Emma's Nutrition logo
  • Home
  • Consultations
  • Events
  • Cookbooks
  • About Me
    • About Me
    • My Recommends
  • Recipes & Blog
  • Contact
  • Shop
logo logo
  • Home
  • Consultations
  • Events
  • Cookbooks
  • About Me
    • About Me
    • My Recommends
  • Recipes & Blog
  • Contact
  • Shop
Nutrition for a good night's sleep
NUTRITION

Wake-up call! 

Nutrition for a good night's sleep

How did you sleep last night? Did you wake feeling refreshed, ready to take on the day?

Or did you suffer through a night of tossing and turning, waking in the early hours with only exhaustion to look forward to?

 For many women in perimenopause and menopause, restless, sleepless nights and those disruptive early awakenings are the norm. Why does this happen?

The reasons are obviously hormonal in part, yet lifestyle and nutrition also play an important role. Let’s drill down to the details.

You’re not alone, sister!

Perimenopause and menopause experts at balance say “A disruption to sleeping habits is often the No.1 complaint from women who are in the perimenopause and menopause”.

Approximately 40-60% of women will experience sleep problems at some stage in perimenopause and menopause. We women may recognise this sleeplessness from other stages in our lives. The common factor is hormonal change.
“For women – but not men – sleep is partially regulated by the sex hormones,” explains psychologist Simona Stokes. “Even before the menopausal transition, we might have noticed that during periods of hormonal changes such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause, sleep can be more disrupted”.
Nutrition for a good night's sleep
The doctors at balance say “The hormones oestrogen and testosterone both have important effects on your brain, including helping the quality and duration of sleep. Low oestrogen levels can lead to sleeping problems but also cause fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headaches, weight gain, and mood changes – a lack of sleep can further exacerbate these symptoms.

The hormone progesterone can be beneficial for sleep too as it increases the production of GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), another chemical in our brain that works to help sleep. Progesterone can also improve relaxation and mood and a drop in progesterone levels can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, restlessness and trouble sleeping, including a tendency to wake up frequently.”

Ah yes, keeping cool. Hot flushes are an all-too-common complaint – as any woman who’s cast the duvet off in midwinter will tell you! Night sweats are just one of a roll call of menopausal symptoms – as well as anxiety, depression, and joint pain.

Yet there are other considerations - Lifestyle and food choices, habits before bed, the timing of turning the light out, and exposure to blue light from electronic screens - these too can all affect sleep quality.

“Poor sleep can have a dramatic effect on our physical and mental health and can contribute to impaired cognitive function, increase levels of stress hormones, and increase vulnerability to depression and anxiety problems.” Simona says. We’ll return to this later.

A sunny disposition

Sunlight affects sleep. That seems counter-intuitive, yet science supports the statement. I found this explanation a real eye-opener – no pun intended:

“Given that light has strong direct effects on mood, cognition, alertness, performance, and sleep, light can be considered a ‘drug’ to treat many clinical conditions.” Says Anna Wirz-Justice and colleagues. I particularly like this illustration by Marina Roa.

Many people tell me that when they adopted the habit of getting outside in the morning, even for five minutes, their sleep quality later that day seemed to improve. Research backs up this anecdotal evidence: the positive effect of outdoor light, even on a cloudy day, is far greater than exposure to any indoor lighting, bright indoor lights included.
This is something many of us may have noticed during the long lockdowns of the Covid 19 pandemic. A study on habits during lockdown showed that less outdoor light exposure was associated with a negative sleep quality score. 

So, getting outside into the sunlight is a simple and important lifestyle change that can improve your sleep quality.

Eat, Sleep, Repeat

My perspective on sleep quality is obviously nutrition-based. What and when a person eats and drinks can help to support a good night’s sleep.

For perimenopausal and menopausal women, changing food and drink habits can seem daunting. Let’s break it down into easy-to-swallow bites:
Have plenty of protein with your last main meal of the day (somewhere between 20-30g).
Include complex carbohydrates with that last meal, to support blood glucose balance and, as is always important, gut microbiota.
Include natural digestive aids in the meal to support digestion late in the day, e.g., spices, herbs, apple cider vinegar, lemon/lime juice, bitter leaves, ginger, garlic, chilli, capers, olives, sauerkraut, kimchi.
Be sure you feel full and nourished after eating, so you’re less likely to crave something sweet later.
If you like herbal teas, try drinking them in the evening. Chamomile can be beneficial for calming; mint and/or fennel teas and bitter drinks such as dandelion root all help support digestion.
Alcohol, sugar and caffeine are big disruptors of sleep quality. Do you really need them in the evening? A little self-assessment could make a real difference.
If you would like more information about foods that help support perimenopause and menopause then take a look at my workshop details here.
The timing of your last meal of the day can also have an impact. It’s a very individual thing, but I find a helpful general rule is to aim to finish eating 2-3 hours before sleep time. For some people, this doesn’t make that a great deal of difference. The key is to learn more about yourself and work out whether the timing of that last meal supports or hinders your sleep quality. 
Nutrition for a good night's sleep during menopause

Take This... 

I’m often asked what supplements might also help with sleep. Nothing offers a magic solution, but in my experience magnesium and L-theanine can be of benefit. It’s very much an individual thing, but worth exploring.
I currently take two tablets of Newson Health Magnesium Plus daily – the equivalent of 250mg magnesium. Full disclosure: I sell these supplements in my UK shop, but it’s because I think they’re great! If you live outside the UK, look for a magnesium supplement that is high quality and has a similar total elemental magnesium to these.

L-theanine is an amino acid that the human body doesn’t produce. Found in black and green tea, it can affect the chemicals in the brain that regulate mood, sleep and stress. I use an L-theanine supplement as needed, depending on my day: I find it helps me feel calmer. I can recommend Newson Health Serenity capsules as a good quality L-theanine supplement. If you live outside the UK, look for a quality L-theanine supplement at about 100mg strength.

One piece of advice that comes from my practice: consider getting your iron levels checked. If you’re low in iron, it’s usually assumed you sleep more because you’re tired. In my experience, sleep can be more disturbed. A quick blood test can determine whether this is an issue for you.

Mind over Matter

Let’s not forget exercise, HRT and routine as potential helpers in establishing good sleep habits. All three have an impact on your mood and your mind.

For HRT facts, take a look at balance as there is so much great evidence-based information there to help.

Routine relates to some areas we’ve already covered: the time you eat, when you drink caffeine, establishing a time to walk away from streaming shows and turn off devices. Plus mobile phones can be set to minimise blue light emanating from screens.

Exercise also improves sleep duration and quality for many women. Exercising more than once a week – whether a walk or a workout – can release endorphins that improve sleep quality. Some forms of exercise can boost serotonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. Exercise, both aerobic and resistance, can help with insomnia, with resistance exercise potentially proving to be the more helpful of the two.

Anxiety and depression can cause poor sleep while, conversely, poor sleep can lead to anxiety and depression. That’s why seeking the advice of a psychologist can be helpful. “CBT for Insomnia has a good track record in helping to improve sleep,” Simona says. “There are two forms of CBT that are recognised as valid treatment – CBTi (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia) and ACTi – (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Insomnia).”

Here's a great podcast with Kathryn Pinkham, founder of The Insomnia Clinic, and Dr Louise Newson, all about sleep. 

Consult your medical practitioner for a referral to a psychologist specialising in sleep therapies.

From Emma
  • Menu

    • Home
    • Consultations
    • Events & Workshops
    • Cookbooks
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Shop
© 2022 Emma's Nutrition. All rights reserved | Website by Mosfa

Please note if you are pregnant or breast feeding seek nutritional advice from your qualified healthcare professional before adjusting your diet or taking supplements. The information contained in this website is general advice only. It is not medical advice, nor is it designed or intended to replace medical advice. At all times the reader is advised to seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional before acting on any of the material contained in the website. The authors of this website and their agents are not liable for injuries or damage occasioned to any person as a result of reading or following the information contained on this website or the omission of any information contained in this website.

All intellectual property rights in the content and materials on this website are owned by Emma’s Nutrition and/or its licensors. Visitors to the website may not copy any of the materials, images and other content or otherwise use the same without the express prior written permission or licence of Emma’s Nutrition. Email enquiries/permission requests from the contact form here.

Customer Services
Cookies Policy  |   Privacy Policy  |   Refund Policy  |   Shipping Policy  |   Terms of Service