What to Do When You’ve Had a Bad Night’s Sleep

You had plans to train. Then you spent half the night awake, too hot, or staring at the ceiling. What now?

Do not pretend you slept well

If you slept badly, you do not need to punish yourself for it. Sleep affects how you feel, how much energy you have and how manageable exercise seems. Perimenopause can make sleep less predictable, including through night sweats and other symptoms.

Change the goal for the day

Instead of asking “Can I complete the workout exactly as planned?”, ask “What kind of movement would leave me feeling better rather than worse?” That might mean a shorter strength session, lighter resistance, a walk, mobility work or rest.

Keep the habit, reduce the pressure

There is a useful middle ground between a full workout and skipping everything. Ten or twenty minutes of sensible movement may be enough to keep your routine going on a difficult day. The NHS recommends regular activity and also encourages plenty of rest and regular sleep routines during perimenopause and menopause.

Do not use exercise to compensate for poor sleep

A bad night does not need to be followed by an extreme workout. Harder is not automatically better, particularly when your recovery is already compromised. Give yourself permission to make the session smaller.

Look at the pattern, not one night

One poor night is one poor night. If sleep problems keep happening, they deserve attention in their own right. Speak with your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional if sleep or other menopause symptoms are persistently affecting your life.

A final thought

You are not losing progress because you changed one workout. You are learning how to train in the body and life you actually have — and that is a much more sustainable skill.