Part 3: A rock star in menopause

In this third and final portion of her book excerpt from "See ya later, Ovulator!", menopause expert Esther Blum delves how to get the best possible sleep during midlife.

This is Part 3 of an excerpt from See ya later, Ovulator!: Mastering Menopause with Nutrition, Hormones, and Self-Advocacy.

You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

3. Become a sleeping beauty 

Insomnia is one of the biggest problems I solve in my practice. During menopause when we’re on the estrogen/progesterone rollercoaster ride, we women start rocking out sleep apnea, night sweats, anxiety, and joint aches — all of which interfere with a good night’s slumber. (Who among us has not stared at the ceiling at 3 a.m. and told your body to go the f*$k to sleep?!?) 

Trying to fix our metabolic and hormone health when we’re not sleeping is like trying to build a house on quicksand. Without good sleep, it’s hard to feel good, manage insulin and cortisol, build muscle, and think clearly! 

Below are my absolute favorite strategies for solid slumber. Start with one change at a time and master that before you move on to the next. I’ve watched my clients who tell me they have severe insomnia start to sleep beautifully when they pull these tools out of their glitter-encrusted belts time and time again. 

Start off your day outside in natural light 

Sitting on your front porch with a steaming bevvie, or taking a walk outside first thing in the morning tells your brain that it’s time to look awake and alive. 

The spectrum of outside light is about a hundred times greater than what you will get from any indoor lightbulb. Exposing your eyes to natural light regulates your sleep-wake cycles, and will help your energy during the day and lower your cortisol levels at night. 

Shut down your cell phone by 9 p.m. 

One of the most frequently asked questions I get on podcasts is, “What are the biggest problems you’re seeing your clients face today?” The answer is always screen time! 

Believe me when I tell you that nothing good happens after 8 p.m. on your phone. 

We all know you’ve checked your social media feeds about 50 times today already. You’ve texted your friends memes, answered emails, and looked through old photos. Nighttime is the right time to relax, unwind, and unplug — not the time to be lighting up your brain like a Christmas tree! 

Annnnnd … for those of you who use your phone as an alarm clock, buy a battery-operated clock for 10 bucks at the drugstore. You don’t need 5G military-grade EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) next to your head, raising cortisol throughout the night. You don’t need the blue light shutting off your melatonin production either.

So, ditch the phone after 8 p.m., read a book for goodness sake, or spend time with your family (gasp!) and watch your sleep return, your weight fall off, and your brain focus return. 

Bedrooms are only for sleep and sex 

Time and time again I hear the same question in my practice: “Esther, my libido has completely dried up and disappeared — what can I do to get my groove back?”