Sleep
Sleep may not seem like an obvious topic to talk about when it comes to addressing female health. However, as we are about to learn, sleep is actually an important component to regulating hormones as well as a great metric for us to monitor how well our hormones are currently functioning. Truly, you can think about sleep as a sort of Jack-of-all-trades tool in your hormonal regulation toolbox.
Let’s start by talking about what happens in your body when you sleep, at least hormonally speaking. First, sleeping helps your body regulate melatonin (ironically this hormone also helps your body fall asleep). It also helps your body produce growth hormone, which contributes to repair of bone, muscle, and metabolism. Cortisol is regulated by sleep as well, which is part of our body’s stress response. Finally, leptin and ghrelin, hormones that help to control appetite are also regulated while sleeping. So, just a few body processes are impacted by sleep *sarcasm*.
It’s easy to see that if we are not sleeping well, there’s a lot of things that might be impacted. The strange part, however, is that sleep itself is a body process that is regulated by hormones. Therefore, if we are not sleeping well, it can be an indicator that our other hormonal regulation systems are off as well. If you have a hard time falling asleep, if you wake up during the night, or if you just can’t seem to feel rested no matter the amount of sleep you get, these are indicators that other hormones or neurotransmitters may be out of sync.
The good news is that no matter which way you look at it, improving sleep quality can only help your situation. So, let’s talk about some basics for developing (and maintaining) healthy sleep:
- Have regular sleep and wake times
- Don’t consume caffeine in the afternoon/evening
- Reduce blue light exposure in the evening (wear glasses or put the screens down)
- Do get outside and into the light during the day
- Sleep in a dark, quiet room
- Sleep in a cool room
- Develop a night time routine
- Utilize supportive supplements such as chamomile or passionflower 2 hours before bedtime to assist with falling asleep (check with a professional first)
The steps above are all aimed at maximizing your natural ability to fall and stay asleep. If you are really struggling with sleep no matter what you do, it may be worthwhile to work with your doctor for the time being to ensure that you do get SOME sleep, and to rule out other sleep disorders. Once you are sleeping a bit more, you will have better energy and mental clarity to implement the steps above.
So, beauty, go and get your beauty rest on! Try out the tips above and see how much better you feel and how much more mojo you have to keep on being the best you!
