81% of Women Over 40 Struggle to Sleep. Why?

No, that’s not a typo. Yes, 81% of women over 40 are struggling to sleep. This alarming statistic was uncovered by a 2025 survey by Pukka Tea, which also found that 44% of Aussies sleep less than 6 hours a night. As Australia’s Leading Sleep Expert, I’m here to share – this is not ok. Nor should we, women, simply put up with bad sleep.
So… why is it happening, and what can we do about it?

What are the reasons?

Menopause
With the marked decline of oestrogen and progesterone, we experience symptoms of menopause – night sweats, anxiety, hot flashes. This is linked back to what these hormones do in our body – alongside support reproduction, they also stabilise body temperature and impact our mood.
And, as such, sleep suffers: melatonin, our key sleepiness hormone, relies on a cool core body temperature to be produced. So when we overheat through the night, we sleep light, wake frequently, and struggle to return to sleep.

Anxiety
A 2024 paper found that women 30-49 are the most stressed of any age and any gender. With compounding work-life demands, dual responsibilities and often, greater mental load than partners, anxiety is crippling us – and our sleep. When anxiety rises, so too does cortisol, the stress hormone, which keeps us awake at night.

No unwind time
A 2025 study by House of Wellness found nearly half of all women (48%) have no stress relief practices – leaving them in go-go-go, mode until bedtime. With this keeping our brainwaves in a highly active beta wave, this is a problem for sleep – instead of feeling sleepy at bedtime, we are wide awake.

What can we do?
The first place – and best place – to start is your bedtime routine. With the above in mind:

Move through with mindfulness – start your day with a mindfulness practice – yoga or meditation – and support your sleep, anxiety and overall wellbeing in the process.
Take control of your sleep starting tonight. Begin with small changes, like adjusting your bedroom temperature or incorporating a calming ritual before bed. If you need support along the way, visit oliviaarezzolo.com.au for more tips or connect with me on Instagram @oliviaarezzolo. Let’s work together toward better sleep!

Keep your sleep sanctuary cool – invest in natural fibres like cotton or linen for sheets, to absorb heat and wick away sweat, a cooling mattress topper, air con set to 18 degrees – all are helpful, and necessary, especially in menopause

Schedule 30 minutes to relax before bed – consider sipping a calming sleep tea, like Pukka’s Night Time blend, which combines lavender and chamomile; two of the best natural ingredients to support restful sleep. Avoid screens and soothe the soul with a good book.

For the full article grab the April/May 2025 issue of Women’s Fitness Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.