Have you ever felt like your body is running on the wrong schedule—wide awake at night, exhausted mid-morning, and wired by 10 p.m.? You’re not lazy or broken; you may just be living out of sync with your biology. In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, Dr. Jolene Brighten sits down with sleep and hormone specialist Dr. Elisa Sacal …
If your focus, mood, and memory seem to fluctuate with your menstrual cycle, or your brain fog worsened during perimenopause, you’re not imagining things. In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, Dr. Jolene Brighten sits down with ADHD therapist and educator Andrew Robinson, MSW, to uncover how hormones directly influence ADHD symptoms — and why so many women are …
Ever wondered why your sex life changes over time — or why what once worked no longer lights you up? In this powerful episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, a tenured professor of sexual communication at California State University, Fullerton, joins Dr. Jolene Brighten to share the science of sexual personality and the psychology of pleasure, communication, …
Feeling like your energy has been hijacked lately? You’re not imagining it — perimenopause exhaustion is real, and it’s not just about getting older or not sleeping enough. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Jolene Brighten, board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist and author of Is This Normal?, sits down with Dr. Mariza Snyder, bestselling author of The Perimenopause Solution, to uncover why so …
Have you ever forgotten mid-sentence what you were saying, or walked into a room only to wonder why you went there in the first place? You’re not alone and it’s not “just aging.” In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, Dr. Jolene Brighten explains how hormonal shifts, poor sleep, and chronic stress can steal mental clarity and shares practical, …
Struggling with mood swings, anxiety, or depression before your period and wondering if it’s more than just “PMS”? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, I sit down with Dr. Sarah Hill, trailblazing researcher and author of This Is Your Brain on Birth Control and The Period Brain, to uncover the hidden symptoms of PMDD and …
So you finally got your progesterone prescription to help you sleep better, feel calmer, and support your hormones, but instead of feeling better, you’re more anxious, moody, and wide awake at night. You might have progesterone intolerance. In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, I uncover why some women experience the opposite of the “calming” benefits they’re promised, and …
Better sleep means better hormones—and in part two of our sleep series, we’re tackling three sneaky, overlooked culprits that could be wrecking your nights: blood sugar crashes, histamine surges, and the unique sleep struggles of women with ADHD. If you’ve already tried balancing estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol (covered in Part One here), yet you’re still waking up in the middle …
Struggling to fall asleep… stay asleep… or waking up at 2 AM with your heart racing and your sheets soaked? These sleep disturbances are not in your head and they’re not something you just have to live with. In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, we dive deep into what’s really going on when women can’t sleep during perimenopause. …