The Sleep Crisis in Menopause: Insomnia, Sleep Apnea & Solutions
3/10/20261 hr 20 min
Poor sleep during perimenopause and menopause isn't just exhausting—it's linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk, depression, anxiety, weight gain, cognitive decline, and reduced quality of life. Yet for decades, women's sleep complaints have been minimized, dismissed, or blamed on just getting older.
In this episode, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with board-certified sleep medicine specialist Dr. Andrea Matsumura to unpack what's really happening to women's sleep during the menopause transition and what we can actually do about it. Dr. Matsumura completed her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and he...
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First 90 secondsMary Claire Haver· Host0:00
Why do you think women's sleep complaints are so frequently minimized?
Andrea Matsumura· Guest0:05
Well, you know, it goes back to, and this is why I do what I do, I am really tired of the normalization of women suffering in society. That is exactly why I'm doing what I'm doing. Because we get told from a very young age that our baseline for suffering is higher. We should just suffer through those horrendous menstrual periods, that we, uh, that we should be anemic. It's okay. You know? Sorry, you're losing a lot of blood. When y- if you have children, well, you're just not gonna get enough sleep. Well, you have to take care of somebody else. There is mental load in the working environment, in your home environment. We are taught that we are supposed to suffer more, and then you hit menopause, you hit midlife, and then you become invisible. And then you, y- you're supposed to suffer. Well, you know, you don't have hormones now. It's just the way it is.
Mary Claire Haver· Host0:59
[upbeat music] The views and opinions expressed on Unpaused are those of the talent and guests alone, and are provided for informational and entertainment purposes only. No part of this podcast or any related materials are intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Today's guest is someone I've known