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3 days ago

How to Get Better Sleep with Melissa Azzaro, The Hormone Dietitian


How to get better sleep with Melissa Azzaro, The Hormone Dietitian

Welcome to episode ONE HUNDRED of The Eat for Endurance Podcast! Woohoo!


I’m really excited to share my interview with Melissa Azzaro, RDN LD, aka the Hormone Dietitian, about how to get better sleep. This topic has been on my list for a long time, because sleep challenges are so incredibly common among my active clients, as well as the general population.


Melissa and I talked for over 90 minutes about a TON of different factors that impact sleep, including nutrients, eating patterns, supplements, lifestyle behaviors, and more.


Here are some things we highlighted when discussing how to get better sleep:


  • Why hormone imbalances, especially during perimenopause and times of low energy availability, lead to sleep interruptions

  • What types of dietary habits and patterns (timing, balance of / quantity of certain nutrients, etc) affect sleep quality and quantity

  • How eating enough food, and especially enough carbs, is so important for sleep

  • What to do when you have a busy brain that's getting in the way of falling asleep

  • Why drinking alcohol is doing you no favors in the sleep department, and what you can drink instead

  • The effects of caffeine on sleep and differences among individuals 

  • Herbal and nutrient supplements that may improve sleep

  • How exercise can affect sleep, especially relating to timing

  • Various lifestyle factors that impact sleep (e.g. darkness, cool temperature, no phones in bed, wind-down routine etc)

  • How to wake up feeling more rested (e.g. light exposure in the morning, CBD vs alcohol night before, avoiding high doses of melatonin, managing cortisol levels, etc)

  • How to maximize sleep during travel, especially with large time zone differences

  • Factors beyond your control that may lead to sleep interruptions, such as kids, pets, partners, outside noise, etc


As you can see from the above, sleep is a huge and complicated topic. Sleep problems are often multi-factorial, linking back to mental health, diet, hormones, environment, lifestyle habits, and/or other members of our household.


When thinking about how to get better sleep, your best bet is to start with some basic, foundational things. For instance:


  • Are you eating adequately, including consistent, balanced meals and snacks (e.g. every 3-4 hrs)?

  • Are you including carbohydrates at all of your meals, and especially in the evening?

  • Are you cutting yourself off from caffeine at 12pm (or at least early afternoon)?

  • Are you limiting your alcohol intake?

  • Are you exercising earlier in the day vs the evening?

  • Are you having your last meal or snack at least 1-2 hours before bedtime?

  • Is your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet (earplugs and eye masks are handy)?

  • Are you leaving TV and phone use to outside of your bed?


There's much more to explore, of course, but hopefully the above gives you someplace to start. Listen to the full episode to get SO many more ideas and recommendations!


Just a heads up - this conversation has large sections that are mostly focused on women, whether it’s talking about hormonal shifts and symptoms during perimenopause or relating to PCOS, or about other female-specific challenges. This is partly because Melissa is a women's health dietitian!


Either way, I hope you enjoy this episode about how to improve your sleep through nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle behaviors.  


Links & Announcements:


Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations




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