Your period’s on the way. So are sleepless nights. Here’s how to get ahead of it.
Your body usually gives you a heads-up before your period arrives. You know the signs: tenderness, fatigue, mood swings, a stubborn headache that won’t go away. And then there’s your sleep, or lack of it. Suddenly you’re tossing and turning or randomly waking up at 2 a.m.
Hormonal changes throughout your cycle can subtly affect how well you sleep, especially in the days leading up to your period and a couple of days after it starts. Decent rest can feel impossible right when you need it most.
Over 90% of people who menstruate experience premenstrual symptoms (PMS). For the lucky ones, they’re barely noticeable. For the rest of us, it’s a monthly disruption that makes it hard to work, socialize, or even get through simple tasks. Sometimes, it feels like you only get two solid weeks a month before the aches and restless nights return.
Understanding what’s happening in each phase of your cycle can help you work with your body to get better rest and recovery instead of feeling like you’re at its mercy.
Read more: Spring Clean Your Hormones: 6 Expert-Approved Tips to Reset Your Hormone Health
How the four phases of your cycle affect sleep
The average length of a healthy menstrual cycle is around 28 days, though if yours is between 21 and 35 days, that’s normal too. Each cycle can be divided into four phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulation, and luteal. As with most aspects of health, how each phase affects sleep depends on your unique biology and lifestyle. But in general, here’s what can happen:
Menstrual Phase (Days 1-7)
Phase one begins on the first day of your period and typically lasts three to five days, or up to seven days to be considered regular. Estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest as your body works to shed its uterine lining.
Cramping, headaches, and back pain can make it harder to get comfortable, and more sensitive emotions can cause restless nights. Or, if you feel extra tired during your period, napping more or sleeping longer than usual might actually come easily to you.
Follicular Phase (Days 1-13)
This phase overlaps with your menstruation and lasts until you start ovulating. Estrogen begins to rise, and with it, your energy can return. You might feel your mood lift, your focus sharpen, and your motivation increase. As your hormones gradually build, sleep tends to feel more stable and restorative as well.
Ovulation Phase (Around Day 14)
Midway through your cycle, estrogen peaks, and your body releases a mature egg. This brief window is when many people feel their most energized, focused, and confident. You might also notice a natural increase in desire or feel more physically connected to yourself. But all that extra energy, along with a slight rise in body temperature, can make it harder to relax at bedtime, and sleep might feel a little lighter or more fragmented than usual.
Luteal Phase (Days 15-28)
After ovulation, estrogen drops (and then slowly rises again) while progesterone becomes the dominant hormone. Progesterone has a calming, sleep-supportive effect, which is why you might feel a little sleepier early in this phase. But as your cycle continues, if pregnancy doesn’t happen, both progesterone and estrogen will drop. That hormonal dip is often what triggers PMS symptoms.
Your body temperature might also rise, which can make it harder to stay cool under your bedding, throwing off your sleep even more. If you experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a more severe form of PMS, these changes can be more intense and difficult to manage.
What is period insomnia?
Period insomnia is more than just the occasional night of poor sleep. It’s similar to general insomnia: a sleep disorder characterized by ongoing difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early and not being able to fall back asleep. Period-related insomnia typically follows a short-term cyclical pattern tied to hormonal changes and usually improves once menstruation begins and hormone levels stabilize. But if you’re living with PMDD, chronic stress, or other health issues, sleep disruptions may last longer.
Hormonal dips during the luteal phase can disrupt stage two—the light phase of the sleep—and REM sleep, both of which are important for deep rest and memory processing. Even if you’re spending enough hours in bed, the sleep itself might not feel restorative, leaving you groggy, distracted, or more fatigued than usual during the day.
On top of that, hormone-related mood shifts can heighten feelings of anxiety or depression, which exacerbate sleep problems. If this sounds familiar, you might be stuck in a frustrating loop where poor sleep makes your mood worse, and a low mood makes your sleep worse.
“People with nervous system regulation issues may find period-related insomnia symptoms more persistent,” says Rise Science clinical psychologist Dr. Daniella Marchetti, Ph.D., DBSM. This includes anyone dealing with high stress, past trauma, hormonal conditions like endometriosis or PCOS, or ongoing pain.
“If we are in a constant state of ‘fight or flight,’ sleep will have a hard time unfolding naturally,” adds Marchetti. “We need to be intentional with activating ‘rest and digest.’”
This helps your nervous system shift into a calmer state—with a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and relaxed muscles—especially during stressful or hormonally intense times like the luteal phase.
Read more: Eco-Friendly Period Care—What’s the Best Option?
How to sleep better throughout your menstrual cycle
When it’s a struggle to sleep around your period, planning ahead and making a few small changes can make a difference.
Track your cycle
“The first step to any health behavior change is building awareness through monitoring, so I recommend cycle tracking,” says Marchetti. Whether you use an app or a paper calendar, tracking your cycle can help you spot patterns in how you sleep throughout the month.
Marchetti adds, “Sleep often becomes more challenging in the luteal phase, so knowing when this happens can help you prepare and be extra mindful about sleep habits.”
Adjust your sleep habits
You don’t need a perfect routine, just a few intentional habits can help signal to your body that it’s time to rest. One place to start is temperature regulation. “With body temperature rising in the luteal phase, taking precautions to promote cooler ambient temperature can help,” suggests Marchetti.
Set the thermostat to the upper 60s, wear breathable fabrics, and take a hot shower within a few hours before bed. “Body temperature might rise in the shower, but then it drops when you get out of the shower,” explains Marchetti. “That drop is a signal for sleep initiation.”
Other sleep-friendly habits include:
- Cutting off caffeine by early afternoon
- Avoiding heavy meals and alcohol close to bedtime
- Drinking calming, anti-inflammatory teas like chamomile or rasberry leaf
- Moving your body with a walk or gentle yoga stretches to release tension
- Creating a consistent wind-down routine with low lighting and a calming activity
Consider taking a supplement
Magnesium can help ease menstrual symptoms like cramps or a depressed mood that interfere with sleep.
“Clients often run to melatonin as a cure-all for insomnia, but it should not be used on a regular basis,” says Marchetti. “In fact, it is not considered a treatment for insomnia at all.”
Melatonin can be useful for circadian rhythm issues (say, jet lag), but it’s not effective for period-related insomnia. Magnesium, on the other hand, may provide more direct support during your cycle. As always, check with your doctor before taking anything new.
Speak with your care team
“I like to tell my clients that if they’ve been trying to implement lifestyle changes for two weeks and haven’t started to see improvements, it’s a good time to start looking for sleep specialists they can call,” says Marchetii.
Hormonal shifts, mental health symptoms, and chronic pain can all impact sleep, so connecting with a provider who understands the full picture matters. An OB-GYN can help you rule out or treat conditions like PMDD, endometriosis, or PCOS, while a sleep specialist can look for signs of insomnia or other sleep disorders, and determine if sleep therapy is necessary.
“If the issues have persisted for a month or more, then you should begin setting up your appointments with your OB-GYN or sleep specialist, as they can both have long wait times,” suggests Marchetti. “It will be essential to encourage cross-talk among these providers to get the very best care.”
And if sleep disruptions are showing up more than three nights a week for three months or longer, that’s a clear sign to get support.
Marchetti says, “There is no time to waste.”
Read more: Struggling to Sleep During Menopause? Here’s Why and What to Do
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