How to lose weight during menopause: the sleep connection

Why You Can’t Lose Weight During Menopause—Until You Fix This One Thing

Are you eating well, exercising... and still gaining weight during menopause? You’re not alone—and the problem might not be your food choices. In this episode, I reveal the hidden connection between menopause sleep problems, hormonal changes, and stubborn weight gain—and what to do about it.

✨ You’ll learn:
 ✅ Why perimenopause and menopause insomnia make weight loss harder
✅ How cortisol and sleep affect belly fat and metabolism
✅ The role of estrogen in weight regulation
✅ How fixing your sleep can finally help you lose weight
✅ 11 powerful sleep hygiene tips to reset your hormones naturally

I also share the story of my client Tina, who did everything “right” but still couldn’t lose weight—until she started getting better sleep.

Whether you're struggling with perimenopause sleep problems, hot flashes, or constant fatigue, this episode will show you how to support your body, balance your hormones, and finally feel like yourself again.

When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you to feel your best during perimenopause and menopause:

1. Want more science-backed health tips? Click here to sign up for my free weekly newsletter for practical advice on navigating menopause with confidence:

2. Click here to get the free guide: 5 Natural Ways To Reduce Menopause Symptoms.

2. For more information about Lynda and how she supports women on their health journey, click here to learn more.

3. Interested in seeing if nutrition coaching with Lynda is right for you? Click here to book a free discovery call with Lynda.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Have you ever felt like you'redoing everything right, eating
clean, working out, watchingyour portions, but the weight
still won't budge?
Well, what if I told you thatsomething unexpected might be
standing in your way- how wellyou sleep.
In today's episode, I'm going toshare an important reason why
many women struggle withmenopause weight gain,
especially around the belly, andwhy menopause sleep problems may

(00:24):
be sabotaging your efforts.
I'll also tell you about Tina,one of my clients who was doing
everything right and stillcouldn't lose weight until we
uncovered what her body reallyneeded.
If you've been dealing withperimenopause sleep problems,
waking up at 3:00 AM or draggingyourself through the day with
caffeine and willpower, you'regoing to want to hear this.
Because I'm going to show youexactly how sleep hormones, and

(00:46):
weight loss are all connected.
So let's get started.
Menopause doesn't have to feellike you are living in someone
else's body.
Your host, Lynda Enright, hasspent the last 25 years helping
women to thrive in midlife.
Here you'll find science-basedpractical advice that you can
start using today to get realresults for your health.
Welcome to Joyful Menopause.

(01:08):
Now I know what you might bethinking.
You're a nutritionist, shouldn'twe be talking about food and
yes, I work with my clients tohelp them create the best diet
to get results.
And of course that plays a hugerole in all this too.
But the truth is, women come tome all the time who are doing
all that, who are eating all thequote unquote right foods of
what they've been told, whatthey've read online.

(01:30):
And a lot of it might be doingjust fine, but when you're not
sleeping, your cortisol is high,your body might be going into
survival mode and yourmetabolism might be slowing
down, and that's why I have totalk about sleep.
If we ignore it, we might beignoring one of the root causes
of why weight loss duringmenopause feels so hard.

(01:50):
And what if I told you also thatyour body's entire sleep rhythm
shifts during perimenopause andmenopause and fighting it might
be the very thing that's keepingyou stuck.
So we'll get into that next.
So here's what most women don'tknow, your body's sleep needs
and the timing can change duringmidlife.
If you've noticed menopauseinsomnia, night wakings, or an

(02:14):
inability to sleep in, maybelike you used to do, it's not
just aging.
It's your hormones.
Estrogen drops, and that impactsserotonin and melatonin, your
mood and sleep hormones.
Progesterone, which calms yourbrain, promotes deep rest also
declines, and then melatonintoo.
Your production of melatonindrops off in perimenopause and

(02:36):
post menopause.
So add stress to the mix.
Now your cortisol levels arespiking, especially in the early
morning hours, leaving you wideawake, wired and wondering why
your brain won't shut off.
So what does all this mean foryour weight?
It means that you could be doingeverything right nutritionally,
but still holding onto fatbecause your body thinks it's

(02:58):
under threat.
I'll explain how that works andexactly what to do about it
right after I want to tell youabout my client, Tina.
So Tina came to me to loseweight.
She was eating well, she wasexercising and doing everything
she used to do, but nothing wasworking.
So when I asked her about hersleep, she said, I'm a night
owl.
I generally go to bed aftermidnight, but now I can't sleep

(03:18):
late like I used to.
I wake up around 5:00 AM and Ijust cannot fall back asleep.
So that was her normal not goingto bed until midnight.
But here's the thing.
She used to be able to sleep inand now her body clock has
shifted.
As can happen in perimenopauseand menopause, and she was
getting only five hours a nightat best.
So once we prioritized hersleep, moving her bedtime

(03:41):
earlier and helping her getconsistent, deep rest,
everything changed, her energycame back, her stress felt more
manageable, her cravingsdisappeared, and the weight it
finally started to drop.
So what exactly did we do tohelp her sleep better?
I'm going to walk you throughthe most effective sleep hygiene
tips that I have found work forwomen in menopause.

(04:02):
And it's not just about cuttingcaffeine, which is the first
thing that a lot of times wefocus on.
So let's walk through some ofthe most effective strategies
that I share with my clients whoare dealing with menopause sleep
problems, especially if they'realso struggling with weight
gain, fatigue, or brain fog.
So these are simpleevidence-based actions that can

(04:22):
make a huge difference when doneconsistently, I have 10 ideas
for you, for things you can do.
Don't get overwhelmed by that.
I know it's a lot and I expectsome of these you're probably
already doing, but see if thereis just one thing that you could
add to start making a shift, andthen over time you can add one
more until you have built agreat sleep routine that gets

(04:43):
results.
Number one, get sunlight earlyin the day.
Your body's internal clock isregulated by light.
One of the best ways to anchoryour rhythm and boost melatonin
production later at night is toexpose your eyes to natural
sunlight first thing in themorning.
An added bonus when you getsunlight early in the morning it
can improve your focus,concentration and productivity.

(05:05):
So aim to get outside withinmaybe an hour after you wake up.
Even 10 to 15 minutes ofdaylight can help reset your
system, improve your energy andsupport better sleep at night.
Number two, move your bodyearlier in the day.
Exercise is one of the besttools we have to reduce stress,
regulate hormones, and supportbetter sleep.
But the timing of when you do itcan matter more now at this time

(05:28):
in life than maybe it did whenyou were younger.
Late day workouts can be toostimulating and they might
elevate cortisol or your bodytemperature interfering with
falling asleep.
So instead, try moving yourworkouts if possible to the
morning or early afternoon, evenif it's just a brisk walk or
some stretching.
Number three, avoid alcoholespecially in the evening.

(05:51):
Alcohol might feel like it helpsyou relax or fall asleep faster,
but it actually fragments yoursleep and prevents that deep
restorative sleep cycle.
Even one glass of wine can raiseyour core body temperature and
trigger night sweats, or 3:00 AMwake ups.
I see it all the time in thewomen I work with.
Eliminating alcohol eventemporarily can lead to

(06:13):
dramatically better sleep, morestable moods, and better weight
regulation.
Number four.
Cut caffeine after noon.
So caffeine actually has ahalflife of up to six to eight
hours, meaning it stays in yoursystem long after that last cup
of coffee.
So for sensitive sleepers, evensmall amounts in the morning can
disrupt nighttime rest.

(06:34):
One client of mine, she wouldalways be done by noon.
And she thought that was enough,but she had so much caffeine in
the morning that when she cut itdown to just a couple cups in
the morning, she turned out tobe sleeping a lot better at
night.
So we want to reduce the totalquantity of caffeine.
Maybe try switching to herbaltea after noon.
If you're struggling to fallasleep or you wake frequently,

(06:55):
just consider cutting it outeven entirely for a week.
It's just an experiment.
All of these things are alsojust trial and see how it works.
See if you notice someimprovement.
Number five, unplug from screensone to two hours before bed.
Phones, TVs, tablets, laptops,they all emit blue light, which
suppresses melatonin productionand delays the onset of sleep.

(07:18):
So start dimming the lights inyour home even, even in the last
couple hours of the night.
If you can just start making ita little darker, that can help
your body to understand thatit's getting to be time for
sleep.
Replace screens in your lifewith relaxing rituals, reading,
stretching, a warm bath, ormaybe journaling.
Blue light blocking glasses canalso help if screen is

(07:40):
unavoidable and there's justsomething you have to be doing
later.
Number six, balance your bloodsugar.
This is a big one and I talkabout it in another podcast.
Blood sugar fluctuationsthroughout the day and
especially at night, can lead tocortisol spikes, which can jolt
you awake in the early hours ofthe morning.
So eating regular meals withprotein, healthy fats and fiber

(08:00):
rich carbohydrates, fruits andvegetables, avoid sugar, refined
carbs and alcohol in theevening.
A small protein rich snackbefore bed can help stabilize
blood sugar overnight for manywomen.
Number seven, maintain aconsistent sleep schedule.
Your body thrives on rhythm, sogoing to bed and waking up at
the same time every day, even onthe weekends, helps reinforce

(08:23):
your natural sleep wake cycle.
Trying to get to bed by 10 ifpossible, this aligns best with
your body's natural melatoninpeak.
Consistency helps regulatehormones.
It can lead to deeper, morerefreshing sleep.
Wouldn't that feel amazing?
Number eight, create a coolcalming bedroom environment.

(08:43):
Sleep quality is strongly tiedto temperature, comfort, and
sensory cues, so keeping yourbedroom even around 65 degrees
is really a great temperature tokeep your body cool enough to
fall asleep.
There's cooling mattresstoppers, breathable sheets, fans
if you run hot.
Lots of ways to help to bringthat temperature down too.
Make your bedroom alsoscreen-free stress-free

(09:05):
sanctuary would be ideal.
Number nine.
Explore natural supports.
Things like teas and supplementscould be an option for you.
Gentle, natural sleep supportscan help create calm and signal
your body that it's time torest.
There's herbal teas likechamomile, lavender, or sleepy
time.
They can be part of sort of thatnighttime relaxing routine.

(09:26):
Supplements, like magnesiumglycinate may help your body if
it's deficient.
Not for everyone is it needed,but for some women I found that
to be helpful.
Of course, always check with ahealth professional before
starting any new supplement.
And lastly, number 10, there'stools out there that can help
support relaxation.
For some women, simple tools canmake a huge difference.

(09:47):
Um, there's something I'vediscovered called the Cozy Band
which is a headband that you canwear that has built, built-in
Bluetooth speakers, so you canlisten to calming music or
meditation in bed morecomfortably.
You can use guided sleepmeditations or white noise apps
that can help ease you intosleep.
Weighted blankets, coolingpillows for some women, those
can be helpful too.

(10:08):
The key here is consistency.
Remember, you don't need to doall these at once.
Start with one or two changesand then build up from there.
These small shifts add up, andthey're powerful when they're
done consistently.
And remember, these sleepstrategies don't just help you
feel more rested they create theenvironment for your hormones in

(10:28):
your body to lose weight, reducestress, and thrive in menopause.
Sleep is not optional,especially not during menopause.
It's not just about avoidingfatigue, it's about hormone
balance, weight, regulation,mood, and again, simply your
ability to thrive.
So if you're eating clean,you're moving your body and

(10:48):
you're still feeling stuck, lookat your sleep.
Prioritize it, honor it, let itbecome non-negotiable for you.
Thanks for listening today toJoyful Menopause.
If this episode resonated withyou, or if someone you love is
dealing with sleep and menopauseissues, please share it and
click on the link in thecomments to sign up for my
weekly email newsletter, whereeach week I give you tips like

(11:11):
these to help you create ajoyful menopause.