By Roy, founder Last updated 30 September 2026
For sleep in perimenopause, the supplements with the most evidence are magnesium glycinate, glycine and L-theanine, all sold without a script in Australia. The trials are small, and none of them is a fix for the hot flushes and night sweats that wake so many women up. If night sweats are what's breaking your sleep, the evidence-backed route in Australia is a GP appointment to talk about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), and if poor sleep has stuck around for months, a structured sleep therapy called CBT-i.
Those supplements are reasonable to add as part of a nightly wind-down, though almost none of the trials were run in women in perimenopause. Settl, an Australian nightly sleep powder, puts all three in one scoop (3,000mg glycine, 200mg L-theanine, 730mg magnesium glycinate) with an electrolyte layer and no melatonin. This page covers why sleep changes, what each option can and can't do, and how to get each one here.
Why does sleep change in perimenopause?
Because the hormones that shape your night are shifting. The Australasian Menopause Society names changes in oestrogen and progesterone as contributing factors to disrupted sleep around menopause, along with hot flushes and night sweats (Australasian Menopause Society).
It's common. The Sleep Health Foundation puts it at around 40 to 60% of women having disturbed sleep through perimenopause and after, compared with around 30% reporting a regular sleep problem before it (Sleep Health Foundation).
Perimenopause is the stretch leading up to your final period. Healthdirect describes it as starting when your periods become irregular and running until 12 months after the last one. Most Australian women reach menopause between 45 and 55, and the average age is 51 (Healthdirect). Jean Hailes notes symptoms can start as much as 10 years before menopause itself. So a change in your early 40s can be part of it.
The usual culprits, roughly in order of how often they come up:
Night sweats. The Sleep Health Foundation explains that a rapid drop in oestrogen can cause sudden temperature changes that set off sweating. Somewhere between 36 and 87% of women get hot flushes and night sweats, depending on the population studied.
Waking in the night. More on this below. It's the most common complaint.
A busier life. Jean Hailes points to stress, caring for kids and ageing parents, and demanding work at this stage of life (Jean Hailes).
Snoring and breathing changes. The Australasian Menopause Society notes that snoring and disordered breathing in sleep are more frequent after menopause. If a partner hears loud snoring or pauses in your breathing, tell your GP. That's a different problem with its own fix.
Why do I keep waking at 3am in perimenopause?
Because staying asleep is the part that gets harder. In the SWAN study of more than 3,000 women, waking several times a night was the most common sleep complaint, reported by 25.9% of the group, well ahead of trouble falling asleep (10.1%) or waking too early (12.4%) (Kravitz et al, Sleep, 2008).
Night sweats are a big part of that. Women in the same study who had hot flushes or night sweats on six or more days out of the past fortnight had roughly two to three times the odds of each sleep difficulty, compared with women who had none.
Sleep runs in cycles of about 90 minutes (Healthdirect), and a hot flush, a full bladder or a busy head at the wrong moment can turn a light patch into a full wake-up. The bladder part is real too: the government's menopause guidance lists needing to pass urine more often, including waking at night, as a change linked to falling oestrogen and age. At 3am it's hard to get back down. We've covered the cycle side in more detail in why you keep waking up at 3am.
One small thing that helps: when you wake, don't check the time. Jean Hailes lists it in its top 10 sleep tips for midlife, because clock-watching turns a wake-up into a countdown.
What helps with night sweats at night?
A cooler bed, lighter layers and fewer triggers.
The Sleep Health Foundation suggests keeping the room cool, running a fan if you can, skipping heavy bedclothes and using light cotton sheets. The Australian Government's menopause guidance adds dressing in layers you can shed, loose natural fibres, a cold drink of water or a cool shower, a cold pack held in your hand or on your neck, and avoiding the usual triggers: spicy food, hot drinks, alcohol, caffeine and smoking (health.gov.au).
For the rest of your sleep habits, the same page recommends a regular bed and wake time, morning sunlight, a calm routine before bed, screens off earlier, and no caffeine after early afternoon.
Alcohol deserves its own mention. The Australasian Menopause Society and the government guidance both list cutting back on it, for sleep and as a hot flush trigger. A wine can feel like it helps you drift off, so we've written up what a nightcap actually does to the rest of the night. For the room itself, see what temperature your bedroom should be.
Should I talk to my GP about MHT for sleep?
Yes, if hot flushes or night sweats are waking you. MHT is the option with the strongest evidence for those symptoms, and better sleep tends to follow. The Sleep Health Foundation says women with hot flushes treated with MHT show a marked improvement in sleep quality.
MHT (menopausal hormone therapy, what used to be called HRT) is prescription only in Australia. It adds back oestrogen, plus a progestogen if you still have a uterus. It comes as tablets, patches or gels. The Australian Government's guidance says current Australian evidence shows MHT is safe and effective for most healthy people, and that it isn't suitable for everyone, depending on your medical history. Expect a follow-up around 6 to 12 weeks after starting (health.gov.au).
If MHT isn't right for you, there are non-hormonal prescription options too, including fezolinetant, which is approved in Australia for hot flushes and night sweats, and a few other prescription medicines. Your GP can walk you through them.
What is CBT-i, and how do I get it in Australia?
CBT-i is a structured talking therapy for sleep, and it's the recommended option when poor sleep has become a pattern of its own. It usually runs 4 to 8 sessions. It works on the habits and thinking that keep you awake: time in bed, what you do when you wake, and the worry about not sleeping.
The Australasian Menopause Society says cognitive behavioural therapy should be considered once night sweats are managed and other sleep problems are ruled out, and the Sleep Health Foundation says CBT-i and mindfulness training improve sleep during the menopause transition.
To get it here, start with your GP. A GP can set up a mental health treatment plan that lets you claim up to 10 psychology sessions a year through Medicare, according to the Sleep Health Foundation, which also lists low-cost online CBT-i programs. The government's menopause guidance adds clinical hypnosis as another option that may reduce hot flushes and night sweats and improve sleep quality.
Which supplements help perimenopause sleep, and what does the evidence say?
None has strong evidence for perimenopause specifically. The Australian Government's guidance is plain about it: most complementary therapies and medicines don't have strong scientific evidence behind them, "natural" doesn't mean safe, and you should talk to your doctor before starting one. Healthdirect says the same about complementary medicines for menopause symptoms.
| Option | What the evidence says | How you get it in Australia |
|---|---|---|
| MHT | Strongest evidence for hot flushes and night sweats, and sleep quality improves with it | GP prescription |
| CBT-i | Recommended for sleep problems that persist once night sweats are managed | GP referral, Medicare-rebated sessions, or online programs |
| Magnesium glycinate | One 2025 trial (mostly women, aged 18 to 65) found a small benefit on a sleep score after 4 weeks. Not a menopause trial | Supermarket, chemist, online |
| Glycine | Small trials at 3g before bed report better sleep quality. None in perimenopausal women | Chemist, online |
| L-theanine | Evidence is mostly for a calmer head. Sleep-specific trials are small | Chemist, online |
| Melatonin | Shifts body timing. Modest average effect | Prescription under 55. Pharmacist for 55 and over |
| Soy isoflavones | May help hot flushes. The AMS says not helpful for sleep | Chemist, supermarket |
| Black cohosh | Inconsistent evidence, possible safety concerns (AMS) | Chemist |
| Valerian | Weak evidence for sleep. Labels here must carry a warning about rare liver harm | Chemist |
Magnesium. The best recent trial gave 250mg of elemental magnesium as bisglycinate to 153 adults who reported poor sleep. About 80% were women. After four weeks the magnesium group improved slightly more than placebo on a standard sleep score, with a small effect size and a result right on the edge of statistical significance (Schuster et al, Nature and Science of Sleep, 2025). That's a real signal and a modest one. We compare the forms in melatonin vs magnesium for sleep.
Glycine and L-theanine. Both are non-sedating amino acids you can buy without a script. The glycine trials used 3g before bed; the L-theanine trials mostly used 200mg. Neither was tested in perimenopausal women. More in glycine before bed and what L-theanine does.
Herbal menopause products. The Australasian Menopause Society says soy isoflavones may help hot flushes but aren't helpful for sleep, red clover can slightly reduce how often hot flushes happen, black cohosh has inconsistent evidence and possible safety concerns, and evening primrose oil has no evidence it works. Tell your doctor about anything you take, because some interact with medicines.
Where Settl fits. Settl is a nightly sleep drink, not a menopause product, and it won't stop a night sweat. It combines 730mg of magnesium glycinate (146mg elemental), 3,000mg of glycine and 200mg of L-theanine with chamomile extract and myo-inositol, taken as one scoop in cold water before bed. It sits in the supplement row of that table, alongside a cooler room and, if you need it, a GP conversation.
Can I get melatonin for perimenopause sleep in Australia?
Probably not without a prescription. Melatonin is prescription only for most Australian adults. The one pharmacist-only lane for sleep is a modified-release tablet of 2mg or less, in packs of 30 or fewer, for adults aged 55 and over (TGA). Most women in perimenopause are younger than that, so it means a GP visit.
Melatonin is a timing signal, not a sedative, and its average effect in trials is modest: around seven minutes faster to sleep. It doesn't do anything about night sweats. The full rules are in is melatonin available over the counter in Australia.
Past your final period? Sleep after menopause has its own page: sleep after menopause, what helps. If you are 55 or over, see melatonin over 55 in Australia.
Common questions
What's the best supplement for perimenopause sleep? No supplement has strong evidence in perimenopause. Magnesium glycinate, glycine and L-theanine are the reasonable ones to try as part of a wind-down. If night sweats are waking you, MHT through your GP has much stronger evidence than any supplement.
Does magnesium help with menopause sleep? The best recent trial, in mostly female adults with poor sleep, found a small improvement after four weeks. It wasn't a menopause trial, and magnesium isn't a fix for night sweats.
Why is my sleep so bad in perimenopause even without night sweats? Changing oestrogen and progesterone affect sleep on their own, and waking in the night becomes more common through the transition. Stress, caring load, alcohol and late caffeine stack on top.
Is HRT the same as MHT? Yes. MHT, menopausal hormone therapy, is the current name for what used to be called hormone replacement therapy. It's prescription only in Australia.
Can I take a sleep supplement while on MHT? Ask your GP or pharmacist, since they can see everything you take. The Australasian Menopause Society advises telling your doctor about any complementary medicine so they can check for interactions. This article isn't medical advice.
The short version, and where Settl sits
If night sweats are waking you, see your GP about MHT or the non-hormonal options. If poor sleep has become its own pattern, ask about CBT-i. Keep the room cool, the bedding light and the caffeine early. Supplements sit on top of that, not in place of it.
Get to sleep faster. Wake less at 3am. Sleep deeper. Wake up refreshed. That's what Settl is built for: magnesium glycinate, glycine, L-theanine, chamomile extract and myo-inositol, with an electrolyte layer so eight hours without water doesn't wake you dried out and needing to get up. That's about 1,000mg of sodium a scoop, so if you've been told to watch your salt, check with your GP first. More on the electrolyte side here.
No melatonin. Zero sugar. Vegan. Every dose is printed on the ingredients page and on the tub. Packed in Sydney, in a TGA-licensed GMP facility.
One scoop, cold water, before bed.
Start For $69.99 Then $89.99 a month. Cancel, pause or skip anytime.
Or buy a single tub, $99 One-time order. Nothing renews.
Cheers, Roy
Sources: Australasian Menopause Society, "Menopause and sleep" and "Complementary medicine options for menopausal symptoms"; Sleep Health Foundation, "Menopause and Sleep" and "Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-i)"; Healthdirect, "Menopause"; Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, "Treatment options" and "Managing your symptoms at home"; Jean Hailes for Women's Health, midlife sleep tips and "How long does menopause last?"; Kravitz et al, Sleep, 2008 (SWAN); Schuster et al, Nature and Science of Sleep, 2025; TGA, "Regulation of melatonin products in Australia"; TGA, listed medicines containing Valeriana officinalis requiring warning statements; Ferracioli-Oda et al, PLoS ONE, 2013. This article explains the general research picture in plain English and isn't medical advice. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about what's right for you.