Does this sound familiar? You finally drift off to sleep, only to wake up in the middle of the night staring at the ceiling. Or maybe you struggle to stay asleep and wake up feeling more tired than when you went to bed. Sleep disturbances are a common challenge during menopause, but they don’t have to take over your nights—or your days.
Here’s the truth: hormonal changes, especially declining estrogen and progesterone levels, can disrupt your natural sleep-wake cycle. Add in night sweats or racing thoughts, and getting a full night of rest feels impossible.
But with a few plant-based lifestyle changes, you can set the stage for better, deeper sleep.
🌼 Foods to Support Restful Sleep
Certain plant-based foods are natural sleep aids. Incorporating these into your evening routine can help calm your mind, regulate hormones, and keep you asleep through the night:
- Bananas: High in magnesium and potassium, they relax muscles and nerves, helping your body unwind.
- Cherries: One of the few natural sources of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. A handful before bed can work wonders.
- Oats: A small bowl of oatmeal can boost serotonin, which promotes relaxation and better sleep.
- Walnuts: Packed with tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body produce serotonin and melatonin.
- Herbal Teas: Chamomile or valerian root tea can calm the nervous system and prepare you for a peaceful night.
🌙 Lifestyle Tips for Better Sleep
- Stick to a Routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to help regulate your body’s internal clock.
- Limit Evening Stimulants: Avoid caffeine, sugar or heavy meals in the hours before bedtime. Instead, try a calming herbal tea.
- Create a Relaxing Sleep Environment: Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet. Consider a white noise machine or blackout curtains.
- Wind down the evening with a nice stroll and some stretching.
😴 This Week’s Challenge
Try incorporating one or two of the sleep-friendly foods into your nightly routine for the next week. Pair it with a calming bedtime rituals above and see how your sleep improves.
Better sleep doesn’t happen overnight (pun intended), but with small, consistent changes, you can transform your nights—and your energy during the day.
I started out several years ago watching Forks Over Knives, decided to “try out” the plant-based meal plan and had shockingly incredible results. I’ve never turned back. I have lost nearly 50 pounds, and that is just one side effect that me, my family, friends and clients have experienced after making the change.
Having been an incredible cook my entire adult life, I started my own personal chef service, NuYu Nourish, to extend my help to others. I interned under a celebrity chef, became a celebrity chef myself and have been expanding my reach and goals ever since! My plan follows strictly and simply those of Dr. Mcdougall, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn.
