If you’re a woman who used to fall asleep easily on a friend’s semi-functional air mattress, for example, or an attached sofa, you might be surprised at how difficult it is to fall asleep if you’re now in your late 30s. What used to be something you simply needed to make time for, has become something you can only access through a coordinator Bedtime ritualA extensionAnd prayer – if that.
The truth is that women of all ages tend to struggle with sleep more than men due to “fluctuations in sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which begin early in puberty and continue until the end of time.” Saima Tahir, MDa sleep medicine, critical care and pulmonary medicine specialist based in New York City, tells SELF. Research indicates Insomnia is twice as common among women as men, and women are twice as likely as men to report it Don’t wake up feeling rested. But there’s also a marked rise in sleep difficulties in women in their late 30s and early 40s, Dr. Tahir points out, as the various factors that drive hormonal shifts can collide with lifestyle changes that put sleep out of reach.
Below, experts explain common reasons you might be experiencing new sleep hurdles in your late 30s and how to get back on track.
1. You are postpartum or have young children at home.
It is known that pregnancy Rough to sleep– The constant need to urinate, and the baby coming out of you – but things can get worse after birth, and not just because of the baby’s needs. Yes, you may be splitting up your sleep to breastfeed or pump during the first few weeks or months, but you’re also undergoing a huge hormonal change.
Dr. Taher says that the hormones estrogen and progesterone suddenly decrease after childbirth. “Estrogen helps stabilize our sleep, improves deep sleep and REM sleep, and plays a role in regulating our circadian rhythm,” she explains. “Progesterone acts on GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes us numb.” A significant decline in both can leave you tossing and turning, she explains. It can take several months Until the effect of this change wears off, and if you choose to breastfeed, sleep may remain disturbed throughout this time (and during weaning), because breastfeeding keeps estrogen and progesterone levels low.
And then there are the newfound stressors of parenting. Mothers often become hypervigilant to any indicators in their environment that their baby needs help, which can make it difficult for them to fall asleep or stay asleep. Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSMclinical psychologist and book author A woman’s guide to overcoming insomniasays the self. No wonder More than half of mothers Those aged 25 to 44 sleep less than seven hours per night.
