Dr Nerina Ramlakhan explains why so many women struggle with sleep during menopause, and what may help.
Menopause is a natural stage of life, but for many women it can also be one of the most disruptive and exhausting, particularly when it comes to sleep.
Poor sleep isn’t simply frustrating in the moment. Night after night, it can begin to affect mood, energy, concentration, relationships and overall wellbeing.
Our Research
Land of Beds surveyed 1,019 UK women experiencing perimenopause and menopause to understand how menopause is affecting their sleep, mental health and relationships.
To help us understand those experiences, we partnered with Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, physiologist and sleep and energy expert, who shares her guidance on navigating menopausal sleep symptoms and getting better rest.
Alongside Dr Nerina’s expert advice, we’ve included anonymous experiences shared by women in our survey, giving an honest picture of what disrupted sleep during menopause can really feel like.
The Reality of Menopausal Sleep Struggles
Our survey found that disrupted sleep is a regular reality for many women experiencing menopause, with night waking, hot flushes and night sweats among the most commonly reported problems.
The Most Common Symptoms Disrupting Sleep
58.5%
Waking up frequently
50.7%
Hot flushes
46.6%
Night sweats
45.2%
Anxiety or restlessness
41.4%
Insomnia
More than four in ten women surveyed (40.4%) experience these symptoms weekly. More than half (51.6%) rate their sleep quality as poor or very poor, while 65% report getting fewer than six hours of sleep per night.
“I rarely have a full night’s sleep. I can lie awake for hours unable to get to sleep with anxiety and I have regular hot flushes/sweats through the night that make me have nightmares that wake me up.”
Anonymous survey respondent
“This is the worst time of my entire life. I have to keep cool to keep the flushes and night sweats under control and still have them. Constantly interrupted sleep makes me irritable in the day and very tearful.”
Anonymous survey respondent
Survey of 1,019 UK women currently experiencing perimenopause and menopause. Data collected August 2025.
Why Does Menopause Affect Sleep?
Menopause can seriously disrupt sleep, leaving many women dealing with hot flushes, anxiety, restlessness and repeated night waking.
Hormonal changes are at the heart of the problem, and Dr Nerina explains why those changes can have such a wide-ranging impact on sleep.
Expert Insight
“The reason why sleep can be impacted during this phase of life is that the body produces increasingly less oestrogen and progesterone, the hormones involved in the reproductive cycle. To compensate for this the body starts to produce more of the stress hormones e.g. cortisol. These changes affect many systems and processes in the body, including several that impact sleep. Additionally, this is the life stage in which many stressful life events can occur – children growing older and elderly parent care. The combination can create a not so perfect storm within the body giving rise to menopausal sleep symptoms such as the ones highlighted in the survey – anxiety and mood changes, restlessness, difficulty thermoregulating and hot flashes and night sweats.”
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Physiologist and Sleep & Energy Expert
What This Can Mean for Sleep
In short, these biological shifts can reduce the amount of restorative deep sleep women get, replacing it with lighter stages that can leave them feeling unrefreshed and fatigued the following day.
The Knock-On Effects of Poor Sleep
The effects of disrupted sleep don’t stop when the alarm goes off. For many women, poor sleep during menopause can spill into the following day, affecting mood, concentration, energy and relationships.
64.9%
of women surveyed reported changes in their mood and emotional wellbeing as a result of poor sleep.
Women taking part in the survey described just how far those effects can reach:
“The lack of sleep really affects my concentration during the day and the fatigue can be overwhelming. The dread when I wake up is impacting my quality of life a lot.”
Anonymous survey respondent
“The key issue is how anxious I feel when I’ve been lying awake dissecting things in my brain. It causes me to worry and depression can kick in as a consequence.”
Anonymous survey respondent
“It’s awful and affects every aspect of my life because without enough sleep everything feels so overwhelming like parenting and my marriage. I can’t live like this indefinitely, it’s ruining my life.”
Anonymous survey respondent
Why Sleep Matters So Much During Menopause
Expert Insight
“Getting good sleep is vital – there is a reason why we are designed physiologically to spend around a third of our lives sleeping as sleep affects every aspect of our health. When we sleep well and restoratively the body is restored physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – we are happier, more vital, optimistic, and have a greater zest for life.
“Conversely, poor sleep during menopause can worsen mental health by increasing irritability, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Insufficient sleep impairs emotional regulation, decision-making, and concentration, creating a vicious cycle in which hormonal shifts lead to poor sleep, which in turn intensifies mood problems. Addressing sleep challenges is crucial for improving both physical and mental well-being during this transition, particularly as this is a phase of life that often requires a great deal of mental and emotional resilience.”
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Physiologist and Sleep & Energy Expert
Expert Strategies for Sleeping Better Through Menopause
There isn’t one single fix for disrupted sleep during menopause, but building a few consistent habits into your day can help support better rest.
Dr Nerina’s Approach
“In my unique sleep methodology, I describe five non-negotiables that can help to reset the nervous system, leading to reduced anxiety and fewer hot flashes or awakenings at night.”
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Physiologist and Sleep & Energy Expert
The Five Non-Negotiables
01
Eat a nutrient-rich breakfast within 30–45 minutes of waking
A balanced breakfast with protein, fat and carbohydrates can help stabilise blood sugar and minimise cortisol. Dr Nerina gives the example of full-fat Greek yoghurt with berries, nuts and seeds.
“Unfortunately, many women skip this vital meal as hormonal changes, particularly decreasing oestrogen, can cause weight gain. There is also conflicting advice about intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast. For peri-, post- and menopausal women this can be a disaster, leading to increased cortisol, lower energy, and ironically, weight gain.”
02
Minimise stimulants
Caffeine, alcohol and smoking can interfere with sleep and may intensify hot flashes. Dr Nerina recommends no more than one cup of tea or coffee per day and avoiding caffeine after midday.
03
Stay hydrated
Dr Nerina recommends around two litres of water each day to support brain function and help reduce night sweats.
04
Prioritise bedtime consistency
Going to bed at around 9:30–10pm can help work with the body’s natural circadian rhythm, according to Dr Nerina.
05
Create healthy tech boundaries
Dr Nerina recommends an “electronic sundown” at least 1–1.5 hours before bed, leaving phones and tablets outside the bedroom and avoiding late-night screen use.
Coping With Night Wakings
Waking during the night can be particularly frustrating, especially when you start worrying about how little sleep you’re getting. Dr Nerina recommends taking some of the pressure off yourself and focusing on rest rather than forcing sleep.
1. Reassure yourself: Night wakings are normal. Most people experience 10–15 micro-awakenings per night.
2. Avoid clock-watching: Looking at the time can trigger anxiety and full alertness.
3. Use relaxation techniques: Gentle breathing or a body scan can help ease the body back into rest.
4. Focus on resting, not sleeping: “Don’t try to force sleep,” says Dr Nerina. “Shift the focus to resting instead, and sleep often follows naturally.”
Supplements and Treatments
Our survey suggests that many women are actively looking for ways to improve their sleep during menopause. More than a third of respondents (38.3%) said they had spent money trying to sleep better.
What Women Told Us They Had Tried
72.2%
Sleep aids or supplements
50.4%
Blackout blinds or fans
43.6%
Cooling bedding
27.3%
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is one treatment option for menopause symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats and menopause-related sleep problems. Whether HRT is suitable, and which type may be appropriate, depends on the individual, so it should be discussed with a GP, nurse, pharmacist or menopause specialist.
Expert Insight
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Physiologist and Sleep & Energy Expert
Before Trying Supplements or Herbal Remedies
Supplements and herbal remedies are widely available, but that doesn’t mean they’re suitable for everyone. Evidence for some complementary menopause remedies is limited, and some can interact with medicines.
The NHS recommends speaking to a GP or pharmacist before starting herbal supplements or complementary medicines, particularly if you’re already taking medication. You can read the latest guidance on menopause and perimenopause treatments on the NHS website.
Relationships, Intimacy and the Sleep Divorce Debate
Menopause symptoms can affect far more than sleep itself. For some women, the combination of disrupted nights, heightened sensitivity and exhaustion can begin to change how they sleep alongside a partner, and how they feel within the relationship more broadly.
41.7%
of women in relationships said they sleep separately because of menopause symptoms.
56.6%
said menopause symptoms had affected intimacy with their partner.
Women taking part in our survey described how these changes were affecting their relationships:
“It has made me grumpy on a regular basis and it has led to a significant reduction in intimacy in my relationship.”
Anonymous survey respondent
“I have become very sensitive to noise and can’t sleep if I hear my partner breathing or snoring and will go to the spare room to try to sleep.”
Anonymous survey respondent
Expert Insight
“I am finding that more women who are navigating menopause symptoms are reporting that they need to sleep separately from their partners… Women need more rest during menopause so I am finding that a lot of women are becoming more ‘hardnosed’ about needing to protect their sleep and often this means separate sleeping. While this can help, it does need to be navigated mindfully and sensitively.”
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Physiologist and Sleep & Energy Expert
How Couples Can Protect Sleep Without Losing Connection
Invest
“Get the biggest bed that can fit into the bedroom, ideally designed so that a partner’s movements do not disturb. Change the mattress every seven years or so as it loses its elasticity and supportive properties. Separate duvets are good if one of the couple is a duvet hogger, and white noise or at least a fan in the room can act as a buffer to some extent against intrusive snores and snuffles.”
Conscious Communication
“The hormonal changes accompanying menopause can make the nervous system more sensitive and communicating this diplomatically and lovingly to one’s partner is important. Find a way to communicate that sleeping separately might be necessary at times. The emphasis in the communication should be on building trust and being able to share openly without blame.”
Practice Sleeping Together
“For example, practice having a nap together. These naps could be done over the weekend, for no longer than 20–30 minutes at a time and at some point between 2 and 4pm so that nighttime sleep is not affected.”
Better Sleep Through Menopause
Menopause can change the way you sleep, sometimes quite dramatically, but struggling through exhausted days and disrupted nights shouldn’t simply be accepted as something you have to put up with.
Understanding what’s happening in your body, protecting your sleep where you can and asking for support when you need it can all make this stage of life feel more manageable.
If menopause symptoms are regularly affecting your sleep, mood or quality of life, speak to a GP or another appropriate healthcare professional for personalised advice and support.
About Our Research
Land of Beds surveyed 1,019 UK women currently experiencing perimenopause and menopause to understand how menopause symptoms are affecting sleep, mental health, relationships and everyday life.
Survey data was collected in August 2025. Percentages throughout this article are based on responses to the relevant survey questions.
About Dr Nerina Ramlakhan
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan is a physiologist and sleep and energy expert who has spent decades studying sleep, stress and the relationship between our everyday habits and how well we rest.
Dr Nerina contributed expert commentary throughout this article to help explain the experiences reported by women in the Land of Beds menopause and sleep survey.
Editorial note: This article is intended for general information and does not replace personalised medical advice. Menopause symptoms and treatment options vary from person to person. Speak to a qualified healthcare professional if you have concerns about your symptoms, sleep or treatment.
About This Article
Written by
Judith Ackers
Judith brings her background in psychology, neuroscience and education to her role at Land of Beds, where she shares expert advice to help customers sleep better. From product buying guides to bedtime routines and sleep-friendly habits, Judith’s insights support Land of Beds’ mission to improve sleep for everyone.
Expert commentary by
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan
Dr Nerina Ramlakhan is a physiologist and sleep and energy expert who has spent decades studying sleep, stress and the relationship between our everyday habits and how well we rest. Her expert commentary throughout this article helps explain the experiences reported by women in the Land of Beds menopause and sleep survey.
Last updated by
Alice Littler
Alice brings a background in marketing, design and branding to Land of Beds, where she focuses on making sleep advice simple, relatable and practical for everyday life. She works closely with leading UK bed and mattress manufacturers, building her knowledge of mattress technology, bedroom comfort and sleep wellbeing.
Article reviewed and updated October 2026.