Energized with Dr. Mariza

If you keep waking up at 2:00, 3:00, or 4:00 AM and can’t fall back asleep, your hormones may only be one piece of the puzzle.

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with sleep expert Morgan Adams to unpack why sleep can suddenly fall apart in midlife and what you can actually do about it.

Morgan explains three major forces affecting women’s sleep: declining estrogen and progesterone, rising anxiety and depression, and the enormous demands of being part of the “sandwich generation,” often juggling a career, children, and aging parents simultaneously.

They dig into one of the biggest complaints among midlife women: middle-of-the-night wake-ups. From blood sugar dysregulation and overheating to overlooked breathing issues, Morgan reveals why repeatedly waking at the same time deserves a closer look.

You’ll also learn what not to do when you wake up, the cognitive trick that may interrupt 3 AM rumination, why your wearable can’t replace a sleep study, and whether sleeping separately from your partner could actually protect your health and your relationship.

Listen now for practical strategies to finally get the deeper, more restorative sleep your body needs.

MORGAN ADAMS

Morgan Adams is a sleep coach who helps women struggling with insomnia and disrupted sleep improve their sleep using evidence-based behavioral strategies.

Her work includes cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) principles and practical approaches to middle-of-the-night wake-ups, rumination, evening routines, and sleep optimization. In the episode, she also offers listeners a guide specifically for 3 AM wake-ups and an opportunity to connect with her about insomnia support.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why sleep can suddenly fall apart for women in midlife

What “revenge bedtime procrastination” is and why busy women do it

The surprising reasons you may keep waking up around 3 AM

How blood sugar dysregulation may contribute to nighttime wake-ups

Why overheating may be disrupting your sleep even without night sweats

The overlooked breathing problems that can leave healthy women exhausted

What to do when your brain starts spiraling in the middle of the night

Why a “sleep divorce” might actually become a sleep alliance

QUOTES“My big thing is mindfulness snacks.”

“Sleeping separately doesn’t mean the marriage has failed.”

“It’s not a template. It’s really an individualized kind of puzzle that you kinda have to put together for yourself.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Find inspiration, connection, and meaningful reads. Join the Book Club now!

Awake Again at 3am by Morgan Adams

Morgan Adams Website

Morgan Adams Instagram

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What if one of the biggest questions of perimenopause isn’t simply “How do I feel better right now?” but “Who do I want to be 20, 30, or 40 years from now?”

In this deeply personal conversation, Dr. Mariza sits down with women’s health expert Dr. Stephanie Estima to talk about the side of midlife that rarely makes it into conversations about hormones.

They explore what happens when the high-functioning woman who has always been able to handle everything begins to notice that her capacity has changed. Stephanie shares how she can no longer work the same 10- or 12-hour days she once could, why movement has become essential for her mental clarity, and how perimenopause has made her more discerning about where she puts her energy.

But this conversation goes much deeper than symptoms.

From female friendship and motherhood to living according to your values, Stephanie and Mariza ask what it actually means to build a life and body capable of carrying you through the second half of your life.

You’ll also hear Stephanie’s non-negotiables for longevity, including strength, mobility, joint health, pelvic floor health, and the small habits that compound over decades.

Listen now and start training for the woman you still want to become.

DR. STEPHANIE ESTIMA

Dr. Stephanie Estima is a women’s health expert, chiropractor, bestselling author of The Betty Body, and host of the Better with Dr. Stephanie podcast.

Her work focuses on helping women understand their bodies, optimize health and performance, and build strength and resilience throughout the different stages of life.

In this conversation, Stephanie gets especially personal about her own experience of midlife, motherhood, changing capacity, friendship, fitness, and becoming increasingly comfortable being fully herself.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why your mental and work capacity can feel different in perimenopause

The emotional reality of motherhood as your children grow up

Why female friendship and connection matter more in midlife

The powerful realization that your mid-40s may represent your halfway point

How to tell if your calendar actually reflects what you say you value

Why strength training is one of Stephanie’s longevity non-negotiables

The overlooked role of mobility and joint health as you age

Why pelvic floor health deserves your attention long before older age

QUOTES“I think I have, like, lactic acid of the soul.”

“I really do need people.”

“Are you living in alignment with the things that you say are important to you?”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Stop surviving and start thriving, join Midlife on Fire Collective now

The Betty Body by Dr. Stephanie Estima

Better with Dr. Stephanie Podcast

Stephanie Estima Website

Stephanie Estima Facebook

Stephanie Estima Instagram

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773: What’s Really Driving How Fast You Age? The Science of Biological Aging with Nikolina Lauc

771: Beyond Hot Flashes: The 103 Symptoms of Perimenopause No One Talks About with Andrea Donsky

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750: The Underlying Cellular Cause of Midlife Fatigue, Brain Fog & Low Motivation with Andrew Salzman

What if perimenopause isn’t only changing your hormones, but also changing how your body is aging underneath the surface?

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with Nikolina Lauc, CEO and co-founder of GlycanAge, to explore emerging research on immune aging, chronic low-grade inflammation, and the menopause transition.

Nikolina shares research showing just how dramatically markers of “inflammaging” can shift when estrogen declines. In one hormone-blocking study, women gained 9.1 years on GlycanAge markers within six months, while research following twins found the rate of immune aging accelerated during the transition from perimenopause to menopause.

They unpack why this inflammation may be happening even when your traditional labs look normal, what glycans can reveal about how your immune system is functioning, and why biological age is more complex than a single number.

They also explore the research around HRT, exercise, weight loss, fasting, GLP-1 medications, nutrition, and why the same intervention doesn’t work the same way for every woman.

Listen now to discover what may be happening beneath the surface in perimenopause and how better data could help you become more proactive about how you age.

NIKOLINA LAUC

Nikolina Lauc is the CEO and co-founder of GlycanAge, a longevity biotechnology company focused on glycans, immune aging, chronic inflammation, and biological age.

GlycanAge’s research focuses specifically on “inflammaging,” the chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation associated with aging. Its work examines glycan structures on antibodies to better understand whether the immune system is behaving in a more pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory way.

IN THIS EPISODE

What biological age actually means and why there isn’t one universal biological-age number

How chronic low-grade inflammation can develop without obvious symptoms

Why immune-aging markers may accelerate during the menopause transition

How declining estrogen influences inflammation and immune function

Why your hormone and traditional inflammatory labs can look normal while something is shifting

What glycans can reveal about your immune system and inflammaging

What the research suggests about HRT, exercise, weight loss, fasting, and GLP-1s

Why interventions for healthy aging need to be personalized

QUOTES

“There’s never going to be one biological age.”

“Not everybody experiences perimenopause in the same way.”

“There’s no universal diet.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Use Code ENERGIZED and Get 10% Off on your GlycanAge Single Order or Subscription

https://www.glycanage.com/dashboard/shop

GlycanAge Website

GlycanAge Instagram

GlycanAge LinkedIn

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771: Beyond Hot Flashes: The 103 Symptoms of Perimenopause No One Talks About with Andrea Donsky

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769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

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Have you ever looked at the same life you were managing a year ago and wondered, “Why does everything suddenly feel so hard?”

You’re still ambitious. You’re still capable. You’re still the woman everyone depends on. But the stress you once brushed off gets under your skin. Your brain doesn’t feel as sharp. Sleep is changing. Your patience is shorter. And keeping all those plates spinning suddenly requires far more energy.

In this solo episode, Dr. Mariza explores what happens when the profound hormonal and neurological changes of perimenopause collide with decades of over-functioning.

She introduces what she calls the midlife capacity gap: the disconnect between the enormous load many women are carrying and the biological capacity they currently have to sustain it.

You’ll learn why simply pushing harder may widen that gap, how Dr. Mariza is redefining resilience, and why supporting your hormones, brain, metabolism, muscle, and sleep is only part of the conversation.

Because the goal isn’t to make your life smaller. It’s to build a body capable of sustaining the life you actually want while becoming far more discerning about what deserves your energy.

Listen now to rethink what resilience looks like in midlife and start protecting your capacity for what truly matters.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why high-functioning women can feel blindsided by perimenopause

What happens when the woman who always handles everything suddenly has less capacity

How estrogen and progesterone shifts can affect your brain, sleep, mood, and stress response

What over-functioning looks like and why it often gets rewarded

The midlife capacity gap between the load you carry and your biological capacity

Why pushing harder and becoming more disciplined may not be the answer

How to redefine resilience around adapting, recovering, restoring, and thriving

The question Dr. Mariza wants you asking: “Is this actually mine to carry?”

QUOTES

“Perimenopause doesn’t arrive in a vacuum.”

“Endurance is not resilience.”

“Doing less isn’t the same as caring less.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Stop surviving and start thriving, join Midlife on Fire Collective now

The High Functioning Woman on Substack

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771: Beyond Hot Flashes: The 103 Symptoms of Perimenopause No One Talks About with Andrea Donsky

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What if the symptoms disrupting your life are connected to perimenopause, even if you’ve never had a hot flash?

Andrea Donsky spent 14 years in perimenopause and 11 of them with no idea what was happening to her body. Now, as a seven-time published menopause researcher, nutritionist, and bestselling author of Nourishing Menopause, she’s helping women put language to experiences that have been overlooked for far too long.

In this episode, Andrea joins Dr. Mariza to unpack her research into 103+ reported symptoms of perimenopause and menopause and why hot flashes aren’t even among the most common. Fatigue ranks #1, while nine of the top 10 symptoms are cognitive or mental-health related.

They also discuss why women are still being dismissed by healthcare providers, the foundational role of nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, movement, and stress management, and why perimenopause deserves to be viewed as an opportunity to protect your long-term health.

Most importantly, you’ll learn why this transition rarely looks the same from one woman to the next and why having the right vocabulary can completely change how you advocate for yourself.

Listen now to better understand what your changing body may be trying to tell you and the tools that can help you feel like yourself again.

ANDREA DONSKY

Andrea Donsky is a nutritionist, menopause researcher, bestselling author, and co-founder of We Are Morphus. She has worked in health and wellness for 26 years and has spent nearly a decade focused specifically on perimenopause and menopause.

Her research explores women’s real-world experiences during the menopause transition, including more than 100 reported symptoms and women’s experiences seeking care. She is the author of Nourishing Menopause, a research-backed guide combining nutrition, lifestyle, holistic health, and conventional approaches to help women feel their best through this transition.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why Andrea spent 11 years in perimenopause without realizing it

The 103+ symptoms women have reported during perimenopause and menopause

Why fatigue is the #1 reported symptom, not hot flashes

The surprising dominance of brain, cognitive, and mental-health symptoms

Why 40% of women in Andrea’s research reported feeling dismissed by healthcare providers

How nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, movement, and stress support women through this transition

Why HRT can be one valuable tool alongside foundational lifestyle strategies

How perimenopause can become a window of opportunity for protecting long-term health

QUOTES

“I was in perimenopause for 14 years total, 11 of which I had no idea.”

“We know that there’s 103 different symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.”

“The number one symptom across the board is fatigue.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Use code DRMARIZA and get 10% off on your Womeness Order

Nourishing Menopause by Andrea Donsky

Sign up now to receive your bonus: "The Nourishing Menopause Bonuses"

Andrea Donsky Website

Andrea Donsky Instagram

Andrea Donsky Youtube

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