Wide Awake At 2 A.M. Here’s Why Insomnia Peaks During Menopause

From forbes.com

It’s 2:17 a.m. You’re exhausted, but wide awake. Your mind races. A sudden wave of heat rises through your body. You finally drift off—only to wake again an hour later. By morning, you feel depleted, foggy, and irritable. And yet, when you mention it to a provider, you’re told it’s “just stress” or “part of getting older.” Instead, you may simply be experiencing insomnia.

Up to two-thirds of people occasionally experience symptoms of insomnia, according to the National Sleep Foundation. But insomnia is more than just a few nights of poor sleep. It is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or achieving restorative sleep—even when there is adequate time and an environment conducive to rest.

 While insomnia can be triggered by trauma, stress, life transitions, or medications, researchers are increasingly examining another powerful and often overlooked contributor: menopause.

Sleep disturbances, including insomnia, are common during and after the menopause transition. 

According to the World Health Organization, menopause marks the end of menstrual cycles, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55 as oestrogen levels decline. It is associated with symptoms such as hot flashes, mood changes, and sleep disruption, while also increasing long-term risks for conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease. These changes often occur during midlife—a period generally spanning ages 35 to 65—when many women are already managing significant personal and professional responsibilities.

                                                                                 Woman In Bed With Menopausal Insomnia.    getty 

1. Midlife Is A Significant Risk Factor For Insomnia

As people age, the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) may become less resilient to stress and schedule changes. While sleep deprivation at any stage of life can be harmful, chronic insomnia during midlife carries additional emotional and physical consequences.

The National Institute on Aging notes that increased responsibilities during middle age—demanding careers, caring for aging parents, and supporting children—significantly contribute to sleep disruption. Heightened stress and emotional arousal during this period often make it harder to fall or stay asleep.

Menopause can compound these challenges. Hot flashes and other vasomotor symptoms frequently interrupt sleep, and studies suggest that women report higher levels of caregiving-related sleep problems compared to men. A 2026 review published in Menopause found that sleep disturbances remain highly prevalent during postmenopausal years—even among women without significant vasomotor symptoms—and can substantially affect quality of life.

Given these overlapping stressors, tailored treatment strategies are essential. Approaches may include cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness practices, yoga, acupuncture or acupressure, dietary improvements, and short-term pharmacologic support when appropriate. Addressing both physiological and psychological contributors is key to improving sleep outcomes.

2. Hormonal Changes May Contribute To Insomnia

Healthy sleep habits—such as maintaining good sleep hygiene and keeping a cool bedroom environment—are important during menopause. However, insomnia is a clinical sleep disorder, not simply “poor sleep,” and often requires targeted treatment.

Menopausal insomnia is influenced by hormonal changes, including increased cortisol and reduced levels of progesterone and melatonin—hormones that play essential roles in regulating body temperature, mood, and sleep cycles. For example, declining oestrogen can trigger night sweats and hot flashes while also contributing to increased anxiety, depression, and irritability. Together, these shifts make it more difficult to relax and fall asleep.

Managing menopausal insomnia requires targeted and effective strategies, one of the most evidence-based being cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is widely recognized as a first-line, non-pharmacological treatment. A recent study published in Women’s Health Nursing concluded that CBT-I significantly improves sleep quality and reduces insomnia severity in menopausal women. Importantly, its effectiveness was consistent regardless of delivery method (in-person or remote), follow-up duration, or initial insomnia severity.

Because insomnia is so common during midlife and menopause, integrating CBT-I into routine clinical care could greatly benefit patients. Expanding standardized training programs and clinical protocols would help make this evidence-based therapy more widely accessible.

3. Negative Beliefs About Hot Flashes May Worsen Insomnia

While severe hot flashes are known to disrupt sleep, emerging research suggests that beliefs about hot flashes may also play an important role.

A recent study in Menopause examined whether hot flash beliefs were independently associated with insomnia severity. The findings indicated that negative beliefs about hot flashes may heighten physiological arousal and interfere with sleep—regardless of the actual intensity of the symptoms.

In other words, how women interpret and mentally respond to hot flashes may influence the degree of sleep disturbance they experience. This supports a broader mind–body framework, highlighting that cognitive and emotional factors can amplify physical symptoms.

Reframing menopause as a natural life transition rather than a personal failure or pathology may reduce distress and, in turn, improve sleep quality.

Moving Beyond Menopausal Insomnia

Treating insomnia becomes more complex when layered with menopausal symptoms. As research continues to evolve, women can take proactive steps by advocating for comprehensive care, asking informed questions, and seeking providers who approach health holistically rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions.

While systemic change in women’s health care is still needed, self-advocacy remains powerful. Navigating menopausal insomnia with knowledge, support, and dignity is not only possible—it is essential for long-term well-being.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sophieokolo/2026/03/05/wide-awake-at-2-am-heres-why-insomnia-peaks-during-menopause/

9 ways to boost your metabolism

From restless.co.uk

Many of us will be familiar with the fact that as we age we can’t eat like our younger selves once did. This is because our metabolism – the rate at which our body burns energy – naturally slows down over time. Generally, this makes it easier to gain weight and more difficult to lose it.

However, the good news is that it’s possible to boost your metabolism by making a few positive lifestyle changes.

Below, we’ll take a closer look at what metabolism is, how it changes with age, and what you can do to help boost yours.

What is metabolism?

In simple terms, metabolism refers to all of the chemical reactions that occur in your body to keep you alive and functioning.

These processes include breathing, heartbeat, and breaking down nutrients from food. Your metabolism essentially determines how quickly your body burns energy to complete these functions. 

Ultimately, the faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn, the easier it is to lose weight, and the more energetic you’re likely to feel.

The speed of your metabolism is influenced by four main factors…

• Resting metabolic rate (RMR) – the number of calories you burn while resting. Your RMR is essentially the minimum number of calories needed to keep your body alive and functioning.

• Thermic effect of food (TEF) – how many calories you burn through digesting and absorbing food. TEF usually accounts for 10% of daily calories burned.

• Exercise – the number of calories you burn through exercise.

• Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) – how many calories you burn doing non-exercise activities, such as standing, moving around, hoovering, and other household chores.

Other factors that influence metabolism include age, gender, height, muscle mass, and hormonal factors. Metabolism naturally slows down with age for various reasons, including reduced activity levels, muscle loss, and ageing of internal body processes.

But, while some of the factors that affect metabolism, like gender and height, are out of our control, others, such as how active we are, often aren’t. Therefore, by making certain lifestyle changes, it’s possible to boost your metabolism.

9 ways to boost your metabolism over 50

Overall, research has shown that being less active and losing muscle mass have the greatest effect on your metabolism.

For this reason, becoming more active and building muscle are among the most beneficial things you can do to boost your metabolism.

However, there are plenty of other things that can help too. We’ll cover these below…

1. Consider taking up strength training

Over time, we lose muscle mass as a result of an age-related process called sarcopenia. A reduction in muscle mass can slow down your metabolism because muscle uses a lot more energy at rest than fat.

Sarcopenia usually begins around the age of 50 – and after this, it’s estimated that a person’s muscle mass decreases by around 1-2%, and muscle strength at a rate of 1.5-5% each year. In fact, research shows that by the age of 80, people have roughly 30% less muscle than when they were 20.

Strength training offers the usual benefits of exercise, including improved cardiovascular health, but brings an added bonus of building and preserving muscle mass. Research has shown that over time, this can boost metabolism and increase the number of calories you burn throughout the day.

For example, this study of 15 people aged 61-77 found that strength training three times a week for six months increased resting metabolic rate (RMR) by 6.8%.

Another plus is that strength training can also help to retain muscle and metabolism speed during weight loss (where metabolism usually drops). This study, which followed overweight women on a weight loss programme, found those who did strength training throughout retained their muscle mass, metabolism speed, and strength alongside losing weight. Meanwhile, others lost muscle mass and experienced a drop in metabolism.

For more information on the importance of strength training, you might want to have a read of our article; The importance of building strength and balance in your 50s and 60s.

2. Increase your daily activity levels

Your daily activity levels have a significant impact on the speed of your metabolism. Research shows that, together, exercise and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), make up roughly 10-30% of daily calories burned. For very active people, this number can stretch as high as 50%.

According to Age UK, 29% of people aged 65 to 74 are physically inactive. This number jumps to 47% for people aged 75 to 84, and 70% for those over 85.

Incorporating more exercise into your daily routine can make a significant difference in helping to prevent a drop in your metabolism. For example, this study of healthy young adults (21-35) and mature adults (50-72) showed that taking part in regular endurance exercise can help to prevent metabolism from slowing down with age.

If you haven’t yet found a form of exercise that you love, why not head over to the fitness and exercise section of our website? Here, you’ll find guides on everything from running and cycling to walking football and yoga.

You might also want to check out the classes available on our Rest Less Events platform, such as Afrofusion dance, Pilates, and Disco Aerobics.

3. Eat a high protein diet

Eating temporarily increases metabolism because the body requires energy to digest food and absorb nutrients. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF).

Protein causes the largest rise in TEF – and increases metabolic rate by 15-30%, compared with 5-10% for carbohydrates and 0-3% for fats. Interestingly, studies have found that consuming 25-30% of your calories from protein can help you burn an extra 80-100 calories per day.

Research has also shown that eating protein can help to keep you feeling full and prevent overeating. For example, this study found that people were likely to eat around 441 calories less per day when their diet was made up of 30% protein.

Eating more protein can also help to reduce the drop in metabolism linked with weight loss, and is essential in fighting sarcopenia because it plays an important role in preserving muscle.

Examples of high protein foods include eggs, yoghurt, seafood, soya, chicken, tofu, beans, and pulses. For cooking inspiration, why not check out our article; 12 high-protein meal ideas?

4. Fix your sleep schedule

Research shows that a lack of sleep can slow down your metabolism, but getting a good night’s sleep can reverse this effect.

Sleep is needed for various hormonal and metabolic processes, and sleep deprivation has been shown to cause abnormalities in the metabolic process. For example, this study found that the metabolisms of people who got just four hours of sleep were 2.6% slower than those who got 10 hours of sleep. Fortunately, getting a long night’s sleep (12 hours) helped to restore metabolism.

Another reason that sleep can impact metabolism is that poor sleep can lead to muscle loss, which slows down your resting metabolic rate (RMR).

While further research is needed, mounting evidence also suggests that sleep and misaligned circadian rhythms contribute to the development of metabolic disorders, heart disease, and cancer.

Getting a good night’s sleep can also help prevent overeating. This is because a lack of sleep not only impacts energy levels but also increases levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, while decreasing the fullness hormone, leptin.

If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, you’ll find tips on how to fix your sleeping patterns in the sleep and fatigue section of our website.

5. Make an effort to drink more cold water

Research has suggested that drinking water can temporarily speed up your metabolism.

For example, this study recorded that drinking 0.5 litres of water increased resting metabolic rate by around 10-30% for up to an hour. For best results, it’s recommended that the water you drink is cold. This is because the body has to use extra energy to heat the water up to body temperature.

Another benefit of drinking more water is that it helps to fill you up. Various studies have shown that drinking water half an hour before you eat can help to prevent overeating.

For example, this study of overweight adults found that those who drank half a litre of water before eating lost 44% more weight than those who didn’t.

6. Try drinking more green tea or oolong tea

If you often enjoy a warm cup of tea, then you’ll be pleased to know that your habit could help to speed up your metabolism.

Green tea and oolong tea (traditional Chinese tea) have been shown to increase metabolism speed by around 4-5%.

These teas help to convert some of the fat stored in our bodies into free fatty acids, which can increase fat burning by around 10-17%. Plus, since green and oolong tea are so low in calories, they can also be a handy tool for weight loss and weight maintenance.

7. Introduce more spicy foods into your diet

Peppers contain capsaicin, which is a substance known to boost metabolism. However, due to its strong taste, the majority of people can’t tolerate eating this spice at the dose required for it to have a significant effect.

But, this study of capsaicin (eaten at normal doses) suggests that eating peppers would still burn around 10 additional calories each meal. Over a period of 6.5 years, this would account for about one pound of weight loss for a man of average weight.

While the effect of adding spices to your food may be quite small, incorporating more over time can lead to small advantages when combined with other metabolism-boosting strategies.

8. Stand instead of sitting

As previously mentioned, non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) refers to the number of calories burned through activities other than exercise – for example, standing and completing household chores.

Research has shown that older adults burn roughly 29% fewer calories through NEAT than younger adults due to reduced activity levels.

Aside from incorporating exercise into your daily routine, there are other small, but beneficial changes you can make to your lifestyle too. For example, you could start making a conscious effort to spend more of your day standing up.

Not only is sitting down for long periods bad for our health, but it also burns fewer calories. While small changes like these may not seem that significant, research suggests that an afternoon of standing up at work can burn an extra 174 calories, compared to sitting down.

If you have a fairly sedentary desk job, you could consider buying a standing desk*. Equally, if you commute to work by train, why not try standing up for some of the journey?

9. Start your day with a coffee

Various studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee can boost metabolism by 3-11% and promote fat burning. Coffee’s effect on metabolism may also contribute to successful weight loss and maintenance.

However, the effect of coffee on metabolism speed seems to be greater in people who are lean. For example, in this study, coffee increased fat burning by 29% for lean women, but only 10% for obese women.

According to experts, up to 400mg of caffeine (around four to five cups) a day appears to be a safe amount for most healthy adults. Though, to avoid disrupted sleep, it’s recommended not to drink coffee less than six hours before bedtime.

Final thoughts…

While it’s natural for metabolism to slow down with age, there are things you can do to help counteract this effect.

And more positive news is that the benefits of making simple lifestyle changes like taking up strength training, becoming more active, and fixing your sleeping habits, will not only work to boost your metabolism, but do good in other areas of your life too.

For more guidance, tips, and advice, you might like to visit the fitness and exercise and diet and nutrition sections of our website.

https://restless.co.uk/health/healthy-body/ways-to-boost-your-metabolism-over-50/?utm_campaign=eml_trig_healthy_body_retarget&utm_source=trigger&utm_medium=email&utm_content=eml_trig_eng_healthy_body_recommendation_em1_-1d_v3_24-03-22&bsft_clkid=cbea7f86-0a10-4bde-817e-f677c4e6035e&bsft_uid=7e4bbf6c-1c5d-4033-98b6-b63187fc0584&bsft_mid=19e6b640-3ea0-4681-9d56-beb4183154e4&bsft_eid=8b569afc-595f-4dd8-9e1d-33c526f37816&bsft_txnid=7c90de8e-2e62-4639-8d4a-a892fc3af1a8&bsft_mime_type=html&bsft_ek=2024-04-28T06%3A11%3A35Z&bsft_aaid=3fb5a0c8-1d80-4f30-8749-7b9799f02c6c&bsft_lx=3&bsft_tv=2

"A new start after 60: meditation cured my insomnia. Now I help others cope"

From theguardian.com

Ken Lunn was having a ‘hellish’ time juggling work and childcare after his wife died. Then he found a way to catch his breath 

Throughout his 30-year career as a tech professional, Ken Lunn regularly gave talks to rooms packed with experts and leaders in their fields. Yet it wasn’t until he taught his first meditation class to a dozen novices in 2016 that he felt nervous. “Guiding a meditation to a silent room was the most nerve-racking thing I’d done,” he says. “Trying to get people to explore their own psychology and leading as an example is a terrifying experience.”

At 60 years old, Lunn had recently retired from his data and IT management role in the NHS and decided to pursue an entirely different passion – one that had become central to his wellbeing in middle age. In 1989, when he was in his mid-30s with three young children, Lunn’s wife Susan was diagnosed with skin cancer. She died in 1993. Suddenly finding himself a single parent juggling work and childcare, Lunn began to suffer from depression and insomnia. “It was a hellish few years as a sole carer,” he says. “I didn’t know how to cope but one day a friend recommended that I try meditation to see if it could at least help me sleep.”

Struggling to find a meditation teacher during a time when mental health was still a touchy talking point, Lunn eventually began attending a transcendental meditation class. “It very quickly allowed me to calm my mind down with just 20 minutes of meditation each morning and evening,” he says. “The insomnia went away and I started to feel as if I could breathe again.”

As he adapted to his new life without Susan, Lunn carried on exploring the world of meditation through learning about Buddhist practices and mindfulness. By the time he was in his late 50s and considering retirement, he was regularly using it as a way to deal with daily stress and realised there might be a way that he could put his years of experience to wider use.

“Meditation changed my life so much, so I wanted to give back,” he says. “I also have a scientific background and was never comfortable with meditation often having a spiritual component you had to ascribe to. I wanted to find a way of teaching it with more rigour.”

‘People say the classes have transformed their lives’ … Ken Lunn. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

In 2014, he moved to part-time work and enrolled in a master’s qualification in mindfulness at Bangor University. “I have a PhD in computing but that was the most challenging academic thing I’ve done,” he says. “It was all about exploring your personal experience and being able to share that.” In turning inwards, Lunn revisited the impact of Susan’s death on his life. “It became transformative in the way that I viewed myself because I realised how I had tried to get on with the positives but ignored the negatives,” he says. “The course rebalanced me and encouraged me to be open about my inner life. As a man it can be hard to do but we created a safe space.”

Qualifying in 2016 and newly retired, Lunn immediately began teaching at a Buddhist centre in Wakefield, as well as at yoga studios and in an adult education college. By the following year, he had hired his own room and built a committed group of attenders keen to learn the techniques of mindful breathing and observation.

“It’s all about teaching people tools to deal with the stresses of daily life, as well as building an informal practice of noticing what’s going on around you,” he says. “Mindfulness can be really restorative in allowing ourselves to be grounded in the present. I have many people who have experienced mental health issues, and who said that coming to the classes has transformed their lives.”

Moving to online work during the pandemic, Lunn currently holds weekly drop-in classes for people of all abilities, and helps supervise trainee teachers for the charitable organisation The Mindfulness Network. He no longer finds leading a class nerve-racking and his grown-up children have even tried mindfulness with him. “I love seeing the effect it has on people and I’m learning something new every day,” he says. “It’s become my purpose and I still take 30 minutes each morning to reconnect with myself through my breathing practice.”

At 68 years old, Lunn feels he still has work to do. “The conversation has completely changed around mental health, which is fantastic, but there remain people who think there isn’t anything they can do to help themselves,” he says. “I want to try to show them. That’s why I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.”

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/apr/08/a-new-start-after-60-meditation-cured-my-insomnia-now-i-help-others-cope