You lie awake sweating, tossing and turning and the next day, you can’t find your words, your keys, or your energy. Sleep disruption is one of the top reasons women experience cognitive issues during perimenopause and menopause, and it has a huge impact on memory, focus, and emotional regulation.

How Sleep Affects Your Brain

Sleep is not just rest – it’s a critical time for brain repair and function. During deep sleep, your brain:

• Consolidates memories – turning short-term experiences into long-term knowledge

• Cleans out waste proteins – including beta-amyloid, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease

• Regulates mood, attention, and decision-making – giving you a clearer mind for the day ahead

When hot flashes, night sweats, or insomnia interfere with sleep, you miss out on this essential maintenance. Over time, that adds up to brain fog, forgetfulness, mood swings, and even increased risk of cognitive decline.

Common Culprits of Menopause-Related Sleep Loss

• Night sweats triggered by hormonal fluctuations

• Sleep apnea, which becomes more common after menopause (and often goes undiagnosed in women)

• Anxiety or racing thoughts that delay sleep onset or cause early waking

• Blood sugar crashes from late-night snacking or alcohol

How to Reclaim Restorative Sleep

You don’t have to suffer through endless sleepless nights. Here are some brain-friendly strategies that can make a difference:

• Create a cool, dark sleep environment: Lower your bedroom temperature and wear moisture-wicking pyjamas or try a cooling pillow.

• Stick to a sleep routine: Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to reset your circadian rhythm.

• Wind down naturally: Avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before bed. Try calming rituals like reading, journaling, gentle yoga, or deep breathing.

• Watch what you eat and drink: Avoid caffeine after 2pm, limit alcohol, and skip heavy meals before bed. Stabilise blood sugar by eating balanced dinners with protein and fibre.

• Talk to your doctor: If sleep issues persist, talk to your Healthcare Professional about solutions like CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia), magnesium, or MHT (Menopausal Hormone Therapy). See Part 2 of our Menopause & Memory series for more on hormonal support.

If you’ve tried the strategies above and you’re still finding it difficult to sleep, we encourage you to seek support from a qualified sleep professional. There may be underlying issues at play that need a more tailored approach.

You might also like to explore alternative avenues of support such as consulting a nutritionist, naturopath, or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner. In TCM, insomnia is often seen as a sign of imbalance in the body’s vital organs, particularly the heart, spleen, liver, and kidneys. Treatments such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, dietary guidance, and lifestyle changes may be recommended to restore balance and improve sleep.

Brainfit Tip: Try the Sleep Circle

At Brainfit, we teach a strategy called the Sleep Circle – a 30-minute wind-down designed to calm the nervous system and prepare the brain for rest. It includes:

• No screens

• Gentle movement (like light stretching)

• A glass of water to rehydrate

• Dim lighting and slow breathing to reduce cortisol levels

This simple habit helps send a clear message to your brain: “You’re safe. It’s time to rest.”

You can also use a similar strategy in the morning – a gentle memory reset. Try this Brainfit Morning Boost:

Drink a glass of water, move your body for 1 minute, then recall three things you did yesterday in reverse order. This wakes up your brain and clears the fog without relying on caffeine alone.

The Bottom Line

You can’t build cognitive resilience without sleep – it’s the foundation of a healthy brain. The better you sleep, the clearer, calmer, and more focused your mind will be. So, regardless of age and stage, make sleep a top priority and seek expert help if you are struggling.

Note: This article is part of our Menopause & Memory series exploring how perimenopause and menopause impact brain health. Click here for the next article, where we dive into mood, stress, and their surprising effects on memory. You can also read the rest of the series here:

Part 1: What was I saying again?

Part 2: Estrogen & Your Brain