The Bedtime Scroll Vs. Sleep Ritual: What's Sabotaging Your Hormones
I told myself I was just going to check one message.
Forty-five minutes later, I was deep into reels about puppies, hormone hacks, and dance moves. My evening wind-down window had disappeared, and I felt wired, overstimulated, and honestly, mad at myself for falling into the scroll trap again.
I knew my sleep would suffer. Gone was my ritual. Gone was my shot at a solid sleep score on my Oura ring.
Sound familiar?
The Cost of a Scattered Sleep Routine
We’re quick to blame our hormones when we don’t sleep well. But the truth is, there’s a lot we can control, and reclaiming our sleep is one of the most powerful things we can do for our health.
For women over 50, chronic sleep deprivation doesn’t just mean feeling groggy. It increases the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. One study found that sleeping fewer than five hours a night at age 50 raises the risk for multiple chronic illnesses by over 30%.
Sleep isn’t passive. While we rest, our bodies and brains are doing deep work:
Hormone regulation: Sleep supports balanced levels of insulin, cortisol, leptin, and melatonin
Cognitive function: It’s when your brain consolidates memory, sharpens focus, and clears waste
Metabolism and weight: Sleep affects appetite control and fat metabolism
Emotional resilience: Adequate rest lowers stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression
Energy and vitality: It’s your body’s chance to recharge on a cellular level
When we disrupt our natural sleep cues with scrolling, late-night snacks, wine to “wind down,” or just staying up too late, we’re working against our circadian rhythm, just as our melatonin production is slowing with age.
My Turning Point with Sleep
A couple of years ago, I was waking up three to four times a night. I’d be wide awake at 3 a.m., heart racing, mind spinning.
Living with an autoimmune condition, sleep was already a challenge. But menopause made it worse. The effects were undeniable: low energy, brain fog, mood swings, strength loss. I felt like I was unraveling.
That’s when I started rebuilding my sleep step by step using the tools that are now part of my Sleep Pillar inside the 6 Pillars of Wellness framework.
Things started to shift.
How the 6 Pillars Work Together to Support Deep Sleep
Think of these as the gears that turn your sleep machine:
Nutrition: Balanced blood sugar helps stabilize insulin and reduce 3 a.m. wakeups
Movement: Especially outdoors, movement helps build the natural need for sleep
Stress Relief: Calms the nervous system by turning off “fight or flight” and turning on “rest and recover.”
The MELT Method: Reduces physical tension and pain while turning on the parasympathetic nervous system so the body can fully relax
Mindset: Believing you can take control and create a sleep ritual and environment that supports your body
Sleep: The foundation that holds it all together
The Truth About How Much Sleep You Really Need
Most women need seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night.
That’s the sweet spot for:
Hormonal repair
Cognitive performance
Immune strength
Fat metabolism
Emotional stability
And it’s not just about the number of hours. It’s about depth, consistency, and honoring your natural rhythms.
What Better Sleep Actually Feels Like
If you’ve ever worked with me, you know I’ll always encourage you to journal your experience. You are your own beautiful science experiment. And when you start to notice results, those habits become easier to stick with.
Here’s what you might start to feel after just a few nights of better sleep:
Waking up rested instead of groggy
Balanced energy throughout the day
Fewer cravings and mood swings
Less belly fat and easier to lose weight
Sharper thinking, less fog
More strength in your workouts and daily activities
Ready to Stop Scrolling and Start Sleeping?
If you’re done guessing and ready for a gentle, proven way to improve your sleep, I created something just for you.
Introducing my Improve Your Sleep in Menopause mini-program, a self-paced guide designed to help you:
Fall asleep faster
Stay asleep longer
Wake up feeling like you again
It includes your own “sleep study” journal, hormone-supporting strategies, and a realistic plan to reset your rhythm.
It’s just $27 and full of tools that work with your hormones, not against them.
👉Click here to grab your copy and let’s make sleep your new superpower.
