Generic sleep advice isn't wrong exactly, it's just incomplete for what's actually happening during this transition. Sleep disruption here usually has more than one cause working at once. Night sweats physically wake you up. Declining progesterone removes a hormone that has a mild calming, sleep-supportive effect for many women. Estrogen's broader role in sleep architecture means its fluctuation can fragment sleep independently, even without a night sweat. Of everything in this category, a consistent wake time, including weekends, has some of the strongest and broadest research support. It's a bigger lever than bedtime consistency, and it's free. What actually helps, layered: environment (cool, dark, quiet — many sleep specialists suggest roughly 60-67°F), an evening routine (the same few steps, same order, most nights), and attention to substances (caffeine's effects can linger 5-6 hours; alcohol helps you fall asleep faster but fragments sleep in the second half of the night and is a commonly reported night-sweat trigger). If insomnia persists most nights for several weeks despite consistent effort, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is considered a first-line, evidence-supported treatment, including for menopause-related insomnia, and is often more effective and longer-lasting than sleep medication alone. It's worth asking for by name.