unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver The Sleep Crisis in Menopause: Insomnia, Sleep Apnea & Solutions
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Mar 10, 2026 Dr. Andrea Matsumura, a board-certified sleep medicine specialist focused on women’s sleep and creator of the D.R.E.A.M. Sleep Method, discusses menopause-related sleep disruption. She covers how hormones affect sleep, insomnia types, restless legs, and atypical sleep apnea in women. Practical topics include CBT-I, melatonin use, sleep studies, environment tweaks, and actionable first steps to restore restorative sleep.
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June Bug ER Visit Sparked Her Medicine Career
- Dr. Andrea Matsumura described childhood healthcare neglect that motivated her to pursue medicine and advocate for dismissed patients.
- A June bug stuck on her eardrum and a dismissive ER encounter sparked her mission to amplify marginalized voices.
Sex Hormones Shape Sleep Architecture
- Sex steroids shape sleep architecture: estrogen aids thermoregulation and REM, progesterone calms brain and may support the airway, testosterone supports deep sleep.
- Hormone shifts in perimenopause/menopause therefore commonly fragment sleep and alter stages.
Raise Ferritin Toward 100 For Restless Legs
- Check ferritin and treat iron deficiency aggressively for restless legs syndrome (RLS); aim for higher ferritin targets in symptomatic women.
- Ferritin around 100 mcg/L is preferable for RLS because low brain iron disrupts dopamine and causes limb urges.
