When Sleep Slipped Away (and How I Found It Again)

For most of my life, sleep came naturally. I’d climb into bed, close my eyes, and drift off. My friend used to laugh and say, “it's pumpkin time” whenever I started yawning — a sweet nod to the Cinderella story where the magic ends at midnight and the carriage turns back into a pumpkin.

It became our running joke, my cue to shut the day down and surrender to rest. I’d toddle off to bed trusting that my body knew exactly what to do.

Then I had my daughter in my late twenties, and the fairy tale ended for a while.

It took two and a half years to get her to sleep through the night. Two and a half years of broken nights, tiptoeing past creaky floorboards, and learning to function on very little sleep. When she finally slept, I did too (little angel). Slowly, my body remembered how to rest deeply again.

For a long while, everything was peaceful. Then perimenopause arrived — quietly at first, then all at once. Those 3 a.m. wake-ups returned. I’d fall asleep easily, only to wake wide awake, mind buzzing, body restless. Some nights I’d listen to the wind outside or the soft hum of the fridge, willing myself back to sleep.

When Hormones Play Tricks on Sleep

As hormones shift during perimenopause, the balance between oestrogen and progesterone begins to change. These two do far more than control reproduction. They also influence mood, nervous system regulation, body temperature, and even how our brain handles stress.

When their levels rise and fall unpredictably, sleep can go off track.

You might notice:

🌙 Waking in the night and struggling to get back to sleep

🌙 Hot flushes or night sweats

🌙 A racing mind or anxious feelings at bedtime

🌙 Light, shallow sleep

Cortisol, our stress hormone, and melatonin, our sleep hormone, can also get out of sync. The result? A body that feels tired but wired. Add in daily stress, screens, caffeine, or a late glass of wine, and restful sleep becomes even harder to find.

The Herbal Way Back to Rest

This is where herbal medicine truly shines. Herbs don’t force sleep; they gently guide the body back to balance. Some examples of herbs I used for my clients include:

🌿 Californian poppy – relaxes both mind and muscles and easing nervous tension

🌿 Ziziphus – calms emotional restlessness and helps quiet an overactive mind.

🌿 Passionflower – encourages relaxation and supports trouble getting to sleep

🌿 Rehmannia – nourishes adrenal function and balances cortisol to steady the stress

🌿 Shatavari – cools and supports hormonal balance, easing hot nights and sleep disturbance

🌿 Withania  – strengthens resilience, reduces anxiety, and promotes calm without sedation

Within a few months, I noticed change. My body felt calmer, my mind clearer, and I woke with genuine energy again. I won’t pretend my sleep is flawless every night, but it’s worlds better than it was. I’m steadily returning to the kind of deep, restorative rest that truly replenishes body and mind.

Listening to the Body’s Wisdom

Every woman’s story is different. Sometimes sleeplessness is driven by stress, sometimes blood-sugar dips, sometimes shifting hormones or emotional overload. What matters most is tuning in; noticing the patterns, honouring your body’s needs, and supporting it with the right herbs, nutrition and lifestyle shifts.

Today, I sleep deeply most nights. My energy feels grounded, my mind quiet. And every time I turn off the light, I smile a little, thinking of my friend’s words — pumpkin time is here.

💚 If you’d like a personalised herbal formula to help your body find its rhythm again, you can book online or send me a message. Restorative deep sleep is possible and it starts with listening and a little herbal medicine to help you naturally support your rhythm.

#SleepNaturally #HerbalMedicine #PerimenopauseSupport #TripleTranquillity #WomensWellbeing #CalmMindRestedBody

Leonie Sinclair is a clinical herbalist based in Marrickville, Sydney (Gadigal Land). With a background in natural therapies and women’s health, she specialises in guiding women through life’s transitions with evidence-based herbal medicine and gentle lifestyle strategies.

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