Journal · Sleep and menopause

Why menopause wrecks your sleep, and 5 small things that help

ClarSi · 29 October 2026

If you lie awake at three in the morning, too hot, then too cold, then wide awake, you are in very large company. Here is what is going on, and five small things that make the nights easier.

Why three o'clock keeps happening

Sleep problems are one of the most common parts of the menopause transition. In one study of nearly a thousand women, 36.5% reported insomnia symptoms before menopause, 56.6% during perimenopause and 50.7% after it. Among women with severe hot flushes, more than 80% had trouble sleeping.¹

The main reason is hormonal. As oestrogen falls, the brain starts its cooling response at a lower body temperature than before. You get the hot flush, the sweat, the covers off, and then the chill once it passes.² Falling progesterone is also thought to play a part. On top of that, the second half of the night is lighter sleep anyway, so whatever is in the room wakes you: a sound, a streetlamp, the heat.

Poor sleep then makes the daytime harder. The NHS notes that irritability, low mood, anxiety and trouble concentrating all feel worse when you are not sleeping.³

1. Cool the room, and the bed

A cooler bedroom is the single biggest change most women can make. The Sleep Foundation suggests around 18 to 20 °C.⁴ Open a window if you can, use a fan, and choose layers you can throw off and pull back without fully waking: a light duvet and a cotton sheet on top beat one heavy cover.

Where your head rests matters too. Our cooling cervical pillow has a gel layer that stays cooler to the touch for longer. It does not stop a hot flush, but it gives you a cooler place to land when one comes.

2. Make it properly dark

The NHS advice for better sleep is a bedroom that is quiet, dark and cool, with an eye mask if light is a problem.⁵ Early sunrise, a phone lighting up, a landing light: in lighter sleep, any of them can be enough to wake you.

Our 3D sleep mask blocks the light without pressing on your eyelids, and its gel can go in the fridge or in warm water.

3. Turn the night down

Snoring, traffic, the fridge, the dog. When sleep is thinner, sound wins. Earplugs are the simplest fix the NHS suggests for a noisy room.⁵

Our silicone sleep earplugs reduce noise by up to 24 dB and come in four sizes, so they fit and stay comfortable. You can still hear an alarm. The mask and earplugs also come together as the Quiet Dark kit.

4. Keep a steady night

This one needs nothing from us. The NHS suggests:⁶

Get up at the same time every day, even after a bad night. Sleeping in feels kind but makes the next night harder.
Keep caffeine, alcohol and nicotine well away from bedtime. Alcohol is a common trigger for night sweats.
Put screens away an hour before bed, and give yourself a short, quiet wind-down.
Avoid hard exercise in the four hours before sleep.

5. Talk to your doctor, and ask about the options

You do not have to put up with it. Two things are worth asking about.

CBT for insomnia (CBT-I). It is a short, structured talking therapy for sleep. In a trial of women in perimenopause and after menopause, it clearly improved insomnia, and the benefit was still there six months later.⁷
Hormone therapy (HRT). For some women it eases hot flushes and the sleep problems that come with them. Whether it suits you is a conversation with your doctor.

See your doctor sooner if you snore heavily, wake gasping, or feel very sleepy in the day. The risk of sleep apnoea rises after menopause, and it needs checking properly.⁸

Up to 80%of women with severe hot flushes have trouble sleeping.¹ You are not imagining it, and you are not alone.

Our Menopause Night kit puts the cooling pillow, the mask and the earplugs together for €55.

This is general information, not medical advice. If your sleep is badly disturbed, or you are worried about your symptoms, talk to your doctor.

Sources

Ohayon MM. Severe hot flashes are associated with chronic insomnia. Arch Intern Med, 2006. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16801508
Sleep Foundation. Menopause and Sleep. sleepfoundation.org/women-sleep/menopause-and-sleep
NHS. Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. nhs.uk/conditions/menopause-and-perimenopause/symptoms
Sleep Foundation. Best Temperature for Sleep. sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/best-temperature-for-sleep
NHS Every Mind Matters. How to fall asleep faster and sleep better. nhs.uk/every-mind-matters
NHS. Insomnia. nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia
McCurry SM et al. Telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms. JAMA Intern Med, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27213646
Young T et al. Menopausal status and sleep-disordered breathing. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2003. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12615621