Midlife fatigue? How Strength Training and Better Sleep Habits Can Bring Back Your Energy
- Oct 8
- 5 min read
If you’ve hit your 40s or 50s and suddenly feel like your energy has gone missing, you’re not imagining it. Midlife fatigue is one of the most common complaints I hear from women. The dragging mornings, the 3 a.m. wake-ups, the mental fog that won’t lift. It’s frustrating because you’re not necessarily doing anything “wrong”, yet you feel like you’re running on empty.
A big part of this shift comes down to sleep, and how it changes during perimenopause and menopause. But the good news? Once you understand why your sleep is disrupted, you can take simple steps to improve it. I am sure you won't be surprised to read from me that strength training for women is one of the most underrated tools for regaining your energy.
Why Midlife Sleep Disruption Happens
Sleep specialists who study women’s health, such as Dr Shelby Harris, author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, and Dr Lisa Mosconi, a neuroscientist and menopause expert, explain that declining oestrogen and progesterone play a significant role in disrupted sleep. These hormones don’t just affect your cycle; they influence the brain chemicals that regulate your circadian rhythm (your natural body clock), mood, and temperature.
When estrogen levels drop, your body can become more sensitive to stress and temperature changes, leading to night sweats, restless sleep, or waking up in the early hours. Progesterone, known for its calming effect, also dips, which makes it harder to relax and drift off. Add in external stressors (work, ageing parents, children, and a never-ending to-do list), and your nervous system rarely gets a chance to switch off.
For me, sleep used to be effortless. I’d fall asleep the second my head hit the pillow. But from around 44, I started waking up at 3 or 4 a.m., with my mind racing, unable to drift back off. And when I did sleep, it wasn’t deep. I felt flat by mid-afternoon, constantly craving sugar, and more reactive to small stresses. I realised sleep wasn’t something I could take for granted anymore.
Why Protecting Your Sleep Is Essential
Experts like Dr. Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep, remind us that sleep isn’t optional. It’s the foundation of our metabolic health, hormone balance, and emotional resilience. When we’re short on sleep:
Our hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) become imbalanced, leading to increased cravings and poor food choices, a major barrier to weight loss in midlife. Personally, I 'graze' all day when I am overly tired. The only thing I want is either very sweet or very salty. Certainly not an apple!
The stress hormone cortisol stays elevated, which worsens anxiety, fatigue, and hormonal symptoms. I am scratchy and far more reactive when I'm tired.
Our body struggles to repair muscle and regulate blood sugar, leaving us depleted.
When sleep is prioritised, everything improves, from your energy and mood to your outlook on life.
How Strength Training Supports Better Sleep
It may sound surprising, but strength training is one of the most effective natural sleep aids. Here’s why:
It lowers stress and calms the nervous system. Resistance training helps reduce cortisol and boosts mood-regulating neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and GABA, both of which are essential for winding down at night.
It regulates your circadian rhythm. Consistent exercise during daylight hours signals to your body when it’s time to be alert and when to rest. Training in the morning or early afternoon can help your body produce melatonin naturally at night.
It builds metabolic health. By maintaining lean muscle mass, strength training enhances blood sugar balance and energy stability, both of which are essential for improved sleep quality.
It creates healthy fatigue. When you move your body in a way that challenges it, not exhausts it, you encourage deeper, more restorative sleep.
Even two to three 30-minute home workouts per week can make a noticeable difference. It’s not about intensity; it’s about consistency.
Sleep Habits That Make a Difference
You can’t control your hormones, but you can create the best possible environment for your body to rest. Here are the habits sleep specialists recommend to take back control of your sleep:
Dim lights and buy an alarm clock. Avoid screens for 60 minutes before bed; blue light can delay melatonin production. A big one here is to buy an alarm so you can keep the phone out of the bedroom. We are all addicted, and that dopamine hit is strong. Having your phone in another room is key to winding down.
Set a consistent bedtime and wake-up time (even on weekends) to stabilise your circadian rhythm.
Keep your bedroom cool and dark; a room around 18°C supports deeper sleep.
Limit caffeine after midday and alcohol in the evening, which both disrupt sleep architecture.
Create a wind-down ritual: gentle stretches, journaling, or meditation can help your nervous system shift into rest mode. I journal every night before bed and it is a great way to unload and leave the day behind. We can't write as fast as we think, so it forces us to slow down.
Strength train regularly. Strength training helps regulate and improve your sleep by lowering stress hormones like cortisol, balancing your circadian rhythm, and promoting deeper, more restorative rest.
The Midlife Sleep-Energy Loop
When you’re sleeping well, you’re more likely to feel energised and motivated to train. And when you’re training regularly, you’re more likely to sleep deeply. This positive loop builds over time, helping you feel sharper, calmer, and more resilient.
The opposite loop is also true: poor sleep leads to skipped workouts, a low mood, and higher stress, which then exacerbates sleep issues. This also leads to food cravings, playing havoc with our weight, inflammation and digestion if left unchecked. That’s why it’s worth protecting your sleep like a non-negotiable.
A Personal Note
I realised that once I hit my mid 40s I had to stop seeing sleep as optional. When I sleep well, I’m patient, focused, and steady. When I don’t, everything feels harder. Strength training has become my anchor, not just for my physical health and feeling rested, but for my mental health. It helps me manage stress better, and that shows up in how I sleep, eat, and show up for the people I love.
If you’ve been telling yourself, “I’ll catch up later,” I promise: later is now. Protecting your sleep is one of the best investments you can make in your health, and the tips listed above, combined with regular strength training, are among the most effective tools to help you achieve it.
Your Next Step
Start small. Choose one or two items from the list above that you know will significantly help you achieve a deeper, more restful sleep. Then look to incorporate two strength training sessions a week. I would like you to build up to three after a month. You will be amazed at how much more energised and back in control you will feel.
You don’t need perfection. You need a plan that fits real life, so you can feel strong, well-rested, and ready for each day.
If you are new to strength training and want step-by-step workouts you can follow from home, join my monthly membership. I take the guesswork out of building a strong, lean body. that will age well and support the life you want to lead.
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