It’s been three weeks since I arrived in Norway, and almost every night I’ve found myself wide awake around 3 am.
Restless. Exhausted. Frustrated. Wondering what on earth is wrong with me.
At first, I thought it was the change of place, or maybe my mind was just racing. But night after night, the pattern has stayed. Sleep has never felt so elusive.
This is midlife. Hormones. Life. A nervous system that needs gentleness, not judgment.
When I wake in the middle of the night, I’ve noticed what happens next. Sometimes I lie there fighting it, tossing and turning until I give up. Other times, I get up, make a tea, open my laptop and get some work done, before drifting back off hours later. And on the days I don’t? I crash into an afternoon slump, crawling under the covers for a nap.
It used to frustrate me, the inconsistency, the exhaustion. But now, I’ve learnt to notice the signs. When my eyes start closing, I don’t push through anymore. That’s my body whispering: enough. That’s my cue to put everything away and give myself rest.
Because this isn’t a weakness. It’s wisdom.
Here’s what I’ve learnt about those middle-of-the-night wake-ups:
Progesterone drops in perimenopause. This is our calming hormone, and when it dips, so does our sleep.
Cortisol spikes at night. Our stress hormone kicks in, and suddenly we’re wide awake at 3 am.
Blood sugar crashes confuse the body. It interprets the dip as danger, and jolts us awake.
So no, you’re not broken. Your hormones are shifting. Your body is asking for more care than ever before.
And here’s what’s been helping me ease back into rest:
30g of protein at dinner. Keeps blood sugar stable through the night.
No alcohol or sugar late at night. Hard on hormones, harder on sleep.
Support with supplements. Magnesium glycinate, glycine or l-theanine before bed.
Nervous system rituals. Breathwork. A red light lamp. Legs up the wall. A lavender foot soak. And absolutely no screens an hour before bed, just a book, or journaling, or silence.
Because here’s the truth: this isn’t just about sleep.
It’s about restoring safety in the body. Giving it signals of calm, nourishment, and softness, so it finally feels safe enough to rest.
And that’s the work of midlife, isn’t it? Learning to stop pushing through and start listening. Learning that our bodies aren’t betraying us, they’re simply asking us to care for them differently.
It’s not easy. But it is possible.
So if you’re reading this, wide awake in the early hours, I see you. You’re not broken. You’re becoming.
Journaling Prompt
What is my body asking for right now that I’ve been ignoring, and how can I give it to myself?
Inspired Call-to-Action
Choose one soothing ritual to anchor your evenings this week: magnesium, breathwork, a lavender soak, or simply no screens before bed. Let your body learn that it’s safe to rest.
