Tests, Fixes, and Ideas That Are Shaping My Longevity Strategy

Melatonin for Older Adults: Timing, Dose, and Sleep Quality — “I Take 5mg of Melatonin — Why Do I Still Wake Up at 3 AM?” ➤ My friend’s dad recently asked me this question, and it perfectly captures what so many of you have shared with me about melatonin but haven’t been able to solve: […]

Are My Hormones Affecting My Sleep? An Overlooked Reason Hormone Therapy Falls Short Many individuals with low hormones—whether from aging or another medical reason—try supplemental testosterone, estrogen, or progesterone. The hope is that more hormone should restore sleep, energy, and mood. But results are often mixed. Some notice improvement; others see little change, or even

Using Melatonin? Here’s How It Can Impair Your Blood Sugar Levels: Melatonin and blood Sugar Melatonin is best known for sleep. Some may also know it from longevity research, where it’s studied for its cellular protective effects. But what many might not realize is that melatonin is a hormone. And hormones, by definition, exert regulatory

Your Brain Makes Its Own Sleep Drug—And It’s More Sophisticated Than Valium: progesterone for sleep Millions of adults struggling with sleep—including myself—have, at one point or another, turned to sleep medications. The hope being, to bring relief through better rest that would also safeguard our cognitive health. But a 2025 study published in Sleep, found

“Why can’t I stay Asleep Longer Than 5-6 Hours?” ➤ Someone recently asked me this question, and it perfectly captures what so many people experience but can’t explain: “I’ve had this issue for a very long time now where I wake up too early and then drift in and out of restless sleep for the

“My friend the same age sleeps fine—why am I the one awake at 3AM?” why do I wake up at 3AM ➤ “Every morning my body kicks me awake between 2:30–3:30 am. No matter what I do—no screens, peppermint tea, chamomile tea—I still wake up. Then I drift in and out until ~5:30 am, when I

Most discussions of circadian rhythm begin and end with melatonin—the molecule that signals darkness and helps us drift off at night. Yet melatonin is only one part of a much broader timing network.

Inside that same network, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone communicate directly with the brain’s master clock—the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)—shaping how the body aligns its daily cycles of temperature, metabolism, and recovery.

Understanding how these sex hormones interact with circadian biology offers a more complete picture of why sleep becomes lighter, shorter, or less restorative with stress and age—and how to rebuild stability from within.

When you’ve practiced breathwork and stress management consistently but still can’t stay asleep past 5-6 hours, you’re dealing with something deeper than relaxation technique.

This pattern tends to appear in the 40s or 50s, when hormonal regulation begins to shift and the body no longer moderates stress and recovery with the same stability it once had. It can also follow long periods of sustained pressure, when both tolerance for stress and nightly restoration start to drift.

How Do You Fall Back Asleep? The Question That Changed How I Think About Sleep ➤ Someone recently asked me this question, and it captures a challenge many people never find the right answer for: “But, Kat, how do you fall back asleep?” They assumed there was a single trick — some breathing pattern, a