Present-day society presents many challenges that can lead to loss of sleep –– stress, emotional turmoil, and environmental factors. For women approaching menopause this is exaggerated even more by hormonal imbalances. Hormones are needed to fall asleep and stay asleep. Without the correct balance, many chronic health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease become more likely to occur.

Sleep and Disease Risk

The cost of poor sleep is greater than previously expected. Studies have found that it may have profound effects on a person’s mental health, heart health, and even life expectancy. Not getting enough sleep raises blood pressure, causes mood swings, inhibits the immune system, and takes years off of your life. So how much sleep should you be getting? According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) adults need 7-8 hours of sleep. For many women beginning or undergoing menopause, estrogen dominance makes it even more difficult to get a good night’s sleep.

Menopause and Hormone Levels

Women entering menopause are typically between 40-50 years old. Their bodies are creating lower than normal levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. Even with these low hormone levels, estrogen is still being produced at 40-60% causing these women to become estrogen dominant. While estrogen is an essential hormone, too much is debilitating to the body. Symptoms of estrogen dominance include insomnia, night sweats, fatigue, weight gain and depression. Besides these symptoms, estrogen dominance also puts you at an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer.

Factors that can make this situation worse, are the everyday hormones that women are exposed to in the United States and other industrialized nations. Women come into contact with these man-made environmental estrogens via hormone injected meats and poultry, pesticides and fungicides, plastics, fuels, car exhaust and industrial waste. Fifty-one commonly used chemicals have been identified as hormone disrupters. In other words, to regain a balance in hormones a change in lifestyle may be necessary along with hormone treatments.

Regaining Hormonal Balance 

The solution lies in taking the necessary steps to balance your hormones naturally. This may begin with over-the-counter bioidentical progesterone, vitamin-mineral supplements and herbal remedies. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy helps balance estrogen levels and maintain a healthy hormone balance to help you sleep at night. The experienced team at Dr. Randolph’s Ageless and Wellness Center will prescribe the hormone treatment that is right for you based on your symptoms and age. Add this treatment along with regular exercise and a diet free of added hormones and estrogen levels should become balanced once again. Sleepless nights will turn into wakeless nights as your fatigue disappears and sleep becomes easier and more regulated, adding to your overall health and reducing the 

risk of chronic disease