The reason you sometimes obsess over a tricky work project or an argument with your best friend when you’re trying to fall asleep: “You can’t refocus your thinking at the edge of slumber the same way you can when you’re alert,” says Colleen E. Carney, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Insomnia and Sleep Research Program at Duke University Medical Center. “People have little control over their thoughts, because they may be going in and out of a light stage of sleep, even though they think they’re awake,” she says.
Late nights followed by extra sack time the next morning throw off your internal clock, which is controlled by a cluster of nerve cells in the brain that also regulate appetite and body temperature, says Lawrence Epstein, MD, medical director of Sleep Health Centers in Brighton, MA, and author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep. When Sunday rolls around, you’re reprogrammed to stay up past your bedtime, and you feel like a zombie on Monday morning.
A snorer’s sawing can reach 90 decibels—as loud as a blender. Even if you can get to sleep, his snoring will likely wax and wane through the night and wake you up during REM sleep, the most restful phase.
Fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone before or during your period or throughout perimenopause can sabotage sleep, says Walsleben. You may notice problems—mainly waking up during the night—long before you start having hot flashes, she says.
Fix It: A hot bath a couple hours before turning in and, if you’re often awakened by cramps, an over-the-counter pain reliever at bedtime may be all you need to counter premenstrual insomnia. For a stubborn case, ask your physician whether a short-acting sleep medication, taken two or three nights a month, would make sense. During perimenopause, stay on a consistent sleep-wake schedule, exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, and avoid caffeine after lunch and alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime (a cocktail helps you nod off, but its rebound effect will wake you up, Epstein says). For hot flashes and night sweats, try sleeping in a cool room and wearing light clothing (several companies make pajamas that wick away moisture). If you’re still tossing and turning, consider hormone therapy, Walsleben says. Recent research suggests that it may be safe for many women in their 50s (particularly the new low doses) when used for fewer than 5 years.