Sleep is crucial for our overall health and well-being, affecting both our physical and mental health. This is why a lack of it impairs a range of functions from task performance and post-physical activity recovery to cognitive performance and mood. Poor sleep quality also impairs decision-making.

What can we do to manage episodes of poor sleep? Is it just sleep that’s an issue and where does tiredness come into it? What impact can menopause have on our sleep?

In today’s episode, I’ll be asking these questions to Dr Jonny Bloomfield, health and performance coach and I’ll also be speaking with Diana Spellman, a company director who will be sharing her story of sleep problems as she adapted to the menopause.

• 2.48 Jonny explains the difference between sleep and tiredness and Diana shares how her sleep pattern started to go wrong
• 4.50 Jonny explains that tiredness comes from many sources and gives a range of examples
• 7.16 Jonny takes us through the sleep systems
  • The importance of peak sleep drive
  • The circadian system and the hormones melatonin and cortisol
  • The effect of the stress and recovery
• 14.08 Jonny discusses changing hormones and the impact on the quality of our sleep. Diana shares the changes that she had to make to her sleep as she went through menopause.
• 21.00 The strategies we need to put in place to have good sleep
  • Sleep hygiene - look at your sleep environment
  • Sleep divorce - do you need to sleep separately?
  • Sleep disruptors - alcohol, caffeine, 
• 33.35 Winding down before sleep and using recovery strategies
• 37.00 Self-care practices and involving your partner
• 38.48 Take home messages

Take home messages  

1. Get up at the same time everyday 

2. Only go to bed when you’re sleepy 

3. Reserve the bedroom only for sleep and sex 

4. If you can’t sleep, stop trying 

5. Avoid daytime napping unless for safety reasons. 

Notes:

NB: this information does not replace personalised advice from a Health Care Professional

Further Resources:

Jonny Bloomfield website

Dr Jonny Bloomfield

  National Sleep Guidelines - Consumer_V2.0.indd (mammothperks.co.uk)

Sleep environments and sleep physiology: A review

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30509635/