Estrogen also helps keep our body temperature low at night, and therefore more conducive to restful sleep. Estrogen also has an antidepressant effect. With less estrogen, women may experience higher body temperatures, lower quality sleep, and poorer mood.
The symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and night sweats, may underlie many of the sleep problems that peri- and early menopausal women commonly encounter, she explains. For women facing these challenges, estrogen replacement therapy may help them to sleep more soundly.
During the follicular phase of a woman's cycle as she approaches ovulation, estrogen and progesterone levels rise, preparing the body to release an egg. Women may report feeling drowsier during this phase. After ovulation, estrogen and progesterone levels peak, and sleep may come more easily.
Low estrogen levels typically cause insomnia, because estrogen helps move magnesium into tissues, which is crucial for catalyzing the synthesis of important sleep neurotransmitters, including melatonin.
Melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone best known to affect sleep, being low during the daytime but rising once darkness sets in, leading to sleep. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, to which the SCN projects via multiple synapses to drive the Circadian rhythm of production of this hormone.
Most do not realize that progesterone helps with sleep. Most women I counsel also have low levels of progesterone and can contribute to many symptoms such as insomnia. Estrogens and progesterone have opposite effects on the body and must be balanced for optimum health.
Some of estrogen's effects include: Increasing serotonin, and the number of serotonin receptors in the brain. Modifying the production and the effects of endorphins, the "feel-good" chemicals in the brain. Protecting nerves from damage, and possibly stimulating nerve growth.
While some hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone can contribute to insomnia— especially in premenstrual women, pregnant women, and women in menopause— those problems are temporary and resolve once hormone levels return to normal.
Melatonin is the only known hormone synthesized by the pineal gland and is released in response to darkness hence the name, “hormone of darkness” [10]. Melatonin provides a circadian and seasonal signal to the organisms in vertebrates.
Although rare, swings in estrogen levels can disrupt sleep for some women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). High levels of estrogen prior to menstruation can cause anxiety, mood swings, and insomnia.
As you age and approach menopause, your oestrogen levels naturally decrease. So it's common to experience tiredness and fatigue at this time. Mood swings, headaches, and finding it hard to concentrate are also common menopausal symptoms.
Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, not too hot or too cold, and as quiet as possible. Exercise at regular times each day but not close to bedtime. Avoid eating large meals close to bedtime. Stay away from caffeine (found in many coffees, teas, and chocolate) late in the day.
Summary. High estrogen levels can cause symptoms such as irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, fatigue, and fibroids in females. In males, they can cause breast tissue growth, erectile dysfunction, and infertility.
About melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body. It helps control your sleep patterns. You can take a manmade version of melatonin for short-term sleep problems (insomnia). It makes you fall asleep quicker and less likely to wake up during the night.
In particular, estrogen replacement is considered the most effective treatment for the vasomotor symptoms that tend to occur in concert with fatigue and can be instrumental in restoring energy levels.
The main cause here is stress and high cortisol levels. See, our circadian rhythm directs our cortisol, an awakening hormone, to rise around 3am, in preparation for the next morning. However, if you cortisol levels are already high, which is a consequence of stress, then it's likely you will wake up.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Estrogen is known to calm the fear response in women. 3 Specifically, research has shown that women trained on a fear-extinction task do better when the level of estrogen in their blood is higher.
Estrogen injections tend to cause very high and fluctuating estrogen levels which can cause mood swings, weight gain, hot flashes, anxiety or migraines.