One of the greatest challenges we face in dealing with a woman’s health as she approaches menopause is that while at the same time she experiences the greatest hormone transition in her life, she is also aging. This phenomenon often means that we blame ageing for many of the changes that women experience between 45 and 55 rather than looking deeper at the possible connection between her changing hormones and her symptoms.
Women start to experience changes to her hormone production as early as age 42, which can have significant impact on the quality, depth, and length of her sleep. Compounded with changes to her mood as well as the onset of hot flashes a woman’s sleep as a significant obstacle to overcome through perimenopause and menopause.
In this episode, I’m joined by my colleague Dr. Leigha Saunders ND and we discuss the impact of changing hormones on sleep, and how women can start to think differently about this vital health resource. Leigha has recently lectured for the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors on the use of hormone replacement therapy to support insomnia in women over the age of 45. We review the recent research on the use of hormones to support sleep as well as dispel the many myths that many women have come to believe about hormone replacement therapy.
Even if you are not a candidate for HRT, this episode gives you all of the evidence you need to focus on sleep as a primary way to support your health. We give practical tips, and “food for thought” about why women don’t sleep.