Why Women Can't Sleep

Struggling to sleep? Keep waking at 3am? Tried everything? It’s not your fault… nor are you broken. Even the most stealth sleep strategies are futile in the face of hormonal imbalance, menopause, being a mum and self limiting beliefs. See below - and stop blaming yourself.

Hormonal imbalance (high cortisol)

This can leave us in Fight or Flight, driving anxiety and 3am wakings. This can be due to long lasting stress, emotional exhaustion, chronic illness, yo-yo / extreme dieting. It can be inflated by blue light, social media, alcohol and caffeine too.

Solutions:

• Reduce alcohol and caffeine?
• Avoid screens 30 minutes before bed
• Wear Blue Light Blocking Glasses 1-2 hours before bed

Note these are 'Simple Solutions' - best results to restore balance comes with professional support.

Being a mum

Hypersensitising your nervous system to light, broken sleep (just in case baby is screaming and helpless); it’s very normal to wake up in the years following infancy.

Solutions:

• The solutions above help calm your nervous system
• Listen to my delta wave inducing Sleep Playlist going to sleep

Menopause

When hormones like oestrogen and progesterone decline, this impairs temperature stability, impairing sleep prompting melatonin which relies on a cool core body temp to be produced - and meaning you wake up in a hot sweat.

Solutions:

• For night sweats, get a cooling mattress topper.
• For those over 55, melatonin can be taken on a nightly basis - speak to your pharmacist.

Self limiting beliefs

“I’m a mum / menopausal / going through stress - of course I can’t sleep!”, “It doesn’t matter what I do.. nothing works. “I’m just a bad sleeper.. it’s in my genes”. Sound familiar? While these statements may be accurate, they also drive anxiety around bedtime and prime you to experience broken sleep.?

Solutions:

• Awareness is key here: What statements do you often hear yourself say with regards to sleep? Write them down.
• Now, challenge these beliefs - is it possible they are not true? It is possible that you can learn to sleep again - you just need the right support? Given that others have been able to overcome their sleeping issues - is it possible that you can too??
• Make sleep part of your behaviour, not identity. E.g. “I slept badly last night’, vs, ‘I am simply a bad sleeper’. Behaviour is easier to change than identity

Behaviours

Late night scrolling, that glass of wine with dinner, watching TV just before bed… this matters too.

Solutions:

• Action the above now, and remember - best results come with support… they always do.

As you can see.. it’s a LOT more than just ‘blue light’ or ‘phones before bed’. There are a multitude of factors contributing to sleeplessness. So if you’re not seeing the results you want…. please stop blaming yourself. And stop thinking you’re broken. You’re not at all. You’re just not using the right approach, nor do you have the support you need.?

If this is speaking to you, I invite you to join my upcoming 3 Week Sleep Challenge, Sleep Like a Queen.?

Designed for those struggling with light, broken sleep; this addresses and overcomes the underlying issues of sleeplessness for women; and connects you with a community of fellow Sleep Queens.

Join now - you’ll receive the Sleep Starter Kit as soon as you sign up, helping you sleep better that very night (tonight even!).

Looking forward to supporting you Queen - just like you deserve.

Your Sleep Queen,?

Olivia x

--

?? Hi, I'm Olivia - Australia’s Leading Sleep Expert, Speaker, Author.

How can I help you and your team?

- Keynotes?

- Lunch and learns?

- Weekend workshops?

- Retreats?

- Private / group coaching

?? Learn more: DM me or email [email protected] ?