In this session, James breaks down why sleep matters so much during the menopause transition, not just for feeling rested, but for brain function, memory, metabolism, immune health, and recovery. He explains that there’s a “Goldilocks zone” for most people (roughly 7–8 hours) and that both too little and too much sleep can affect how well you think, learn, and cope day to day.

He also connects the dots between menopause symptoms and sleep disruption, highlighting how things like hot flushes/night sweats, low mood, stress and insomnia often show up together and can feed into each other. The good news is that improving sleep can help interrupt that cycle and support overall wellbeing.

James then simplifies sleep improvement into three areas you can actually do something about: your internal environment (food habits, caffeine/alcohol, stress, gut health, breathing), your external environment (light from screens, bedroom temperature, noise, bedding/clothing, keeping phones out of the room), and your sleep schedule (consistent bed/wake times and a proper wind-down).

The key takeaway is practical: pick one or two changes, try them consistently for a few days, and track whether sleep improves. He also shares a simple “3, 2, 1” wind-down routine to help you build an evening structure that doesn’t require a personality transplant.