Why can't I sleep?
Waking at 3 a.m., trouble falling asleep, or unrefreshing sleep.
What you may want to know
Difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night, and waking too early are among the most commonly reported midlife changes.
Sleep can be affected by many things at once, including night sweats, stress, pain, alcohol, medications, thyroid conditions, and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Sleep changes alone do not identify which of these is involved.
Because sleep affects mood, energy, and concentration, it is often a useful place to start a conversation with a clinician.
If you build your Hormone Map, this page can also show what you've already reported in this area.
Build My Hormone MapWhat may be useful to track
- Roughly what time you fall asleep, wake, and get up.
- Whether you wake feeling hot, anxious, in pain, or needing the bathroom.
- Caffeine, alcohol, and screen or work patterns in the evening.
Questions you could bring to your clinician
Once you've completed the assessment and reported symptoms in this area, question prompts based on what you reported will appear here.
When to seek care
- If you snore loudly, gasp or stop breathing in your sleep, or fall asleep during the day, mention this to a clinician — these can point to a treatable sleep condition.
- If a symptom is severe, getting worse, or interfering with your daily life, it is reasonable to contact a clinician rather than waiting.
This is a patient-reported, educational summary. It is not a diagnosis, a medical record, or a treatment recommendation. Only your clinician can advise on what is appropriate for you.
Something else on your mind?