Female hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, insulin, cortisol and melatonin can cause sleeplessness, especially during menopause thereby leading to insomnia.
Low estrogen levels typically cause insomnia, because estrogen helps move magnesium into tissues, which is crucial for catalyzing the synthesis of important sleep neurotransmitters, including melatonin.
These irregularities in hormones can exacerbate sleep difficulties. Additionally, studies show that women with PCOS have a higher risk of developing sleep apnea—a sleep disorder that causes a person to stop breathing for brief periods throughout the night.
Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body. It helps control your sleep patterns. You can take a manmade version of melatonin for short-term sleep problems (insomnia). It makes you fall asleep quicker and less likely to wake up during the night.
Melatonin is the hormone best known to affect sleep, being low during the daytime but rising once darkness sets in, leading to sleep. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, to which the SCN projects via multiple synapses to drive the Circadian rhythm of production of this hormone.
Most do not realize that progesterone helps with sleep. Most women I counsel also have low levels of progesterone and can contribute to many symptoms such as insomnia. Estrogens and progesterone have opposite effects on the body and must be balanced for optimum health.
Common causes of chronic insomnia include: Stress. Concerns about work, school, health, finances or family can keep your mind active at night, making it difficult to sleep. Stressful life events or trauma — such as the death or illness of a loved one, divorce, or a job loss — also may lead to insomnia.
Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that's associated with the body's sleep-wake cycle. It helps regulate the body's circadian rhythm, so you can fall — and stay — asleep. Disrupted or poor sleep can have impacts on melatonin and its role in promoting sleep in the brain.
It's a part of your endocrine system and secretes the hormone melatonin. Your pineal gland's main job is to help control the circadian cycle of sleep and wakefulness by secreting melatonin. The pineal gland is shaped like a tiny pinecone, which is how it got its name (“pine”-al gland).
Specifically, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) can increase risk of sleep disorders and is associated with sleep difficulties, shorter sleep duration, and nocturnal awakenings in children and adults [13,14,15].
If you're tired but can't sleep, it may be a sign that your circadian rhythm is off. However, being tired all day and awake at night can also be caused by poor napping habits, anxiety, depression, caffeine consumption, blue light from devices, sleep disorders, and even diet.
Sleep Issues
Estrogen has been shown to stimulate the nervous system. Therefore, when there is too much estrogen in the body, you can experience insomnia. Estrogen can also interfere with the body's ability to produce melatonin.
Doctors recommend that Progesterone be taken before bed since it has a sedative effect and helps resume normal sleep cycles. It is important to note that Progesterone is a bioidentical hormone, and not a drug treatment. A bioidentical hormone replenishes the chemicals naturally made in your body.
The menopausal decline of estrogen contributes to disrupted sleep by causing menopausal symptoms from hot flushes and sweats (vasomotor symptoms) to anxiety and depressed mood; anxiety leading to difficulty getting to sleep, and depression leading to non-restorative sleep and early morning wakening.
Not only can magnesium help you get to sleep, but it plays a part in helping you achieve deep and restful sleep as well. In one study, older adults were given 500 mg of magnesium or a placebo. Overall, the magnesium group had better quality of sleep.
Omega-3, Vitamin D
A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found the combination of omega-3s and vitamin D from fatty fish like salmon improved sleep in participants. Researchers think it's because of the effect of those nutrients on regulating serotonin.
The results of this study demonstrate that supplementation with Magnesium-melatonin-vitamin B complex for 3 months has a significant positive effect on sleep disturbances and is highly effective for the treatment of patients with insomnia.
B Vitamins
Research has shown that maintaining sufficient levels of Vitamins B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12 may help achieve good sleep. Best food sources of vitamin B includes whole grains, meat, eggs, seeds and nuts as well as dark leafy vegetables.