Author: Georgie Murphy, SISTERLY Nutritionist & Gut Health Expert (MSc DipNt mBANT mNTOI )
Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes
Summary
- Many women today feel wired at night, exhausted in the morning, and drained by mid-afternoon - a pattern driven by the constant pressure of modern life.
- Stress and sleep are deeply connected, and when one becomes disrupted, the other quickly follows.
- In this article we dive into what’s happening inside the body during stress and how it interferes with sleep.
- We focus on simple nutrition and lifestyle habits that can help restore balance as well as key nutrients to support women in rebuilding resilience, steadying energy, and improving sleep quality over time.
As a nutritionist at SISTERLY, I speak with women every day who tell me the same thing:
“I’m exhausted….but the minute I try to go to sleep my brain switches on, thoughts racing….I struggle to get up in the morning…..my energy levels crash between 3-4pm everyday….”
If this feels familiar, you are not alone. In today’s world there is little escape from the constant noise, information, media and life’s many demands. Women especially are navigating more stress than ever before - work, family demands, emotional load, hormonal shifts and the layered pressure to keep it all together.
Stress and sleep are intimately connected and when one goes haywire you can bet the other will be affected too. But with the right nutritional and lifestyle support, including from targeted nutrients, we can give the body the best chance of restoring balance, coping optimally and getting deeper rest.
Overstressed? What’s Happening Inside the Body
Stress comes in many forms and not all negative, with some giving our body energy and stimulation like that feeling after a run! However ongoing, chronic stress - from illness, injury, over-worrying, work-pressure - can mean the body’s normal stress response stays switched on for too long. This leads to a surge of hormones - raising heart rate, sharpening focus, and releasing extra blood sugar for quick energy - however gradually this can become harmful when the threat never resolves. Non-essential functions like digestion, certain immune processes, and reproductive activity are repeatedly suppressed. As I describe in the article for the pharmacy magazine Training Matters, this constant stress response disrupts sleep, mood, appetite, gut function, and the body’s ability to regulate weight and energy.
Sadly women are particularly affected by stress as it interacts closely with female hormones and the reproductive system. Chronic stress can disturb menstrual cycles, alter sex-hormone signalling, and increase vulnerability to anxiety and depression. Symptoms of chronic stress to watch out for include tiredness, perfectionism, that feeling of being burnt-out, feeling low, anxious and a reduced tolerance to stressful situations.
How Stress Affects Sleep
Stress and sleep are highly interconnected. Interestingly this relationship is also highly individual with research showing that genetics, being female, having a family history of insomnia, psychological factors and environmental stress all influence how our sleep is affected by stress.
Stress triggers biochemical changes that directly interfere with sleep. Elevated evening cortisol can suppress melatonin production, stress-related nutrient depletion (such as magnesium and B-vitamins) can destabilise blood sugar contributing to nighttime wake-ups, and a chronically activated nervous system makes it difficult for the brain to shift into rest. As a result, sleep becomes lighter and less restorative. Poor sleep then acts as an additional stressor, creating a tough cycle to break but we are here to help!
A Nutritionist’s Foundational Approach
There are some key diet and lifestyle habits we can include daily which can help regulate stress hormones and support restorative sleep. Start with simple, realistic habits:
- Balanced meals and snacks with protein to stabilise blood sugar and prevent the afternoon crash that triggers cortisol spikes.
- Morning sunlight exposure to set cortisol rhythm and signal to the brain that it’s time to be awake now and time to feel sleepy later.
- Caffeine only before midday so your body has enough time to metabolise it and avoid evening stimulation.
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A nightly wind-down routine that signals safety to the nervous system, helping shift you from“go mode” into the parasympathetic “rest-and-repair” state. This might include: gentle stretching, reading, light journaling, a warm shower, lowering lights.
In her new book, Light Up, pharmacist Miriam Hussey gives some wonderful examples of practical techniques to find calm, nourish the body and mind and build mental resilience - a must read! As she beautifully writes:
"Take time regularly throughout the day to detach from busyness and business and just be."
But diet and lifestyle are only one part of the picture. When the body is depleted it needs targeted replenishment and that’s where The Elevator comes in.
Introducing The Elevator: Every Nutrient You Need in One Sachet
The Elevator is a female-focused daily supplement delivering 23 synergistic nutrients in one simple powder sachet, replacing what could otherwise be a shelf of individual pills. Mixed with water or a smoothie each morning, it supports stress resilience, blood sugar balance, and the nervous system for steadier energy and more restorative sleep.
Key nutrients include magnesium (150 mg) which helps relax muscles and the nervous system, promoting deeper sleep. B-vitamins like vitamin B6 support the creation of calming neurotransmitters like serotonin while CoQ10 assists cellular recovery, helping the body manage daily stress. Vitamins C and E help reduce oxidative stress linked to tension and sleeplessness. Zinc, selenium, and trace minerals further support immune and hormone balance - essential for combatting stress and improved sleep quality.
Read more on the science & experts behind SISTERLY.
How Women Are Rebalancing Stress & Sleep with The Elevator
But don’t just take our word for it- many of the amazing women who take SISTERLY report improvements in their sleep and anxiety, in particular when taken consistently over 3 months.
"The Elevator is amazing! Handy all in one sachet and even tastes good! In 3 months I have increased energy levels, balanced hormones, reduced anxiety and time has slowed down. Feel much more relaxed better sleep and super organised due to high energy levels. Thank you Sisterly x"
Ann-Marie
"I have been taking Elevator for approximately 3 months now, didn't notice any difference for about 2 weeks then it started working, my skin looked better, nails stronger and the big thing for me was sleep. I can finally sleep so much better, now I wouldn't be without it."
Sue
"After struggling with Chronic Fatigue for over twelve years and trying every vitamin out there, I can honestly say going into my fourth month of taking Elevator, my sleep has improved .My energy levels and recovery after exercise has been incredible. I’m so happy I’ve finally found a product that has helped me enormously and I will continue to take this little day her every day. Thank you Sisterly."
Sharon
See More of Our Customer Reviews
Final Thoughts From A Nutritionist
Be kind to yourself, rest without guilt; assess your situation and stressors - awareness is key to start to make changes; focus on one thing you can do in your day to reduce stress e.g. a pre-bed wind down routine, and importantly support your body with the right nutrients.
If you haven't tried SISTERLY, learn more about our award-winning formula here.
