How can Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) be Waking Women Up at Night? – A natural whole person approach.
Problems with sleeping has become an increasing complaint in my clinic particularly in the last 5 years since ‘COVID’, even for those clients that have usually slept well all their lives. If we are waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to fall back to sleep, our body is usually communicating an imbalance. From an holistic point of view, sleep disruption is rarely about just one hormone or one habit. It’s about how the entire system is responding to Mental/Chemical/Physical and Energetical stressors.
One hormone that is often overlooked in women is DHT (dihydrotestosterone). While women have much smaller amounts than men, it can still influence the nervous system and sleep especially when the body is under strain.
Understanding DHT in the female body
DHT is a powerful form of testosterone. In women, it is involved with vitality, drive, skin and hair balance plus, nervous system activation. Because it is highly effective, even slight elevations or sensitivity to it can affect how our body feels and rests.
Holistically, DHT is not “bad.” Problems arise when it becomes dominant, often due to stress, blood sugar imbalance, or low levels of calming hormones like progesterone.
How DHT may disrupt sleep
1. A “Wired” Nervous System at Night.
DHT has a stimulating effect, therefore, when levels are elevated, the body may stay in red alert mode when it should be resting. We can wake suddenly with or without anxiety, our body may still be tired but our mind is awake and unable to sleep. Sleep can also feel light or broken with a sleep wake, sleep wake cycle. This is often due to a nervous system that hasn’t fully shifted into safety and repair mode.
What can Systematic Kinesiology do to help?
🌿 Hypothalamus for Nervous System First
Within a Systematic Kinesiology Session we can:
- Hypothalamus testing and balancing
- Full hormonal balance
- TMJ testing and balancing (tempo mandibular joint, the hinge joint that lets our jaw open, close, and move side-to-side)
- Emotional stress release techniques for emotions
- Testing the following calming, regulating supplements: Hops, Valerian and Passionflower, Agnes Castus, Ashwaganda, Bacopa Monnieri, L-Tryptophan, Magnesium glycinate.
- Suggest supportive lifestyle changes/ homework such as: gentle evening routines (essential) slow breathing or meditation before bed (there are many guided ones online), reducing stimulants/ stimulation after dark and wearing blue light blocking glasses, earlier, calmer exercise suitable for our particular blood group.
2. Early Cortisol Awakening & Blood sugar imbalance.
In a balanced rhythm, cortisol rises gently in the morning. But when stress hormones and androgens are imbalanced, cortisol rises too early, waking us between 2–4a.m. and often falling back to sleep can be impossible. Also, imbalanced blood sugars can wake us as DHT is linked with blood sugar instability. Drops in blood sugar overnight can trigger adrenaline which wakes us as a protective response, leaving us feeling restless, very warm/overheated and/or on red alert. This is the body prioritising survival over sleep.
3. When calming hormones are low.
Estrogen and progesterone help buffer by stimulating hormones like DHT specially during Perimenopause, Menopause, Postpartum and periods of Chronic stress.
Declining Progesterone often is first as without its calming effects, DHT’s activation may feel stronger, especially at night.
4. Heightened Androgen Sensitivity.
Some women are simply more sensitive to androgens, even at normal levels.
Symptoms include, Night waking, “tired but wired”, thinning hair particularly around the front, acne, stubborn chin/facial hair and irregular cycles.
This sensitivity is often a sign the body is asking for gentler rhythms and deeper nourishment. Rather than suppressing or pushing other hormones into the body with HRT (this also reduces our bodies ability to produce and regulate hormones naturally) holistic care focuses on restoring balance.
What can Systematic Kinesiology do to help?
🥗 Nourish Hormonal Harmony
Within a Systematic Kinesiology Session we can:
- Full Hormonal testing and balancing
- Blood sugar testing and balancing
- Blood chemistry testing and balancing
- Test hormonal/sugar balancing supplements such as: Saw Palmetto, stinging nettle and pumpkin seed oil (all help consistent sleep by blocking DHT. they also help with thinning hair and reducing unwanted chin hair). Licorice root for adrenal and blood sugar regulation, Vit D for balanced hormone production, Myoinositol for blood sugar balance, PCOS and androgen symptoms/acne, facial hair, irregular cycle, B6 for PMS symptoms, androgen symptoms (as above) also helps support progesterone production. Spearmint tea can also be really helpful for blocking DHT.
- Suggest lifestyle changes/ homework such as: Eating balanced meals with protein and healthy fats. Eating warm food. Avoid long gaps between dinner and sleep. Include grounding foods in the evening like whole grains (not wheat), root vegetables, soups and stews.
🌙 Supporting Restful Sleep Naturally
- Earlier to bed, be asleep by 10pm
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
- Finish evening meal 2 hours before bed
- Reduce evening technology and screen time
- Wear blue light blocking glasses.
Supplements to consider:
- Magnesium glycinate or magnesium threonate – calms nervous system
- Vitamin B6 -supports progesterone pathways to help fall and stay asleep
- Myoinositol helps to increase GABA and serotonin, which promote relaxation, also helps melatonin production to regulate circadian rhythms. Also helps to fall and stay asleep. Best taken 30-60 minutes before bed for maximum effect.
Sleep improves not by forcing rest, but by helping the body feel safe enough to let go and that process starts when we get up in the morning!
If DHT is contributing to our nighttime waking, it doesn’t mean our body is “out of control.” It means our system is out of balance.
Within Systematic Kinesiology (SK) we can help rebalance hormones, testing to see what tools our bodies need for the job, as our system is likely to be overstimulated, under-rested and under nourished.
SK can offer physical and emotional safety, shifting old patterns/trauma, facilitate
unblocking energy pathways, finding the right unique nourishment for our bodies, and create space/softness through working on helping circulation and lymphatic flow.
This holistic way of balancing, allows our bodies to make the much needed positive changes for us to enjoy our lives during the day and night.
If you need help with your sleep and hormones here is the link to find your nearest TASK trained Systematic Kinesiologist.
If you are taking any mediation please check with your doctor for any contraindications before taking any supplements.
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