The optic nerve in your eyes senses the morning light. Then the
While some hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone can contribute to insomnia— especially in premenstrual women, pregnant women, and women in menopause— those problems are temporary and resolve once hormone levels return to normal.
Melatonin plays an important role in regulating human sleep.
Known as the “relaxing hormone,” progesterone has a mildly sedative effect.
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.
Progesterone levels begin to rise after ovulation through the end of the menstrual cycle. Symptoms of high progesterone are similar to premenstrual syndrome and can include anxiety and agitation, bloating, breast swelling and tenderness, depression, fatigue, and weight gain.
Hormonal changes can wreak havoc on sleep. In turn, sleep deprivation can affect hormone levels in a sleepless vicious cycle. So when hormone levels spike or drop -- such as during the menstrual cycle, during and after pregnancy, and especially around menopause -- women may be more vulnerable to sleep problems.
The female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone are involved in a variety of processes that regulate sleep. Fluctuating levels during menstruation, pregnancy, and perimenopause can cause insomnia.
The hormonal peaks have been found to occur in the morning for progesterone, in the afternoon for FSH and LH, and during the night for oestradiol.
Then after ovulation occurs progesterone rises, boosting your metabolism and increasing your appetite. So while progesterone itself doesn't directly cause weight gain, it does increase your hunger levels which may make you feel like you're eating more and therefore gaining weight.
Progesterone and your monthly cycle
Your progesterone levels are usually highest in week three of your cycle. This can make you feel more tired.
Although rare, swings in estrogen levels can disrupt sleep for some women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). High levels of estrogen prior to menstruation can cause anxiety, mood swings, and insomnia.
The main cause here is stress and high cortisol levels. See, our circadian rhythm directs our cortisol, an awakening hormone, to rise around 3am, in preparation for the next morning. However, if you cortisol levels are already high, which is a consequence of stress, then it's likely you will wake up.
The sex hormone progesterone not only triggers ovulation but also promotes sleep. It does this by stimulating your brain to produce a neurotransmitter (a chemical that has an effect on your brain) called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The more progesterone you have, the more GABA you'll produce.
Norepinephrine and orexin (also called hypocretin) keep some parts of the brain active while we are awake. Other neurotransmitters that shape sleep and wakefulness include acetylcholine, histamine, adrenaline, cortisol, and serotonin.
Have you ever noticed that it can be more difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep around the same time of your monthly cycle? Estrogen and progesterone are the major female hormones, and their rise and fall throughout a woman's menstrual cycle can contribute to challenges with sleep.
Estrogen plays a role in the metabolism of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that affect our sleep-wake cycle. Estrogen also helps keep our body temperature low at night, and therefore more conducive to restful sleep. Estrogen also has an antidepressant effect.
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.
The most noticeable manifestation of low progesterone levels is irregular periods and short cycles, but sometimes symptoms like premenstrual spotting may appear. Other symptoms may include mood changes, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. Progesterone affects the regulation of fluid levels in the body.
Poor Sleep
I commonly refer to progesterone as the relaxing hormone because it has a mildly sedative and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effect on the body, which promotes sleep. Progesterone stimulates the brain to produce a calming neurotransmitter called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).
Estrogen can reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. If you have a uterus, you'll likely need to take progesterone along with the estrogen. Estrogen without progesterone increases the risk of uterine cancer.