Can't Sleep? 5 Fixes That Take Under 2 Minutes (For Women Who Have Zero Time)
You don’t have time for this blog post.
I know.
You’ve got 47 tabs open, a meeting in 10 minutes, and you’re probably eating lunch standing up at the kitchen counter whilst mentally planning tonight’s dinner and remembering you still haven’t replied to that WhatsApp from your mum.
So here’s the deal:
I’m going to give you 5 sleep fixes that take under 2 minutes each.
Not “create a wind-down routine.”
Not “start a meditation practice.”
Not “meal prep every Sunday.”
Just tiny changes to things you’re ALREADY doing.
But first, let me tell you why this matters more than you think.
Why Sleep Is The Foundation (Not Just Another Thing on Your To-Do List)
Here’s what no one tells you:
Sleep isn’t just about feeling rested. It’s the first pillar of good health.
Everything else you’re trying to do - eat better, exercise more, manage your stress, balance your hormones - becomes nearly impossible without good sleep.
Think about it:
When you’re exhausted, you:
Crave sugar and carbs (your body desperately seeking energy)
Can’t face cooking (toast for dinner anyone?)
Have no energy for exercise
Snap at everyone (because your nervous system is fried)
Can’t manage stress (everything feels overwhelming)
Feel anxious and low (sleep deprivation affects your mental health)
Without good sleep, everything else is harder.
But here’s the thing that makes me genuinely angry on behalf of every woman I work with:
Sleep often becomes impossible right when you need it most.
When Perimenopause Ruins Your Sleep (My Story)
Waking at 2am was my first symptom of perimenopause.
Not hot flushes.
Not irregular periods.
Just... wide awake at 2am. Every. Single. Night.
I’d fall asleep fine, exhausted, actually. Couldn’t wait to get into bed.
Then 2am would roll around and suddenly I’d be completely awake. Mind racing about absolutely everything and nothing. Heart beating faster. Feeling anxious about things that didn’t even bother me during the day.
I’d lie there for hours, watching the clock, getting more and more frustrated, calculating how many hours of sleep I could still get if I fell asleep RIGHT NOW.
And then 6am would arrive and I’d drag myself out of bed feeling like I’d been hit by a bus.
Sound familiar?
Here’s what’s actually happening:
Dropping progesterone = Less GABA (your calming neurotransmitter) = Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
Fluctuating oestrogen = Hot flushes = Waking during the night
Cortisol dysregulation = That horrible 2-4am wake-up where you can’t get back to sleep
This is physiological, not psychological.
It’s not “just stress” (although juggling work, family, ageing parents, and life admin doesn’t help).
It’s not “all in your head.”
Your hormones are in chaos, and your sleep is collateral damage.
But Here’s What Makes It Worse
You’re already dealing with hormonal havoc.
And then well-meaning people (or Instagram wellness influencers) tell you to:
❌ “Create a 90-minute wind-down routine”
❌ “Take a bath with essential oils every evening”
❌ “Start a gratitude journaling practice”
❌ “Meditate for 20 minutes before bed”
❌ “Do restorative yoga”
And you’re sitting there thinking: “With what time? Between work, making dinner, supervising homework, washing PE kit, dealing with my mum’s hospital appointments, and trying to remember if I paid the gas bill?”
You don’t have TIME for elaborate sleep routines.
You barely have time to breathe.
But you still deserve to sleep.
So let me give you what actually works for busy, overwhelmed, time-poor women in perimenopause.
The 5 Sleep Fixes That Fit Into Your Chaos
These aren’t “nice to have” wellness tips.
These are tiny changes to things you’re already doing anyway.
No extra time needed.
No special equipment.
No meal prep or planning ahead.
Just small tweaks that make a massive difference.
Fix #1: The 30-Second Bedroom Temperature Change
What to do: Tonight, on your way to bed, turn your thermostat down to 17°C.
That’s it. Walk past it, turn it down, keep walking.
Time required: 30 seconds
Why it works:
Your body needs to cool down to fall asleep and stay asleep. When your bedroom is too warm (most people sleep at 21-22°C), your body can’t drop its core temperature enough to trigger deep sleep.
Result? You lie awake feeling hot and uncomfortable, or you wake at 2am because your body temperature spikes.
I know what you’re thinking: “17°C sounds FREEZING.”
Yes. It does. It will feel wrong at first.
But get under a thick duvet in a cold room and you’ll experience the best sleep of your life.
Tonight: Turn the thermostat to 17°C as you walk to bed. Done.
Fix #2: The Tea Swap (Zero Extra Time)
What to do: Tomorrow at 3pm when you make your cuppa or coffee to get you through the last few hours at work, just grab chamomile, peppermint, or rooibos instead of builder’s tea.
Same routine. Different tea.
Time required: Zero (you’re making tea anyway)
Why it works:
Caffeine has a half-life of 5-6 hours. Your 3pm tea? Half the caffeine is still in your system at 9pm when you’re trying to sleep.
No wonder you’re lying awake.
In perimenopause, your body becomes even more sensitive to caffeine because your nervous system is already on high alert from fluctuating hormones.
The rule: No caffeine after 2pm.
This includes:
Tea (black, green, white)
Coffee
Energy drinks
Chocolate
I know what you’re thinking: “But I NEED that afternoon tea.”
You do. Just switch which tea.
Herbal teas still give you that warm, comforting ritual. They just don’t sabotage your sleep 6 hours later.
Tomorrow: Same time, same mug, different tea. That’s all.
Fix #3: The 90-Second Breathing Thing
What to do: Tonight in bed, do 4 rounds of 4-7-8 breathing.
You’re lying there anyway. This takes 90 seconds total.
Time required: 90 seconds
Why it works:
When you’re lying awake at 2am with your mind racing, your nervous system is in “fight or flight” mode. Your body thinks there’s a threat (even though you’re just worrying about tomorrow’s presentation or whether you replied to that text).
The 4-7-8 breathing technique activates your parasympathetic nervous system, your “rest and digest” mode. It tells your body: “We’re safe. We can relax now.”
How to do it:
Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts
Hold for 7 counts
Exhale through your mouth for 8 counts
Repeat 4 times
That’s it.
I know what you’re thinking: “I’ve tried breathing exercises and they don’t work.”
This one is different. The long exhale (8 counts) is the key, it physically slows your heart rate and signals to your body that it’s safe to sleep.
Tonight: Try it when you get into bed. Or if you wake at 2am. 90 seconds. See what happens.
Fix #4: The LED Light Purge (5 Minutes, Once)
What to do: This weekend, grab some black electrical tape. Walk around your bedroom and cover every single LED light you can see.
Phone charger. TV. Alarm clock. Router. Smoke detector. Everything.
Time required: 5 minutes (one time only)
Why it works:
Even tiny amounts of light disrupt your melatonin production. Your brain interprets those little green and red LED lights as “it’s still daytime” and doesn’t produce enough melatonin (your sleep hormone).
In perimenopause, your melatonin production is already declining due to hormonal changes. You can’t afford to lose any more.
Your bedroom should be pitch black.
If you can see your hand in front of your face, it’s not dark enough.
This weekend: 5 minutes with black tape. Cover all the lights. Done forever.
Bonus: If light comes in around your curtains, add this to your Amazon basket: blackout blind liner (about £15). Stick it behind your existing curtains. No need to buy new ones. Or get a eye mask and block out the light that way.
Fix #5: The Morning Light Grab (Already Happening)
What to do: Tomorrow morning while you’re making breakfast or your morning coffee, just open the kitchen blinds and stand by the window for 2 minutes. Bonus points if you open the back door and stand outside!
You’re in the kitchen anyway. Just stand there.
Time required: Zero extra time (piggybacked onto your morning routine)
Why it works:
Your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock) is set by light exposure, especially morning light.
When you get bright light within 30 minutes of waking, you’re telling your body: “It’s daytime now. We’re awake.”
This sets your internal clock, which then triggers melatonin production 12-14 hours later at bedtime.
What you do in the morning directly affects how well you sleep that night.
Even on cloudy days. Even in winter. Natural light is still brighter than indoor lighting.
Tomorrow morning: Open the blinds while the kettle boils. Stand there for 2 minutes. That’s it.
Bonus: If you can, take your coffee outside or sit by a window during breakfast. Even better.
The Realistic Implementation Plan (Because You’re Busy)
You don’t have to do all 5 things tonight.
In fact, please don’t try to.
You’re already overwhelmed. Don’t add “implement 5 new sleep strategies” to your mental load.
Here’s what to actually do:
TONIGHT:
Just do Fix #1. Turn the thermostat to 17°C as you walk to bed. 30 seconds.
TOMORROW:
Add Fix #2. Swap your afternoon tea to herbal. Zero extra time.
TOMORROW NIGHT:
Add Fix #3. Try the 4-7-8 breathing in bed. 90 seconds.
THIS WEEKEND:
Do Fix #4. Cover the LED lights. 5 minutes once.
MONDAY MORNING:
Add Fix #5. Stand by the window while making breakfast. Zero extra time.
By next week, you’ll have implemented all 5 fixes.
Total time investment: Under 10 minutes across your entire week.
No elaborate routines.
No special equipment.
No “me time” that doesn’t exist.
Just tiny tweaks to what you’re already doing.
What to Expect
Night 1-3: You might not notice dramatic changes yet. Your body needs time to adjust, especially if you’ve been sleep-deprived for months or years.
Week 1: You’ll probably notice you’re falling asleep a bit faster. The 2am wake-ups might still happen, but you might get back to sleep quicker.
Week 2-3: Most women notice significant improvement by now. Falling asleep within 20-30 minutes. Waking less frequently. Feeling more rested in the morning.
Week 4+: This is your new normal. You’ll wonder why you suffered for so long when these tiny changes made such a difference.
Important: If you’ve tried all these for 2-3 weeks and you’re still struggling, something else is going on that needs investigating.
It might be:
Severe hormone imbalance (might need HRT discussion with your GP)
Blood sugar dysregulation
Underlying gut health issues (affecting neurotransmitter production)
Nutrient deficiencies (iron, B12, vitamin D, magnesium)
Sleep apnoea or other medical conditions
This is where personalised support comes in. Because you deserve to sleep, and sometimes you need someone to dig deeper and figure out what YOUR specific body needs.
The Bottom Line
Sleep is not a luxury.
It’s not “nice to have if you have time.”
It’s the foundation of everything else you’re trying to do.
You can’t:
Balance your hormones without sleep
Support your gut health without sleep
Manage your stress without sleep
Have energy for healthy choices without sleep
Feel like yourself without sleep
And you don’t need elaborate routines or hours of “self-care time” you don’t have.
You just need tiny changes to things you’re already doing.
Start tonight. Just the temperature thing. 30 seconds.
See what happens.
You deserve to sleep.
You deserve to wake up feeling rested.
You deserve to feel like yourself again.
Even when you don’t have time to “prioritise yourself.”
Catherine x
What’s Next?
Want the complete Sleep Reset Guide with all 7 strategies?
Download it free here: Free Sleep Reset Guide — Catherine Scott Nutrition
No 40-page manifesto. Just practical strategies that take under 5 minutes each.
Still struggling after trying these?
Book a free 20-minute discovery call and let’s figure out what’s actually going on in YOUR body.
Sometimes sleep issues are more complex - blood sugar dysregulation, severe hormone imbalance, gut health problems, or nutrient deficiencies.
That’s where personalised nutritional therapy comes in.
Book your free discovery call here
Catherine Scott
mBANT, rCNHC Registered Nutritional Therapist
Specialising in sleep optimisation, perimenopause support, and gut health
Based in Horsforth, Leeds | Online consultations UK-wide