ovary, mainly during the second half of a woman’s cycle. Progesterone is essential as its role is to prepare the body for pregnancy when the released egg becomes fertilized. If the egg does not become fertilized, progesterone levels fall, allowing for a new cycle. This hormone plays a vital role in the maintenance of all early stages of pregnancy.
These vital and essential hormones support pregnancy and play an essential role in promoting healthy sleep—specifically, estrogen. The estrogen production supports the body in using serotonin to promote deep sleep at night, which means women achieve a night of deep sleep.
It results in a significant reduction in the time it takes to fall asleep and fewer awakenings throughout the night. Progesterone helps balances the effects of estrogen, therefore, helping to regulate mood. It is the “feel good” hormone, making women feel calmer and sleep with much more ease. Meaning Sleep women and hormones are all essential and need balanced.
The primary function is the increased production assist our neurotransmitters that aid sleep.
Sleep women hormones are all linked.
Sleep and hormones have a cyclical and close relationship. Hormones impact sleep, and sleep impacts hormones
Sleep During Puberty
Clinical psychologist Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., and Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine indicate that puberty brings about a great deal of sleep quality change.
The ability in an Adolescents’ to fall asleep becomes delayed by 50 minutes
Total amount of sleep time at night reduced by 37 minutes
Psychological issues relating to school, home, and social life. With technological distractions leading to bad sleeping habits developing
Avi Sadeh, Doctor of Science and professor of psychology at Tel Aviv University in Israel, stated, “It is imperative for parents to become aware of the importance of sleep to the developing teenager and maintain their supervision throughout the adolescent years. School health education should also provide children with compelling information on how insufficient sleep compromises their well-being, psychological functioning, and school achievements.”
Our Sleep During Pregnancy
Sleep is also first to be compromised during pregnancy. Hormones fluctuate during pregnancy. Resulting in several side effects transpiring as a result. Meaning a woman to can lose sleep:
The increased frequency of urination, cause women to waken more often during the night. Our kidneys are working harder to filter the increased blood flow through the body in pregnant women. Resulting in more urine produced. Further heightened by the increased pressure on the bladder as the baby grows.
An increase in their Heart-rate can keep pregnant women awake. Meaning it becomes even more challenging for them to fall asleep at night. The heart rate increases to ensure enough blood supplies the uterus. More blood then circulates throughout the mother’s body.
Backache and leg cramps due to the baby’s extra weight carried by the pregnant woman can cause prolonged pain-causing disrupted sleep.
Additional complications of heartburn and constipation arise due to the digestive system’s slowing, meaning food stays in the intestines longer. More discomfort felt from the heartburn and constipation again leads to an interference in quality night’s rest.
Sleep During Menopause
Menopause is a prevalent time in a woman’s life when hormonal shifts can impact sleep. However, menopausal symptoms differ significantly from woman to woman. Commonly, many women experience a shift in sleeping patterns, namely due to the decrease of estrogen and progesterone in the body.
Most menopausal women express their highest experience in sleep disruptions during their perimenopause age. The menopause transition occurs as the ovaries begin gradually produce less estrogen until post-menopause. The phase after menopause has occurred. The change and decrease in estrogen levels cause several changes that disrupt sleep. Insomnia being is one of the most common symptoms reported in menopause.
The National Sleep Foundation recorded the staggering figure that less than half of perimenopausal women regularly achieve an uninterrupted full night of sleep.
Furthermore, menopausal women’s sleep problems increase two to three and a half times.
Specifically, the most common symptoms when approaching and in menopause are:
Sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia
Hot flashes and night sweats
Obstructive sleep apnea
A lower amount of time in REM sleep
Restless leg syndrome
Diagnosing a Hormone-Induced Sleep Disorder
From this, what do I do?
After reading this, you believe that you, or a loved one, maybe suffering from a sleep disorder caused by hormones. I suggest this quiz. Since treating hormone-related conditions at home can prove futile and or even dangerous without knowing what you are doing. You should take part in a medical evaluation from a sleep specialist. Lisa Gargaro Sleep Co sleep quiz will help you get the answers you need as quickly and as safely as possible.It is also important to know why women need more sleep than men, read why here. My hormone sleep program will also provide yo with the answer & guidance you are looking for.
At Lisa Gargaro Sleep Co, the various program offers solutions to any individual suffering from sleep concerns. Interested in learning more, then read more about sleep solutions, take the online sleep test, or book a call with Lisa directly to discuss how best she can help you. Provided via a 15 min introductory guidance call to ensure you are on the right road to recovery and improve your sleep quality for once and for all. Making sleep hormones for women all connected. Book a 15-minute call with me today to get the answer you need now that your doctor is not able to give you or help you with without medication.