The Benefits of Better Sleep.

We proudly present our collaboration with SheSleep, Iceland’s innovative sleeping app specifically designed for women, founded by sleep expert and clinical psychologist Dr. Erla Björnsdóttir.

Sleep is crucial for skin health and prioritizing sleep habits can significantly enhance skin health and appearance. SheSleep is a personalized sleep solution designed for women, addressing hormone balance, insomnia, and overall health.

Enjoy your complimentary 30-day access to SheSleep.

Download the app for iphone

Apple users, please use the link above to activate your access.
Android users can find step-by-step instructions at the end of the blog here.

Through my clinical work and research, I repeatedly saw how women’s sleep concerns were often minimized or treated as secondary symptoms. Insomnia is more common in women, and many struggle with disrupted sleep related to juggling family life and careers, chronic stress, caregiving responsibilities, and hormonal fluctuations across different life stages.

Despite this, women often lacked tailored, evidence-based support that addressed these unique challenges. This gap between women’s lived experiences and the care available led me to focus my research and clinical work on women’s sleep health.

SheSleep was created to address a clear unmet need: a sleep solution designed specifically for women.

Research and clinical experience showed that women’s sleep is deeply influenced by hormonal cycles, different life stages, and mental load. At the same time, there is a clear lack of accessible, evidence-based sleep support tailored to women’s needs. SheSleep combines evidence-based CBT-I with education, structured routines, and practical tools such as breathing exercises and yoga nidra, making effective sleep support both accessible and realistic for women’s everyday lives.

Women are more likely to experience insomnia, fragmented sleep, and difficulty falling asleep. Sleep quality often worsens during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and women are more likely than men to use sleep medication. On average, women also require slightly more sleep and tend to experience stronger negative physical and mental consequences from sleep deprivation.

These sleep challenges frequently fluctuate across the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and menopause. Compared to men, women also report higher levels of sleep-related anxiety and are more affected by chronic stress and caregiving responsibilities.

Sleep is essential for long-term health and longevity, and women deserve access to effective, evidence-based support that enables them to achieve restorative sleep throughout all stages of life.

Research consistently shows that poor sleep in women is linked to increased risk of anxiety, depression, metabolic disturbances, cardiovascular disease, and impaired cognitive function. Sleep is not a luxury, it is a cornerstone of long-term physical and mental health, particularly during hormonally sensitive life stages.

A key finding across my work is that women’s sleep is not static; it fluctuates with hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. For example, sleep often worsens during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, when progesterone and body temperature rise, and many women experience lighter, more fragmented sleep. Understanding these patterns allows women to show themselves greater self-compassion, prioritise rest when needed, and make use of higher-energy phases when sleep is more stable.

During the menopausal transition, even small lifestyle factors such as stress, alcohol, late meals, or irregular routines can have a much greater impact on sleep than earlier in life. My clinical experience highlights that small, targeted adjustments, rather than drastic changes, are often key to improving sleep during this stage. Supporting women in understanding their own rhythms and adapting their habits accordingly is central to protecting both sleep and long-term health.

The core mission of SheSleep is to empower women to sleep better by working with their biology, not against it.

SheSleep was created to address a long-standing gap in sleep care: most sleep solutions are designed as one-size-fits-all, while women’s sleep is deeply influenced by hormonal cycles, life stages, mental load, and caregiving responsibilities.

At its heart, SheSleep combines evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) with education, routines, and tools that reflect women’s real lives. We focus on aligning sleep with circadian rhythm, reducing sleep-related stress and hyperarousal, and supporting women through hormonal transitions such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause.

A key principle of SheSleep is sustainability. Rather than pushing women to “sleep perfectly,” we help them build flexible, compassionate routines, learn when to prioritise rest, and understand how lifestyle factors such as stress, light exposure, movement, and recovery interact with their unique physiology. The goal is not just better sleep, but greater resilience, health, and well-being over time.

Hormonal changes play a central role in regulating sleep by influencing body temperature, circadian rhythm, and key neurotransmitters involved in sleep and arousal. Throughout a woman’s life, shifts in estrogen and progesterone can significantly alter sleep timing, depth, and continuity.

Across the menstrual cycle, many women experience poorer sleep during the luteal phase, when progesterone and core body temperature rise, often leading to lighter and more fragmented sleep. During pregnancy, physical discomfort, hormonal changes, and circadian disruption frequently result in fragmented sleep and reduced sleep quality, particularly in the later trimesters.

The menopausal transition is one of the most vulnerable periods for sleep. Fluctuating and declining estrogen levels are strongly linked to insomnia, night awakenings, early morning waking, and hot flashes that disrupt sleep architecture. Importantly, lifestyle factors such as stress, alcohol, irregular routines, and late meals often have a much greater impact on sleep during this stage than earlier in life.

Understanding these hormonal influences helps normalise sleep difficulties, reduces self-blame, and allows for more personalised and effective support. Rather than applying rigid rules, women benefit from adapting sleep strategies to different life stages and hormonal transitions.

Sleep is a critical period for skin repair, regeneration, and long-term resilience. During deep sleep, the body increases collagen production, enhances cellular repair, and reduces inflammatory activity, all of which are essential for maintaining skin elasticity, strength, and barrier function. Blood flow to the skin also improves at night, supporting nutrient delivery and recovery from daily environmental stressors.

Chronic sleep deprivation disrupts these processes and has been linked to premature skin aging, impaired wound healing, increased sensitivity, uneven skin tone, and dullness. Elevated cortisol levels associated with poor sleep further contribute to inflammation and breakdown of collagen, accelerating visible signs of aging.

Importantly, sleep also interacts with hormonal balance. Fluctuations in estrogen, such as during the menstrual cycle or menopause, can affect skin hydration, thickness, and repair capacity, making good-quality sleep even more essential during these life stages.

In this sense, “beauty sleep” is not a myth but a biological reality. Consistent, restorative sleep provides the foundation upon which skincare routines can truly work, supporting healthier, more resilient skin from the inside out.

A calming and consistent evening routine is essential for both restorative sleep and skin health. In the evening, the skin becomes more receptive to repair and hydration, making nighttime an ideal window for effective skincare.

I recommend starting by dimming lights and reducing screen exposure at least 60 minutes before bedtime, as bright light and stimulation delay melatonin release. Cleansing the skin thoroughly and applying hydrating, reparative products helps support the skin barrier and overnight regeneration, while also encouraging a slower pace at the end of the day. My skincare ritual (EGF Essence → Eye Serum / Eye masks as needed → EGF Power Cream).

Keeping a relatively consistent bedtime supports the circadian rhythm, and pairing skincare with simple calming practices such as slow breathing, gentle stretching, or a brief relaxation exercise helps reduce physiological arousal.

When the nervous system is calm and the skin is well prepared for the night, sleep becomes deeper and more consolidated, allowing the body’s natural repair processes, including skin regeneration, to work optimally.

How we start the morning sets the tone for the entire day. A simple, consistent morning routine helps wake up the body and brain, stabilise energy levels, and support the circadian rhythm.

I encourage women to begin the day with light exposure as early as possible, ideally natural daylight, even on darker mornings. Starting the day with a glass of water supports hydration after the night, and taking key supplements, such as vitamin D, can be particularly important at northern latitudes. My skin routine (EGF Essence → EGF Serum → Eye Serum / Eye masks as needed.

For many women, it can also be helpful to eat something small before having caffeine, as coffee on an empty stomach may increase stress responses and energy fluctuations. Even a light breakfast can support blood sugar stability and more balanced energy.

Keeping a regular wake-up time strengthens the internal clock, while a simple skincare routine, gentle movement, stretching, or putting on music you enjoy helps activate circulation and mood. Morning light remains one of the strongest signals for the circadian system and supports better sleep later that night.

Morning light helps set the internal clock, improves energy levels, and supports better sleep later that night.

Sleep is not something women need to earn, it is something they deserve. Women move through many demanding life stages, shaped by hormonal fluctuations, mental load, and changing responsibilities, all of which can disrupt sleep. But poor sleep should not be something women are expected to tolerate or push through. There are effective, evidence-based tools that work. When women are supported in understanding their bodies and prioritising rest, they think more clearly, feel more resilient, and live with greater energy and health.

Instructional Steps for Android users:

• Download the app by using this link, or search for “SheSleep” in the Google Play Store.
• Open the app and choose your plan.
• At the payment screen, tap your current Payment Method.
• Select “Redeem code.”
• Enter the code BIOEFFECT and confirm to activate your access.
• Please note that you must cancel your subscription before your free trial ends to avoid being charged.