Better Sleep: What Stress & Hormones Have to Do With It
Sleep and I have had a complicated relationship from the start. If anything, I think I could have been diagnosed with narcolepsy as a kid. The moment I got overstimulated, I’d shut down. I’d fall asleep anywhere—dinner tables, cars, the backs of horses, even ski lifts (thankfully, my dad always rode up next to me with a firm grip on my jacket). Any time I stopped moving long enough, my brain seemed to take it as permission to power down.
During my adolescence and early twenties, my ability to sleep anytime became a coping mechanism I’d get anxious or depressed…and it was easier to just go to Dream Land than to be awake and process whatever I was going through.
When I got to med school, I realized two things: I didn’t have time to sleep all the time anymore, and my pesky ethics made it abundantly clear that I had to practice what I preached! That meant I had to learn and build a healthy relationship with how to get good sleep—sleep that actually restored me instead of leaving me groggy or wired at the wrong times. And through that process, I’ve come to appreciate how stress, hormones, and daily habits all play a role in whether I wake up feeling refreshed… or like the creature from the Black Lagoon.
So let’s talk about it. Why does stress mess with sleep? How do our hormones influence when and how we sleep? And most importantly—what can we actually do about it?
STRESS & SLEEP: A TWO-WAY STREET
One of the biggest disruptions to sleep is stress. This is because our nervous system doesn’t really understand the difference between real danger (like running from a bear) and perceived danger (like worrying about an email you forgot to respond to). In both cases, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released to keep you alert and ready for action. Helpful if you’re in immediate danger… not so helpful if you’re trying to fall asleep.
Ever felt that “second wind” around 10 or 11 p.m.? In traditional Chinese medicine, this is when the Triple Burner turns on to repair your digestive system, but it also means a boost in energy—one that can trick you into staying up later than you should. If you feed that energy (literally) with a late-night snack, that fuel goes toward digesting “the munchies” instead of healing and repair, which can disrupt sleep and even contribute to inflammation.
Stress doesn’t just make it hard to fall asleep—it can also keep you waking up throughout the night. If you’re finding yourself awake at 1 a.m. or 3 a.m., stress hormones might be peaking when they should be at their lowest. Instead of deep, uninterrupted sleep, your body is still on high alert, keeping you stuck in a restless cycle.
WHAT TO DO:
Avoid stimulating the "second wind"—start winding down at least an hour before bedtime instead of pushing through a late-night burst of energy. Yes, surrender that you can’t (don’t need to) get anything else done today.
Count your wins—congratulate yourself on what you did do, no matter how small or how much more you think you should have done. You’ll never check everything off your list. Life is too full! Heading to bed with “I should have” thoughts is going to spike your stress.
Lower cortisol naturally before bed—gentle movement like stretching or walking, deep breathing, and dim lighting can help. Melatonin and cortisol are like a seesaw—when one is high, the other is low. Melatonin is only produced in dim lighting or complete darkness, so bright lights at night (especially blue light) can shut it down.
When/if you wake in the night—know that even laying in darkness is creating more melatonin (a major antioxidant and healing chemical for your body) and helping your body rest. Accept it. Guide yourself through a self-healing or practice experiencing the peace and contentment you want in your life. This is my favorite. It’s self-compassionate and usually either puts me back to sleep or, at the very least, helps me feel more relaxed.
Journal—if you don’t know why you’re having trouble sleeping, take notes for yourself. Is this new? When did it start? What does it feel like? Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? What other symptoms do you have? These are the questions a thorough health provider should ask you to assess imbalances deeper than “it’s just stress.”
HORMONES & SLEEP: WHY BALANCE MATTERS
Hormones are the unseen regulators of our sleep patterns, and when they’re off, so is our rest. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Cortisol & Progesterone: The Tug of War
Both cortisol (the stress hormone) and progesterone (the calming, sleep-supportive hormone) come from the same "mother" hormone—pregnenolone. When stress is high, the body prioritizes making cortisol over progesterone, leaving you with less of the calming, GABA-supporting hormone that helps you sleep. This is known as the pregnenolone steal, and it’s one of the biggest reasons stress throws sleep out of whack.Melatonin: Not Just a Sleep Aid
Melatonin is what signals our body that it’s time for sleep, but stress and artificial light suppress it. This is why using screens before bed can leave you wide awake even when you’re exhausted.Estrogen, Progesterone & Sleep Sensitivity
Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone (like before your period or during menopause) can disrupt sleep quality, making you more prone to waking up in the night or having trouble falling asleep in the first place.
WHAT TO DO:
Support progesterone levels naturally—foods rich in vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc can help. These three also support other neurotransmitters which can support our overall mood. If stress has tanked your levels, try adaptogens first and give them at least 3-6 weeks to fully take effect (because herbs need time to help you shift).
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) – somni like somnolence which means “sleep-inducer.” An adaptogen (an herb that helps you adapt) that helps regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reducing cortisol levels. Since high cortisol can suppress progesterone production by diverting pregnenolone into the stress pathway ("pregnenolone steal"), ashwagandha indirectly supports progesterone balance.
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) – A Peruvian root that acts as an adaptogen and endocrine modulator. It supports the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, helping to regulate hormonal cycles and promote overall hormonal balance, including supporting luteal phase progesterone production.
Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus) – A well-known progesterone-supportive herb that influences the pituitary gland to increase luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, which promotes ovulation. Since progesterone is primarily produced after ovulation by the corpus luteum, vitex enhances the body's natural ability to maintain healthy progesterone levels.
If those aren’t providing enough support, low-dose topical progesterone can make a huge difference (it certainly did for me). Definitely discuss using any kind of hormone therapy with a professional you trust.
If you need a reliable place to buy professional grade herbs and supplements (at a discount), visit my online store with Fullscript:
Reduce artificial light exposure at night—dimming lights, avoiding screens, and using red light settings on devices can help preserve melatonin.
Eat slow carbs at night—there’s a reason we joke about “food comas” around Thanksgiving. It’s not just because of the turkey (which is also sleep promoting because tryptophan is a melatonin precursor), but because we’ve eaten a lot of squashes and other carbs! Butternut squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, and colored rices are rich in fiber, minerals (like magnesium and potassium), and complex carbohydrates—helping calm the nervous system, support digestion, and stabilize blood sugar. These nutrients indirectly support hormone balance by reducing stress on the body and feeding beneficial gut bacteria.
Other herbs—what if it’s just temporary stress and you want an option other than a Tylenol PM? Consider valerian, hops, motherwort, passionflower, or lemon balm. These are great for anxiety and nervous system calming. Traditional Medicinals has “Nighty Night” tea varieties with several of these herbs. You can start as simply as having a cup of tea as part of your wind-down routine.
LIFESTYLE HABITS THAT CAN MAKE OR BREAK SLEEP
Beyond stress and hormones, simple daily habits can either work for your sleep… or against it.
Hydrate
I know this might seem basic. But drinking warm water literally wakes up your brain (which is 80% water). We’re dehydrated when we wake up, warm water is vasodilating, meaning it plumps up our blood vessels promoting rehydration quicker. You might find warm water won’t make a morning cup-of-joe so necessary.
Morning Sunlight Matters
Getting natural light exposure in the morning helps regulate cortisol and melatonin, reinforcing a healthy sleep-wake cycle. If you’re groggy in the morning, step outside for a few minutes instead of reaching for caffeine first.
Your Wake-Up Time Matters More Than Bedtime
Sleeping from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. isn’t the same as sleeping from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.—even if you’re getting 8 hours. Research consistently shows that humans are designed for daytime activity (we’re not nocturnal creatures). Fighting that natural rhythm—staying up all night and sleeping all day—can throw off our metabolism, hormone balance, and overall well-being. When matters more than how long.
Movement & Nature Reduce Stress & Stabilize Blood Sugar
Walking for 20-30 minutes after meals can balance insulin levels and prevent blood sugar crashes, which can wake you up at night.
Spending time in nature (even just a short walk outside) lowers cortisol levels, helping your body shift out of stress mode before bed.
Strength training and resistance workouts improve insulin sensitivity and help regulate hormones that influence sleep cycles (like testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol).
Nighttime Wake-Ups Have a Message
Waking at 1-3 a.m.? Blood sugar swings or stress response might be the culprit.
Waking at 4-5 a.m.? This is often due to a natural early-morning cortisol spike—but if it’s happening too early, your rhythms may be dysregulated.
Unless you’ve always woken in the night yet felt fine on less sleep, or maybe just needed a short afternoon nap. You might be a biphasic or polyphasic sleeper.
Melatonin Isn't Always the Answer
Melatonin can be useful, but it doesn’t fix underlying imbalances and can leave some people groggy.
Instead, consider magnesium glycinate, taurine, or glycine, which help relax the nervous system and improve sleep quality without the next-day haze.
FINDING WHAT WORKS FOR YOU
If I’ve learned anything from my sleep saga, it’s that there’s no single “fix” that lasts forever. What worked for me at one stage stopped working in another. And that’s okay. Because we’re not “fixed”—we’re not static machines—we’re dynamic, living beings, always changing and adapting
Healing happens in layers. Your body is constantly changing, and so are its needs. If sleep has been unpredictable lately, I hope this post helps you understand why—and gives you some direction toward better rest.
P.S. The external links in this post are affiliate links (except the Fullscript link)—just products I’ve personally used and found beneficial. As always, use your best judgment when purchasing, and remember that these mentions are for informational purposes only, not medical advice.
