Go to the page content
Health

Sleep and weight in the menopause: Restoring the balance

During the menopause many symptoms that affect sleep can also affect your weight. It is important to understand how these symptoms are linked and how you can get a better night’s sleep during the menopause.

3 min. read
menopause-and-heart-health-why-monitoring-your-waistline-matters

Sandra Gonçalves living with obesity, Brazil.

Sleep and weight in the menopause: Restoring the balance

Did you know, according to one study, longer and deeper sleep can increase the likelihood of successful weight reduction in women by 33%? Alongside everyday factors, menopausal symptoms can also contribute to poor sleep. The stresses of daily life alone can cause  less or disturbed sleep and this can lead to being at higher risk of obesity. While all these factors can feel like a lot to process, but in this article we will explore the links between obesity, menopause and sleep.

Up to 60% of postmenopausal women have a sleep disorder

There are two main bodily systems that regulate sleep:

  • The homeostatic sleep system: Promotes sleep by building up the feeling of “tiredness” the longer you have been awake.
  • The circadian rhythm: Regulates sleeping times by the 24-hour day so you sleep when it’s dark and are awake when it’s light.

The influence of oestrogen and progesterone on the homeostatic sleep system and circadian rhythm can lead to menopausal symptoms such as insomnia and night sweats. During the menopause, oestrogen levels decrease which in turn, can lead to a decline in quality and amount of sleep. Navigating bodily changes during the menopause can be demanding especially when your sleep is affected.

According to one study, losing 5% of your body weight can improve your quality of sleep

Lack of sleep and/or disturbed sleep can lead to an increase in eating, mainly snacking on food that is high in fat and carbohydrates, which is so easy to do and often provides a much-needed comfort. Leptin and ghrelin (hormones that balance hunger and fullness) levels in the body can be affected by duration of sleep. Leptin supresses hunger and ghrelin increase hunger. In fact, one study showed, people that have less or disturbed sleep have been shown to have up to a 16% decrease in leptin and up to 15% increase in ghrelin. Feeling tired and hungry is not easy, but improving your amount and quality of sleep will help both feelings.

You can get a good night’s sleep!

There are many ways to improve your amount and quality of sleep when going through the menopause which can help with weight management. It can be difficult to find the solutions that work best for you but there are options:

  • Daily sunlight: Ensuring you get exposure to natural sunlight as soon as you have woken up and at sunset helps melatonin (a hormone that helps control how and when you sleep) production aiding in a better night’s sleep.
  • Regular exercise: Even a short walk in the day can improve your quality of sleep but try to avoid doing this right before bedtime as this can have the opposite effect.
  • Non-sleep deep rest: Includes activities such as meditation and mindfulness and allows the body and brain to rest without sleeping. This is more beneficial than having a nap in the day and improves quality of sleep.

Not getting enough sleep whilst going through the menopause as well as living with obesity can have an impact on your mental health, as it does on lots of women. It is important to seek support from your friends and family. Speaking to a doctor to provide more options to improve your sleep can also be beneficial. There are many women experiencing the same situations, you are not alone, and it can become easier to manage.

References
  1. Papatriantafyllou E, Efthymiou D, Zoumbaneas E, Popescu CA, Vassilopoulou E. Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 8;14(8):1549. doi: 10.3390/nu14081549. PMID: 35458110; PMCID: PMC9031614.
  2. National Institute on Aging. (2021). Sleep Problems and Menopause: What Can I Do? [online] Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/menopause/sleep-problems-and-menopause-what-can-i-do.
  3. Hilditch, Cassie, and Erin Flynn-Evans. Circadian Rhythms and Homeostatic Mechanisms for Sleep Regulation.
  4. Lee J, Han Y, Cho HH, Kim MR. Sleep Disorders and Menopause. J Menopausal Med. 2019 Aug;25(2):83-87. doi: 10.6118/jmm.19192. Epub 2019 Aug 5. Erratum in: J Menopausal Med. 2019 Dec;25(3):172. doi: 10.6118/jmm.19192.err. PMID: 31497577; PMCID: PMC6718648.
  5. Ding C, Lim LL, Xu L, Kong APS. Sleep and Obesity. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2018 Mar 30;27(1):4-24. doi: 10.7570/jomes.2018.27.1.4. PMID: 31089536; PMCID: PMC6489488.
  6. Patient.info. (2021). How to alleviate your menopause sleep problems. [online] Available at: https://patient.info/news-and-features/how-to-get-better-sleep-during-menopause#how-to-help-yourself-sleep-better [Accessed 4 Aug. 2025].
  7. NHS (2023). About melatonin. [online] nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/melatonin/about-melatonin/.

HQ25OB00311

Was this valuable for you?

You might also like

Getting medical interventions
Obesity Care | 4 min. read

Getting medical interventions

Many people with obesity do not get an obesity diagnosis and treatment from healthcare providers. Find out what you can do to get the help you need.

Can our habits lead to longer lasting change?
About obesity   Health | 5 min. read

Can our habits lead to longer lasting change?

When we think about creating long-lasting change, we often believe that we need to change big things or cause drastic change in order to see a difference, setting ourselves very large goals. However, this is not always the case. Lots of very small decisions can grow into life-altering outcomes.

Find more related articles