Hey mama, when was the last time you got 7 hours of uninterrupted, restful, soul-healing sleep?

No, I don’t mean the kind where you collapse at midnight and get up at 7AM still feeling like you got hit by a truck. I mean real, restorative sleep—where your body actually recharges.

If you're like me and you're balancing everything—from therapy appointments to picky eating phases to just trying to keep everyone in your house alive—you may have forgotten what that kind of sleep even feels like.

But what if I told you that the key to unlocking better sleep... is already inside you?

Today, we’re diving into the surprising hormonal connection to your sleep struggles—and how understanding your body could be the game-changer you've been waiting for.

Why You’re Not Sleeping (Even When You Think You Are)

We’ve been taught that sleep is a luxury. But mama, sleep is actually a biological necessity.

You might think you're getting enough because the clock says you slept 8 hours. But if your hormones are out of whack, that sleep may not be doing its job.

The average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation—yes, even you, supermom. Not everyone needs the same amount, but we all need uninterrupted, REM-rich sleep to recharge and rebalance.

A Sleep Test You Can Try Tonight

• Shut down electronics an hour before bed.

• Lower the temp in your room. The ideal temperature for sleep is around 68℉.

• Eat dinner early. If your body is still digesting food (It usually takes 3-4 hours to digest a meal), then it could cause you to struggle with sleep, or even have issues like acid reflux 

• Breathe slowly through your nose. Slow, light breaths through the nose help your body slip into a state of relaxation. 

• Block out all of the light in your room, even your alarm clock.

• Then… turn off your alarm and see how long your body naturally sleeps.

If this sounds impossible—don’t worry, you’re not broken. It just means we need to do some hormone tuning.

Hormones 101 – Your Body’s Messaging System

In my former life, I was a speech-language pathologist, so I LOVE a good science moment.

Hormones are like text messages your body sends from one cell to another—telling your brain how to feel, when to eat, whether to rest, and yes—when and how to sleep.

Let’s meet a few of our MVPs:

• Estrogen

• Progesterone

• Testosterone

These aren’t just "period" hormones. They control energy, mood, cravings, sleep... everything.

And the real magic happens when you’re asleep.

We'll talk more about some interesting things that happen in that luteal phase (approx fourteen days prior to your next cycle) in a minute and what you can do to help.

Want to go deeper? Join our free wellness talk Hot Mess Hormones on Tuesday, September 2. Text “hormones” to 832-509-5093 or click here to register via text.

Meet the Sleep Squad – Key Hormones That Rule Your Rest

🛌 Melatonin – Your "sleep hormone." It kicks in about two hours before bed—but only if you've had enough sunlight during the day and your screens are OFF at night.

The biggest predictor of how much melatonin your body produces for sleep is how much sunlight you are exposed to during the day, and especially how much your eyes take in around sunrise.

Another factor impacting your melatonin levels is a structured bedtime routine with a predictable schedule. For example, going to sleep at 10:30pm and waking at 6:30am every morning, even on weekends. 

A third layer of impact on melatonin levels is electronic devices and any LED lights in your home. It tricks the brain into thinking it's not nighttime and so the melatonin levels doesn't increase like they should, so complete darkness is ideal with no devices and blue-light blocking glasses, starting at sundown. 

If you find that you find that you miss this routine one day, you can take a low dose melatonin supplement from our Fullscript dispensary to support your body's process here. You don't want to take this with birth control pills so make sure you read the labels before you begin.

Pro Tip: Go for a morning walk to jumpstart melatonin production. Then protect that sleep magic at night with blue-light blockers starting at sundown.

💪 Estrogen – Estrogen levels drop before your period? Hello, insomnia. Estrogen also helps your body use magnesium—which is essential for making melatonin. Less estrogen means less efficient magnesium metabolism.

😴 Cortisol – This stress hormone should go down at night. If it's high when it shouldn’t be, you’ll feel wired but tired. And if you're always on alert for your child? Yeah, that affects cortisol too. Chronic stress hijacking your HPA axis affects your ability to fall asleep and sink into that deep, restful REM sleep you need to recharge. We talk about this more in detail in last week's sleep talk on stress and anxiety impacting your sleep. 

📈 Growth Hormone – Released while you sleep. Crucial for your kids’ development—but also for YOU. This helps rebuild, recover, and keep your body strong. Increased stress levels affect growth hormone levels here as well, so addressing this with our tips from our sleep talk on stress/anxiety can be helpful. 

🍔 Ghrelin + Leptin + Insulin – Your hunger hormones. Sleep helps balance your appetite, blood sugar, and weight. Without good sleep? You're hungrier, crave sugar, and your metabolism takes a hit. Allowing these hormones to do their job during sleep helps their normal function during the day.  

How Breathing Impacts Hormones (and Sleep)

Let’s talk about breathing.

Have you ever noticed that before your period you feel more anxious, or like you can’t catch your breath? Would you believe that’s hormonal too?

During the luteal phase—right before your period—progesterone increases and can cause you to take short, shallow breaths, in other words, you are hyperventilate without realizing it. This shallow, fast breathing mimics anxiety and disrupts sleep.

One tool that has changed the game for myself, my family and my clients? Buteyko breathing. It’s all about your breathing patterns during rest, physical exercise, and sleep. Breathing less—slow, light, and through the nose.

This kind of breathing helps tell your nervous system, “It’s safe now. You can rest.”

Create a Routine

🌅Your routine starts in the morning by getting your bare eyes on the east around sunrise!

Build a wind‑down ritual in the evening:

• Take hormone balancing supplements.

• Spend 5 min listening to a calming playlist* or track from our Rest & Restore Program.

• Spend 5–10 min Buteyko breath work.

• Apply a castor oil pack to your liver to help regulate cortisol levels before bed via oxytocin. Add Zendocrine detox blend of essential oils topically to your liver to enhance this process. Always use a dark, glass bottle when using castor oil.

• Use dōTERRA essential oils aromatically and topically to help clear your mind chatter and calm for rest. 

Keep session short and consistent—small daily wins build resilience. When it comes to a routine, consistency is key. 

* If you need a recommendation for relaxing your mind before bed, try our InnerVoice balancing harmonics. This summer, they are free. Use CODE: 'SUMMERSPARKSCAN' when you checkout for your free InnerVoice scan.

I personally listen [to balancing harmonics] when I’m sitting down, not on the go or when doing something. I have appreciated being able to listen since the music is soothing and with the time out I’ve decided for me I am able to refocus, enjoy, relax … sort of like hitting the “refresh me” button. - Anita

Mama, your body is not broken, and a good night's sleep is within reach! 

The truth is, hormones are powerful—but so are your actions.

And once you understand how to support your hormones, they will support you right back.

If you’re ready to create a sleep routine that actually works, or if you’ve tried everything and you’re still stuck, our Rest & Restore protocol might be just what you need.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Hot Mess Hormones wellness talk—text “hormones” to 832-509-5093 or register via text at this link.

You deserve to feel good in your body again.

And it starts tonight—with sleep.

Rather watch the timestamped video version of this blog post? 🎥 Watch below: