Routines and Rituals to Improve Your Sleep
It’s not a secret that sleep can feel elusive in midlife and beyond. The research proves it.
A CDC analysis found that more than half of perimenopausal women, 56 percent, sleep less than seven hours a night. A Stanford Lifestyle Medicine review reports that 40 to 60 percent of women in perimenopause and menopause experience real sleep difficulties. And in a study published by the American Heart Association, 79 percent of midlife women reported poor sleep quality, with 51 percent meeting the criteria for insomnia.
The causes are layered. Hormonal shifts affect the systems that regulate your sleep cycle. Vasomotor symptoms like night sweats interrupt it outright. Add in the stress of caregiving, career demands, and everything else this season hands you, and it makes sense that quality sleep can be hard to find.
Accept The Shift And Find What Works For You
Inconsistent sleep is not a personal failing. Don’t waste time and energy blaming yourself! Instead, direct your efforts toward self-compassion. Some nights you'll sleep well. Others, you won't. You don’t have to love it, but being able to accept it frees up space to release anxiety and stress and layer in curiosity.
What do you need? What do you have control over? What feels good for you? You are the expert on you, my friend.
None of this means you should settle for suffering. Advocate for yourself with a healthcare provider who listens and takes your sleep concerns seriously. When your medical concerns are addressed, you can explore creating the sleep rituals and routines that work for you now.
Build Routines and Rituals That Feel Good
Sleep quality may be unpredictable, but the hour (or two!) leading up to bedtime shouldn’t be. A consistent wind-down routine that includes feel-good rituals tells your body and brain it’s time to sleep.
A curated sleep environment, consistent bedtime and wake time, and a soothing ritual that helps settle your mind not only signal to your body that it’s time to rest but also make preparing to sleep something to look forward to. I created a Bedtime Checklist you can download to get you started. Use what feels good for you and replace what doesn’t.
Download the Bedtime Checklist HERE.
Return To Self-Compassion And Curiosity As Needed
As you learn what does and doesn’t work for you, remember to practice self-compassion. Consistency may slip, or you may find yourself wide awake at 2 AM. You’re a woman living through a season that asks a lot of you. Be kind to yourself!
Evaluate the nights that you don’t sleep well with curiosity. Maybe you’ll see a reason or pattern, or maybe you won’t. Adapt your sleep routine and rituals in small ways to identify what has changed or needs to shift, and continue to partner with your provider.
When you stay open to new ideas and solutions that feel right for you, you won’t find yourself stuck in a routine that no longer works.
You Deserve Support Beyond The Checklist
Sleep struggles get tangled up with stress, identity shifts, caregiving, career pressure, and the hundred other things you're juggling in this season of life. Fix the sleep, and the others don’t automatically sort themselves out. Tend to the others, and sleep often starts to shift.
That's the work I do with women in midlife and beyond. It’s not just troubleshooting one symptom, but nurturing whole-life wellness. Private coaching gives you a dedicated space to uncover what’s keeping you stuck and create sustainable change. It’s how you unlock the fulfilling life you want to create!
Your next step is simple, and it's free. Schedule your no-cost 30-minute Coaching Consultation, and let's talk about what's possible for you.
xo Karli
The purpose of this post is to provide information and education (& hopefully some entertainment!). I am not a medical, mental health, or financial professional, so please do not interpret my words as the direction of a doctor, therapist, or financial planner.
I know you're smart and will ALWAYS consult with your physician or another appropriate, accredited professional before implementing any changes to your diet, medication, lifestyle, exercise or supplement regimen, health practices, or investments. After all, you're here to live well, right??
Seriously - consult with your healthcare or financial team and assess your own risk. Verify what you find on the internet. I care about you!
