Have You Tried Sleep Training?

by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Nov 3, 2021 | Hypothalamus | 0 comments

In order to help my patients with insomnia, I’ve developed a step-by-step adult sleep training guide that I’m going to share with you. If you want to set a new sleep habit, you’re going to have to do this for at least fourteen nights.

First, you need a relaxing bedtime routine.

This should start at dusk – that’s when any digital blue light exposure will delay your melatonin production. This means no computer work or TV after dusk, for at least for fourteen nights straight. After that, you can use blue-light-blocking glasses if you must have screen time.

Then, you need to tell your brain – specifically your hypothalamus – that it’s time to go to sleep.

A hot bath before bed can help you relax. Add Epsom salts for even more muscle relaxation. Some calming essential oils like lavender can help trigger your brain chemistry to wind down. Get in your comfy pajamas, then curl up in bed and read a book or magazine. Don’t read the news or scroll social media! You need to focus on something relaxing.

Perhaps you can add journaling into your nighttime routine. I like to record my reflections from the day; I write down any insights and good things, or count my blessings on paper. When I say “journal,” I’m not talking about writing down to-do lists! Don’t get your brain revved up in bed. If you must create a to-do list for the next day, do it right after dinner and before you start your bedtime ritual. Don’t bring your worries into bed!

Next, turn off all the lights.

Your bedroom must be completely dark. This means no lights in your bedroom whatsoever. No digital lights, no night lights, no TV. Light interferes with melatonin production, and if you’re having sleep issues, you can bet your melatonin production is not optimal.

Your hypothalamus controls your sleep cycles. And if you have any lights on at night, you’re effectively telling your hypothalamus that it’s daytime. So your hypothalamus does not trigger your pineal gland to make adequate melatonin to keep you asleep.

Next, be sure your room temperature is just right.

Your hypothalamus needs to be signaled that it’s nighttime by an adjustment of temperature too. Your bedroom temperature should be between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit. Any cooler and you’ll be cold and have trouble sleeping. Any warmer and you won’t be able to sleep deeply. A cool bedroom temperature is especially important for pregnant women and nursing moms, perimenopausal and menopausal women, and men going through andropause (the male equivalent of the change of life). If you’re consistently cold at night, consider getting your thyroid function checked.

Use ambient noise to lull yourself into a deep sleep.

A white noise machine will do. Ask yourself, what makes you most relaxed – the sound of ocean waves, rainfall, a fan? Find that sound and let it play for eight hours. Preferably use a battery-operated sound machine. Sleeping by a digital device that is on and connected to the internet can seriously disrupt sleep. Also, studies show that the health of your brain cells can be adversely affected.

What if you wake up in the middle of the night?

If you’re having trouble staying asleep, remember that getting out of bed, checking your phone, turning on lights, or doing anything outside of your bed reinforces awakeness. If you have to go to the bathroom, keep the lights off, and do so with the least amount of stimulation.Then return to your cozy bed and go right back to sleep.

What if you can’t go back to sleep? If this is the case, it’s important to learn a relaxation technique to put yourself back to sleep. I recommend my go-back-to-sleep exercise, which I’ll walk you through:

First be sure your pillow is in a good position and your pajamas and bed covers are comfortably situated. Lie flat on your back.
Then, slowly contract your body one part at a time from your feet to your head. The key is to contract each part very consciously. All your attention should be telling that part of your body to contract and hold the contraction. First contract your feet, then your lower legs, upper legs, buttocks, belly, back, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, face, squeeze your eyes shut. Hold the contraction of your entire body for 3 seconds.
Very slowly relax one part at a time from your feet up to your head, and breathe.
Repeat the contraction/relaxation wave twice.

If you are not able to reset your sleep cycles with these techniques in 14 days, then definitely consider supporting your hypothalamus.

Your hypothalamus needs specific nutrients to do its job correctly. Besides controlling your sleep cycles, your hypothalamus controls all your hormones, your immune system, and your neurological system. So if it’s not getting what it needs to keep you alive and healthy, your sleep may be affected. I recommend Genesis Gold® with extra Sacred Seven® amino acids for my toughest insomnia cases. It may take three months to fully reset your sleep cycles, so be patient. If you’ve been stressed for years, it’s going to take hypothalamus support and sleep training to restore healthy sleep habits.

If you have any questions regarding sleep training, please join us in our Hormone Support Group, which you can when you sign up for my free Hormone Reboot Training below.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can your hypothalamus cause weight gain?

Yes. The hypothalamus is the master regulator of metabolism, controlling how your body stores and burns energy through its signaling to the thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas. When the hypothalamus becomes dysregulated by chronic stress, poor sleep, inflammation, or blood sugar instability, it defends a higher weight "set point" — causing the body to hold onto fat regardless of diet or exercise. This makes hypothalamic dysfunction an upstream root cause of stubborn weight gain.

What is a weight set point and why won't mine move?

A weight set point is the body weight your hypothalamus works to defend, calibrated over time by stress, sleep, hormones, and inflammation. When you diet, the hypothalamus perceives scarcity and responds by slowing metabolism, increasing hunger hormones, and suppressing satiety signals to return you to that set point. This is why most people regain lost weight within two to five years of conventional dieting — the set point itself was never recalibrated, only temporarily overridden.

Why do I gain weight under stress even when I'm not eating more?

Chronic stress raises cortisol, which disrupts blood sugar regulation, promotes abdominal fat storage, and signals the hypothalamus that the body is under threat. In survival mode, the hypothalamus defends fat stores and slows metabolism — so weight can increase even without any change in calorie intake. The stress chemistry, not the food, is driving the weight gain, which is why stress reduction is essential to any lasting metabolic reset.

Why do I regain weight after stopping GLP-1 medications?

GLP-1 medications work peripherally on appetite and gastric signaling, but they do not address the underlying hypothalamic dysregulation that sets your defended weight. Because the hypothalamic set point is never recalibrated, the body resumes defending its original weight once the medication stops — leading to significant regain. Long-term success requires restoring hypothalamic regulation so the set point itself lowers, rather than relying on appetite suppression alone.

How long does it take to reset your metabolism?

Genuine metabolic recalibration takes a minimum of 90 days, because the hypothalamus needs consistent signals of safety and sufficiency before it will lower its defended set point. This differs from a diet, which produces temporary suppression the body quickly corrects. A 90-day reset typically moves through three phases: stabilizing stress chemistry (days 1–30), rebuilding metabolic efficiency (days 31–60), and lowering the weight set point (days 61–90).

Why does my thyroid feel slow even though my labs are "normal"?

Under chronic stress, the body converts thyroid hormone into reverse T3, which blocks active thyroid receptors and slows metabolism at the cellular level — even when standard lab values appear normal. This means you can experience genuine symptoms of slow metabolism, such as fatigue, cold intolerance, and brain fog, while your thyroid panel looks unremarkable. Addressing the upstream hypothalamic and stress signaling often improves thyroid conversion and symptoms.

Is stubborn weight gain a willpower problem?

No. Stubborn weight gain is a signaling problem, not a willpower problem. The hypothalamus governs weight through survival mechanisms that operate below conscious control — defending its set point by slowing metabolism and increasing hunger when it perceives threat. No amount of discipline can override this system; lasting change comes from restoring hypothalamic regulation through reduced stress, balanced blood sugar, restorative sleep, and targeted nutritional support.

About the Author - Deborah Maragopoulos FNP

Known as the Hormone Queen®️, I’ve made it my mission to help everyone - no matter their age - balance their hormones, and live the energy and joy their DNA and true destiny desires. See more about me my story here...

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Last Updated: April 5, 2022