Sleep issues, such as insomnia, are one of the most common complaints during the pandemic. We are not surprised!
We are all under a lot of stress right now, and trying to attend to the many changes that have taken over our daily lives.
However, your sleep troubles may not be linked to increased stress or your mind taking on more worries. A hormone imbalance may be triggering your issues.
- Are you over 40?
- When you wake, do you feel less rested?
- Are you having trouble getting to sleep?
- Do you have issues staying asleep?
It may be time to contact us, so we can check your hormone levels!
Declining Hormones May Impact Your Rest
Our hormones naturally define as we age. Some of these hormones play a role in promoting quality rest. Keep reading to see how the decline in certain hormones can negatively impact your rest.
Low Progesterone
Progesterone calms the brain and reduces anxiety. This hormone naturally declines when a woman enters perimenopause, causing high levels of anxiety, which will then lead to insomnia.
Low Estrogen
Estrogen helps regulate blood sugar. Like progesterone, estrogen naturally decreases, causing a rise in blood sugar, leading to weight gain and wakefulness.
Low Melatonin
Melatonin has been labeled the sleep hormone. It regulates our circadian rhythms as well as other sleep hormones.
A variety of things can reduce melatonin output, including:
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Overexposure to light at night
Low Testosterone
Low testosterone can cause sleep deprivation in both men and women. Sleep apnea inhibits REM sleep; thereby, decreasing testosterone levels. This situation then creates more sleep disturbances.
Low DHEA
DHEA builds bone and muscle. Providers link the decline of DHEA as we age to muscle weakness, which includes the pelvic floor.
A weak pelvic floor can cause you to wake up several times at night to go to the bathroom.
Underactive or Overactive Thyroid
Thyroid hormone impacts the brain cells involved in serotonin production. Serotonin is a brain chemical that impacts sleep. An underactive or overactive thyroid can negatively affect serotonin levels.
So, What’s the Answer?
Providers know Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) relieves insomnia and aging symptoms. And hormonal imbalance causes these are two symptoms.
Also, clinical studies report improvements to sleep quality in those who use hormone replacement therapy.
BHRT Benefits
The benefits of using BHRT include:
- Quicker transition into the sleep state
- Reduces the number of times you wake up at night
- Strengthens your sleep cycles
- Boosts REM deep sleep
- Reduces mood swings, worry, and levels of anxiety
And, if you are also suffering from menopause symptoms, you will be happy to hear BHRT helps relieve these too!
- Night sweats
- Joint pains
- Hot flushes
We Are Here for You
We’re all going through challenging times right now. And, a lot of things are out of our control.
However, if hormonal imbalance is causing your issues, you can do something about it. And, if you are ready to improve your quality of life, contact us today!