Struggling With Insomnia? Why Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) May Be the Answer

Insomnia is a common problem, affecting 70 million people in the United States every year. Your inability to fall asleep or stay asleep may occur for any number of reasons, including hormonal changes.

At Legacy Pain and Regenerative Medicine, our chiropractic physician and family nurse practitioner, Dr. Trace Alexander, provides hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat the symptoms that occur from age-related hormonal changes, including insomnia.

Can HRT help your insomnia? 

About those hormones

Hormones are the chemical messengers that tell your body what to do and when. These tiny chemicals manage your mood, metabolism, and sleep-wake cycle. 

Under most circumstances, you may not give your hormones much thought. When your hormones are in balance, your body runs like it should. However, any slight change in hormone levels can have a dramatic affect on your physical and emotional well-being.

Sex hormone production naturally declines as you get older. This includes testosterone (male sex hormone), estrogen (female sex hormone), and progesterone (female sex hormone).

Although these hormonal changes are a normal part of the aging process, they may cause symptoms that are hard to ignore.

Hormones and sleep

Changes in sex hormone production cause a slew of symptoms, including fatigue, moodiness, and sleep problems like insomnia. In addition to managing reproductive health, your sex hormones also influence the sleep-wake cycle.

Declining progesterone levels during menopause make it hard for women to fall asleep and stay asleep. Additionally, low estrogen may cause hot flashes and night sweats that affect your ability to get a good night of rest.

Though the connection between low testosterone and insomnia is less clear, men with low testosterone wake up frequently and fail to get enough restful sleep. 

HRT for insomnia

HRT is a treatment for age-related changes in sex hormone levels. We offer HRT for men and women. 

The goal of HRT is to restore hormone balance and reduce symptoms, including insomnia. We provide testosterone replacement for men as well as estrogen or estrogen with progestin HRT for women. 

Though HRT may ease some of the symptoms affecting your sleep, we also recommend a few lifestyle changes when treating insomnia, such as:

• Following a set sleep schedule
• Developing a relaxing bedtime routine
• Keeping electronic devices out of the bedroom
• Exercising regularly (but not too close to bedtime)
• Avoiding caffeine late in the day

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that has many causes. Though HRT can help some, it’s not the right treatment for everyone struggling to get a good night of sleep.

To find out more about HRT and how it might help your insomnia, call our office, or book an appointment online today for our Plano our Addison location.