The Sleep Pivot: How Routine and Rhythm Restores Your Mood, Metabolism, and Energy

When I was in college, I read Robert Ludlum’s Bourne Ultimatum. In it, the famous character Jason Bourne says, “Rest is a weapon,” a truth he believed was vital for survival. I obviously never forgot it—here I am, remembering it now as I write about sleep.

I also repeat it constantly in my household, and I proudly claim my title as the “sleep police.”

When my son was growing up, he and my husband would hang out in the basement watching TV or playing video games. They would hear me coming down the stairs at bedtime and immediately say, “Here comes the sleep police!”

Growing up as a child in my hometown of Ballesteros, Cagayan in the 70s and 80s, sleeping early was the only option. After school, kids could play outside until it got dark. The sun set around 6 PM, dinner was at 7 PM as a family, and after that there was nothing else to do but clean up get ready for bed.

There was no television then, and most households didn’t even have electricity. I remember being one of the few families with a generator, which was then turned off by 8 or 9 pm.

I share that now because I realize it shaped my sleep habits even now as a 50-something person. Thankfully, I’ve never really struggled with sleep—unless it was the night before an anxiety-provoking exam.

And now in my 50s (gosh, it still feels weird to utter that), the times I don’t sleep early are usually self-imposed: doom-scrolling on my phone, binge-watching shows, or staying up “just a little longer for whatever reason. Back in the day, I usually would be writing notes til midnight, but with personal coaching and a simple mindset shift, I got away from that time-suck. And now, with the advent of AI scribe, working into midnight will hopefully be a thing of the past for everyone.

When I do stay up late, I typically regret it the next day. I end up in sleep debt, and sometimes I try to squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep in the morning — which only makes me even more groggy and off-kilter.

While I’m not perfect with my bedtime routine, I am very much a work in progress as I focus more on improving my metabolic health. And as I’ve gotten older — and as I’ve learned more about metabolism through both evidenced-based medicine and my own lived experience — I’ve come to understand more and more that Jason Bourne was right: rest really is a weapon. While obviously I'm not in hand to hand combat with international spies, it rings more true now, compared to when I was in college or in my 20's and 30's. Sleep is a fundamental tool for healing, energy, weight regulation, hormone balance, emotional wellbeing… essentially everything we care about.

Sleep is one of the most powerful metabolic interventions we have, yet it’s also what modern living steals from us the most. Some days, I long for those idyllic small town life untouched by electricity, media and technology. (Those days are long, long, LONG GONE!) Now, we trade sleep for productivity, for “me-time,” for Netflix, for social media doom scrolling.

But every hour of lost sleep has a ripple effect: on cravings, hunger hormones, insulin sensitivity, mood, patience, and how we show up for ourselves the next day.

Why Sleep Matters

When we sleep well, our hormones, metabolism, appetite, mood, and even inflammation hit “reset.”When we don’t, everything becomes just a little (or a lot) harder.

Poor sleep:

• increases ghrelin (the hunger hormone),

• decreases leptin (the fullness hormone),

• raises cortisol (the stress hormone), and

• makes us more insulin resistant the very next day.

This is why you crave sugar or carbs after a short night sleep, small stressors feel bigger and workouts feel harder and motivation feels lower.

And for many women in their 40s and 50s — hot flashes, joint pain, nighttime waking, and hormonal shifts make it even more challenging.

A Quick Science Snapshot: How Even One Night of Poor Sleep Disrupts Your Hormones

One laboratory study found that just one night of total sleep loss was enough to shift key appetite-regulating hormones: leptin (the hormone that signals fullness) dropped, while ghrelin (the hormone that triggers hunger) increased. These shifts were even more pronounced in women and in individuals with overweight or obesity. These hormonal changes create the perfect storm the next day—you're hungrier, have more cravings, and less satisfied from the same amount of food.(Source: Effects of acute sleep loss on leptin, ghrelin, and adiponectin in adults with healthy weight and obesity.)

The Sleep-Stealing Habits We Don’t Think About (But Almost All of Us Do)

Even when we know sleep matters, it’s often the first thing we sacrifice. Not because we don’t care — but because modern life is designed to pull us away from rest.

Here are some of the most common habits that quietly rob you of the deep, restorative sleep your body is craving:

1. Revenge Bedtime Procrastination (a.k.a. “This Is My Only Me-Time”)

You finally get a moment alone after a long day…And suddenly you’re scrolling, watching reels, or shopping at 11:45 PM.

You may reason that it is self-preservation. But maybe it’s actually self-depletion.

Gentle pivot:🌿 Schedule real me-time earlier in the evening for these activities, even for just 20–30 minutes. Put a timer.

2. Staying Up Late to “Catch Up”

Whether it’s chores, work, or “just one more episode,” this habit doesn’t catch you up — it sets you back.

Chronic late nights → chronic exhaustion → chronic overeating + cravings.

Gentle pivot:🌿 Set a consistent “closing time” for the day. Dim lights, put your phone on Do Not Disturb, and let the day end. As Scarlett O'hara said, "After all, tomorrow is another day!"

3. Sleeping In on Weekends

This one feels harmless (and we feel we've earned it!).But big swings in wake-up times confuse your circadian rhythm — it’s like giving yourself jet lag every Saturday and Sunday.

Gentle pivot:🌿 Keep your wake-up time within 60 minutes of your weekday routine.

4. Afternoon Caffeine (Especially After 2 PM)

The mean half-life of caffeine is about 5 hours — and perimenopause slows metabolism even more. So your late PM coffee might still be in your system at 10 PM.

Gentle pivot:🌿 Switch to decaf or herbal tea after mid-afternoon.

5. Heavy or Late-Night Eating

A late meal makes your metabolism, insulin, and digestion work overtime when your body is supposed to be winding down.This leads to less deep sleep and more nighttime waking.

Gentle pivot:🌿 Eat your last meal 2–3 hours before bed when possible.

6. Falling Asleep With the TV On

White noise = fine.TV noise = unpredictable stimulus that keeps your brain in “light sleep mode,” but not restorative deep sleep.

Gentle pivot:🌿 Try a podcast sleep timer, soft instrumental music, or white noise.

7. A Bedroom That’s Too Warm

Our bodies need to cool down to fall asleep.A warm room raises cortisol and reduces deep sleep.(And yes — this is especially true in perimenopause/menopause due to thermoregulation changes.)

Gentle pivot:🌿 Aim for a bedroom temperature of 65–68°F.

8. Running your To-do list; Racing Thoughts Without an Off-Ramp

If your brain has nowhere to put the day’s thoughts, it will bring them into bed with you.

Gentle pivot:🌿 Try a “mind dump” or "thought-download"— jot down everything swirling in your head before bed.Your brain sleeps better when it feels like nothing will be forgotten.

Your Week 4 Pivot: Choose Your Sleep Window

Just like movement becomes easier when it has a predictable rhythm, sleep becomes deeper and more restorative when your body knows when to expect it.

Our brains love predictable patterns. Our hormones love rhythm. Our circadian clock thrives on consistency.

And when all three line up, sleep stops feeling like something you chase — and starts becoming natural and routine.

This week, instead of trying to fix everything about your sleep routine, I want you to focus on one simple anchor:

Choose a consistent sleep window.

Pick a realistic:

• bedtime, and

• wake time, and try to

• keep them within 30–60 minutes every day — even on weekends.

This is how your mind and body begin to trust that rest is coming, hunger and fullness hormones stabilize, and your energy the next day becomes more predictable.

A sleep window may sound small, but as with most things in this reset:

Small pivot is the point.

Small is what sticks.

Small is what shifts your biology in the background,

while life continues to be busy, beautiful, and very human.

Reflection Prompt

Take a moment sometime this week and ask yourself:

“How does my body feel when my sleep has a rhythm?” “What changes when I allow myself to rest before I’m exhausted?”

Write it down. Notice it. Do a gentle pivot.

Next week, we’ll shift into stress, emotional balance, and the small rituals that protect your peace.

Comment below if this has resonated with you! And message me if you would like to learn more about my health and wellness coaching program!

DISCLAIMER: Lea Famularcano, MD is a medical doctor, but she is not your doctor. Topics discussed are purely informational only. She is not offering medical advice on this website.  If you are in need of professional advice or medical care, you must seek out the services of your doctor or health care professional.