CDear readers, if you too are still in the Sanremo mood and a little nostalgic like me, I’m sure you’ll understand:
“when the night comes
And I’m alone with myself
The head goes off and goes around
In search of his whys.”
During menopause you fall asleep late. We wake up at three, in dense silence. The covers are taken off and put back on. You think too much.
And in the morning you already feel tired.
Sleep quality is one of the first things to change as estrogen drops. The circadian rhythm alters, the body temperature becomes unpredictable, the nervous system is more reactive. It’s not madness but physiology.
The good news? Movement is one of the most effective – and underrated – tools for returning to good sleep.
The body needs to “consume” the day
During the day we accumulate tension: mental, emotional, muscular. If we don’t dump them, we take them to bed.
Training works like a biological switch:
- lowers cortisol,
- regulates the production of melatonin,
- increases the depth of deep sleep,
- reduces nighttime hot flashes over time.
To make all this happen and for training to be truly effective, you don’t need to do more but do better.
Which workout really helps sleep?
Not all movements have the same effect on rest. In menopause the goal is not to become exhausted, but rebalance the nervous system.
1. Strength training (2-3 times a week)
Even though after these months together it should be clear to you, I repeat it once again: strength training is the great ally of menopause.
Improves insulin sensitivity, stabilizes mood, promotes deeper sleep, protects muscle mass and bone density.
30-40 minutes are enough, with multi-joint exercises (squats, deadlifts, flat bench, chin-ups, rowing and slow forward) and adequate loads. The body must “work”, not just move.
2. Daily brisk walk
Underrated, but very powerful.
Natural morning light synchronizes the body clock and makes it easier to fall asleep in the evening. Walking 20-30 minutes a day (without sunglasses) can already change the quality of the night.
3. Mobility and breathing in the evening
Ten minutes before bed can make the difference:
- slow stretches,
- gentle mobility,
- diaphragmatic breathing.
The message to the brain is clear: “It’s time to slow down.”
When to train to sleep better?
“Rather than nothing, it’s me rather”, train when you can but do it consistently.
Just consider that training too late with high intensity can increase nervous activation and delay sleep.
And the nighttime hot flashes?
Regular physical activity reduces the frequency and intensity of hot flashes in the medium term. It is not an immediate solution, but it is a structural strategy.
Training improves body temperature regulation and cardiovascular efficiency. In other words: the body learns to manage changes better.
It’s not just sleep. It’s autonomy
Sleeping well means:
- have mental energy,
- reduce nervous hunger,
- control your weight better,
- feel more emotionally stable.
In menopause we don’t have to do more.
We must act with more awareness.
Movement, chosen intelligently, becomes our silent medicine.
And sleep returns to being that safe space in which we recover strength, clarity and – why not – even a bit of lightness.
Who is Maria Luisa Valente
Maria Luisa Valente And certified personal trainer, Functional Trainer and Fitness Nutritionist, with a solid one specialization in Pilates (Matwork, Reformer and Cadillac). She is the founder of Allyoucanfit and Allyoucanfit Studiotwo studios in Milan created to offer people – and in particular women – a conscious, effective and sustainable approach to movement. In its driving spaces personalized routes that integrate functional training, pilates, strength and postural workwith constant attention to metabolic and hormonal health. With her new column on iODonna she dedicates herself tomenopause training, to help women move through this phase of life with energy, strength and confidence in their bodies.
