THE MAY EDIT

Talking motherhood, mental health + all things SLEEP (fave tools, tips, hormone + sleep connection & more).

Hello and welcome to HORMONE HEALTHY EATS from So Fresh N So Green’s Lauren Chambers, a nutrition + hormone health coach & girl mom x 3. If you’re here and aren’t yet a subscriber, I would love to have you join me! You can expect a monthly newsletter filled with simple + fun hormone balancing tools, tips, charts, personal faves & more + a delicious, nutrient-dense, hormone healthy full meal (+ occasional dessert) aligned with each phase of your cycle (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory + luteal) delivered to your inbox every Saturday.

I truly cannot believe it’s already May, and there seems to be quite a lot going on this month!

Not only is it National Menstrual Cycle Awareness Month, Mental Health Awareness Month and AAPI Heritage Month, but it’s also the month we celebrate Mother’s Day, a phase of my life I am fully in right now as a mom of three young girls (6, 3 and 19 months).

Randomly (or maybe not so) when I thought about everything this month stands for and what was top of mind for me personally, sleep came up first.

Sleep is intricately linked to our mental health (ask anyone who’s ever been sleep deprived how awful/crazy/not themselves they felt) and the times I struggled with insomnia were some of the darkest of my life.

While I feel grateful that is currently not the case, I’m in a very full, very exhausting season of life, and I rely on a good night’s sleep more than ever to help me show up — for myself, my kids, my family + friends, my work — the next day. When I don’t sleep well, it affects everything — my mood, my appetite (cue the caffeine + sugar cravings), my energy, my patience, my focus, my appearance — it just makes it all feel that.much.harder.

And in a world where so many things feel hard right now, no matter what phase of life you’re in, we need all the help we can get. While I’m not saying a good night’s sleep can solve all of your problems (I wish!), I do think it can make them much more manageable to deal with, and that’s not nothing!

MY SLEEP JOURNEY

Starting in college, I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with sleep, struggling with bouts of insomnia and sometimes, simultaneously, depression.

I first turned to ambien, which gave me crazy dreams, made me sleep walk and left me feeling so groggy the next day! I decided prescriptions weren’t for me, but went on to try other supplements and OTC’s throughout the years ranging from NyQuil to melatonin to CBD to unisom (during my first pregnancy).

Luckily, going back to school to study hormone health (and then implementing those learnings) helped my hormones and gut health get to a much better spot, which vastly improved the quality of my sleep, as well as my mental health! This makes sense, as our hormones and gut microbiome are intricately connected to all aspects of our health, including our sleep and mood.

I still struggled with sleep during my pregnancies and postpartum, but to me I preferred this type of sleep disturbance (where I was being kept awake by a baby, not my own body and brain).

After I had my third baby in the fall of 2023 and she started sleeping though the night, I got back into a pretty good rhythm, but I would still sometimes wake up during the night and have trouble falling back asleep.

Then, a year ago, I did a sleep study (which involved a take home device and was a bit annoying but truly not bad at all) and found out that I had mild sleep apnea, which was causing me to breathe through my mouth (instead of nasal breathing) and grind my teeth in my sleep.

Since then, I’ve adopted some simple habits that have helped me truly experience my best sleep ever (even as a mom of 3 kids!) And I want to share them with you in the case you’d find them helpful.

SLEEP + HORMONES: THE CONNECTION

Before I get into my favorite sleep tools + tips, I want to briefly touch on how some of our major hormones influence our sleep (keep in mind there are many more nuanced things going on behind the scenes too!)

Melatonin

This is probably the most well-known hormone when it comes to sleep. It’s produced by the pineal gland in response to light exposure, and it helps regulate your circadian rhythm (aka sleep/wake cycle) and naturally increases in the evening, inducing relaxation and sleep.

Cortisol

A stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands that also influences our circadian rhythm. When following a proper secretion pattern, cortisol peaks in the morning, helping us wake up and stay alert throughout the day, and diminishes in the evening, helping us get a restful night’s sleep.

Estrogen

This hormone has a number of important functions, but as far as sleep is concerned, it helps us maintain a stable body temperature (which is why when estrogen is low it can produce symptoms like night sweats, a common sleep disrupter in postpartum and perimenopause/menopause) as well as impacts the metabolism of neurotransmitters like serotonin that promotes optimal mood, sleep and relaxation.

Progesterone

Estrogen’s counterpart, progesterone is our cool, calm and collected hormone, helping women both fall and stay asleep. If progesterone is low, you will most often notice disrupted sleep the 1-2 weeks leading up to your period. Progesterone production also naturally declines during perimenopause, which is why many women report having difficulty sleeping during this time.

Thyroid Hormones

The thyroid gland produces a number of hormones that regulate your reproductive organs and menstrual cycle, metabolism, and other important bodily functions including your heart rate, body temperature and energy levels, all of which impact your sleep quality. Low thyroid, specifically, can cause you to feel sleepy and fatigued during the day, but have a hard time falling asleep at night.

As you can see, our hormones play an intricate role in our sleep patterns and quality, which is why women tend to get hit harder with sleep issues, especially during times of hormonal fluctuations like the weeks during and leading up to our period, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause and menopause.

Sleep and hormones also have an inverse relationship. If your hormones are off, it will negatively impact your sleep, and if your sleep is off, it will negatively impact your hormones, making sleep a double edged sword.

Luckily, supporting our hormones through foundational practices helps to heal sleep issues at a root-cause level (and truly made the biggest difference for me overall!) While it’s not as fun as buying a cute new tool or drinking a tasty mocktail, it will have a long-lasting impact on your sleep, not to mention help you deal with any other symptoms cropping up!

That being said, the below tools and tips have elevated the positive effects and taken my sleep to the next level, not to mention helped me get into a bedtime routine I enjoy, helping me stay consistent with my sleep optimizing habits.

MY FAVE SLEEP TOOLS

Mouth Tape

This, out of any other tool, has made the most noticeable difference with my sleep! I used to wake up several times per night due to breathing through my mouth (instead of nasal breathing) which reduces your airflow and disrupts sleep patterns, among many other symptoms. I have tried almost every mouth tape brand out there, and this one is my fave, not only for it’s cute aesthetic (my daughters like to keep the cases to play with, lol), but because it doesn’t leave sticky residue or feel like I’m ripping off my skin when I remove it the next day.

If you wake up often during the night, drool, snore, grind your teeth, experience dry mouth, or have mild sleep apnea, I highly recommend looking into mouth taping. BONUS — My hubby mouth tapes too and it’s reduced his snoring significantly, which also helps me sleep better :).

Magnesium

This important mineral is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the human body, and is critical for optimal hormone health and sleep (including muscle relaxation (which helps with cramps!) and improving the production of sleep inducing hormones like melatonin. I started taking this powder when I was pregnant with Frankie, which I still take to this day, due to the yummy, slightly sweet chamomile flavor and addition of L-Theanine, which also helps offset the effects of stress. *Use code SOFRESH to save 20%.

Additionally, I am low-key obsessed with this new sleep spray from Primally Pure, which contains magnesium chloride, smells ah-mazing (lavender! bergamot! blue tansy!) and feels soooo luxurious when you spray it on your feet (it also kind of tingles at first which I really like, lol). *Use code SOFRESH10 to save 10%

Castor Oil Packs

This is my latest hyper-fixation! I’ve been doing these nightly (except for my period, as it can increase bleeding) for the past 5 months and have noticed an overall improvement in my digestion, skin and sleep. Castor oil is made from seeds of a castor oil plant, and has been used for centuries for both medicinal (constipation, inducing labor, healing wounds) and beauty (hair growth, skin moisturizing, etc.) purposes.

It’s absorbed through the skin, and while more research is needed on all of it’s touted benefits, anecdotal and preliminary evidence links it to increased liver health (which plays a vital role in hormone balance) as well as nervous system support (helping with stress, anxiety and relaxation, all of which play a role in sleep).

I use a roll-on to topically apply it on my stomach and right rib cage (where your liver is located) and wear this organic cotton cover over it. Then I let a hot water bottle rest on top (the heat helps with absorption of the oil). It’s honestly so easy, cozy and relaxing, I often fall asleep and wear it the whole night. *Use code SOFRESH10 to save 10%

Ear Plugs + Eye Cover

As a light sleeper, I’ve relied on both for years to help me block out sound and light in order to get a good night’s sleep. I use basic ear plugs from amazon, and love this blackout contoured sleep mask. *Use code SOFRESH15 to save 15% off your mask.

Blue Light Blockers

If you tend to be on devices late at night, this hack is for you! Studies have shown that blocking blue and green light between 400-550nm (which is what devices like your phone emit) enhances melatonin production, aligns circadian rhythm and improves sleep. I have these glasses in the Clarke style, which are not only cute, but block 100% of blue light (spoiler alert: most brands don’t!) *Use code SOFRESH15 to save 15% off your mask.

Tart Cherry Mocktail aka Sleepy Girl Mocktail

This trend has multiple benefits! 1) it’s delicious, making it an easy way to incorporate it into your routine 2) it’s functional, with scientific studies suggesting tart cherry juice can increase melatonin levels, improving sleep quality and 3) it’s a great habit swap if you tend to reach for a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage at night, which are known circadian disruptors, impairing the quality of your sleep (particularly REM sleep). This is my go-to recipe.

HELPFUL SLEEP HABITS

Along with my fun tools, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share these game-changing habits, as they have a profound impact on your sleep and hormone health.

Eat Regularly

Underrated but majorly important. Eating consistent (3x per day, around the same time), nutrient-dense meals rich in protein, fat + fiber is one of the best ways to keep blood sugar balanced, a critical pillar of hormone health and sleep.

Skipping meals or fasting, not eating enough or getting enough macronutrients, constant snacking, drinking coffee or alcohol on an empty stomach, etc. all lead to blood sugar spikes and dips, disrupting your balance and releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that can lead to difficulty falling and staying asleep, as well as affecting your sleep architecture, reducing restorative sleep stages like REM.

*Also, if you find yourself consistently waking up around 2-4 am, this could be due to a blood sugar drop/imbalance (this is a common symptom for women with PCOS), and you may need to eat a protein-rich snack before bedtime to prevent a sleep disturbance.

AM Sunlight Exposure

Variations in ambient light throughout the day critically impact our hormonal responses, either hindering our sleep/wake cycle or optimizing it. Exposing ourselves to ambient (aka red light) first thing in the morning via the sun helps to regulate the adrenal glands and prime a proper cortisol secretion pattern, where we experience more in the morning to help us stay alert throughout the day, and have it naturally diminish in the evening, helping us get a restful nights sleep.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, this is finally getting easier to do, and going on a quick walk every morning is one of my hormone-healthy non-negotiables. If a walk isn’t possible, aim to face the sun every morning for a minimum of three minutes, or if the sun is nowhere to be found (hello winter) you can look into purchasing a full-spectrum LED light to try and mimic the sun’s effect.

Phone On Airplane Mode 1 Hour Before Bed

We know that blue light exposure from devices inhibits melatonin production, which negatively affects sleep, but I have still found I can relax much more watching a show than if I’m on my phone, due to the bombardment of so much stimulating content. This is a personal preference, but I turn my phone on airplane mode at least 1 hour before bed, and have found if I don’t I often have a much harder time falling asleep.

Keep Your Room Cool + Dark

This promotes sleep by regulating your body's circadian rhythm, which is influenced by both light and temperature. The darkness signals your brain to produce melatonin, while cool temperatures (ideally between 60-65 F) help your body's internal temp drop, signaling that it’s time to sleep.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia

This evidence-based approach to treating insomnia helped me SO.MUCH. during the times I was struggling with insomnia (and still does to this day!) It involves having good sleep hygiene (like many of the habits we’ve discussed here) as well as changing negative thoughts and patterns around sleep. You can learn more about it here.

BOTTOMLINE

There’s no way around it, sleep is intricately linked to every aspect of our health. If we want to feel our absolute best and live our most vibrant lives — it has to be a priority, especially for us women dealing with hormonal fluctuations that vastly influence our sleep.

Luckily, there are so many tools and habits at our disposal, and I hope you found this list of my faves helpful. Thank you so much for being here!