The Strong[HER] Way | Healthy nutrition and habits for moms, routines, strength training for women

Author: Alisha Carlson, Fitness and Nutrition Coach for Moms

Language: en

Genres: Fitness, Health & Fitness, Nutrition

Contact email: Get it

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Sleep and Muscle Loss: What Women Over 35 Need to Know
Thursday, 23 July, 2026

Sleep and muscle loss are more connected than most women realize, especially if fat loss or building strength is the goal. In this episode, Alisha Carlson breaks down peer-reviewed research showing why poor sleep can quietly flip a calorie deficit from burning fat to burning muscle, how growth hormone released during deep sleep fuels the actual results of your strength training, and why perimenopause makes all of this even more complicated, and even less your fault. If you have been doing everything right with food and training and still are not seeing results, this episode names the missing variable almost nobody is tracking. Alisha covers what the research actually shows (and where it is more mixed than fitness content usually admits), four practical non-negotiables for treating sleep as a training variable, and what to do on the nights sleep falls apart anyway. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - Why a landmark University of Chicago study found that poor sleep can cut fat loss in half, even on an identical calorie deficit- The real reason one bad night of sleep can measurably reduce how much muscle your body builds, and why it is not just discipline- How growth hormone released during deep sleep drives the actual repair work behind every strength training session- Why perimenopausal sleep disruption is not a character flaw, and what the research says about how common it actually is- A research-backed reason not to skip your next workout just because last night's sleep fell apart- Four practical, non-negotiable sleep habits that support fat loss and muscle building, without a Pinterest-perfect routine- What a 2024 meta-analysis of 18 studies found about sleep duration and where the body tends to store fatTHIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF... - You are doing everything right with food and training but not seeing the results you would expect- You are a busy mom or mompreneur who treats sleep as the first thing to sacrifice- You are in perimenopause and your sleep has changed even though nothing else has- You have ever felt guilty for prioritizing rest instead of another workout or task on the list- You want evidence-based reasons to protect your sleep, not another wellness platitudeRESOURCES + LINKS Work with Alisha, The Strong(HER) Way Fit + Fueled Coaching: https://www.thestrongherway.com/work-with-usFit and Fueled Foundation ($27 micro course): https://thestrongherway.com/fit-and-fueled-foundation-4493Follow Alisha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongherway Ready to stop white-knuckling your way through a plan that isn't working? The Strong(HER) Way's Fit + Fueled coaching gives you weekly check-ins, access to Alisha Monday through Friday, and a full resource portal, so sleep, training, food, and stress get handled as one system instead of four separate things you're managing alone. Ready to stop starting over? Explore the Fit + Fueled coaching program at thestrongherway.com/work-with-us or connect on Instagram @thestrongherway.