10/14/2025
3 am wake ups? We are 50 and get it! What you do in the DAYTIME influences that restorative sleep at night 💤.
✨Get Morning Sunlight: Light exposure in the morning helps set your circadian rhythm, boosting cortisol, and signaling melatonin production later at night. Open the blinds or step outside. Morning light advances your body clock, while evening light/screens delays it.
✨Balance Blood Sugar Early in the Day: Starting your morning with protein + fiber + health fats prevents glucose spikes that can cause mid-day CRAVINGS and night-time wake-ups. Research shows stable blood sugar throughout the day supports melatonin rhythm and cortisol balance at night.
✨Manage Stress “As You Go” (Not Just at Bedtime): Cortisol that stays elevated into the evening makes it much harder to fall asleep. Build in mini daily stress resets: breathwork, short walks, or even 5 minutes with your eyes closed between calls. Think of this as “cortisol drainage” well BEFORE bed.
✨Pause Caffeine After Noon: Caffeine has a half-life of 6–8 hours, meaning that even a 2 p.m. coffee can still be circulating in your system at bedtime. In midlife, your ability to metabolize caffeine can slow down, making you more sensitive to its effects on sleep.
✨Build a Consistent Movement Rhythm: Moving your body for just 30 minutes a day has been shown to improve sleep quality that same night + add walking—it helps regulate blood sugar and lower cortisol, both tied to sleep quality.
✨Lower Your Toxic Load: Your sleep can be impacted by environmental toxins that disrupt hormones and burden your detox pathways. From non-organic bedding and synthetic fragrances in laundry detergents. Creating a cleaner bedroom environment can have a big impact.
✨Decrease or Skip Alcohol: Alcohol may make you drowsy initially, but it disrupts REM sleep, increases nighttime wakeups, and can worsen hot flashes and anxiety in midlife.
✨Pause Eating 2–3 Hours Before Bed: especially sugar, processed snacks, or heavy meals — can disrupt digestion and spike blood sugar, leading to restless sleep and early wakeups.
