How to Manage Hot Flashes, Brain Fog, and Sleep Disruption During Menopause with Ellen Wermter & Mary Helen Rogers
This week, we have Better Sleep Council representative and Family Nurse Practitioner Ellen Wermter. Ellen’s been on in the past discussing the circadian rhythm.
Today’s conversation we’re talking all about menopause. Ellen breaks down the difference between perimenopause and menopause, explains the roller coaster of symptoms women may experience—from hot flashes and irritability to sleep disruption and brain fog—and reveals why these changes are so unpredictable.
We’ll unpack why sleep becomes so elusive during this transition, the real impact of fluctuating hormones, and the surprising role of things like your mattress, bedroom environment, and even your support system.
Ellen shares practical advice on managing anxiety, evaluating supplements, and how lifestyle tweaks (think: exercise, protein, stress management) can make a real difference.
MEET ELLEN
Ellen Wermter is a representative of the Better Sleep Council (BSC), a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and a member of Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Virginia and her Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University and is a member of the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners (VCNP).
Ellen is a dedicated sleep professional both board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine (DBSM) as well as being certified in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and who actively treats patients full-time. She is nationally regarded for her expertise in narcolepsy and was the clinical lead for the Harmony Bioscience Pitolisant expanded access program’s Central Virginia site.
Ellen has been featured in HuffPost, MindBodyGreen, Washington Post, and Homes & Gardens.
In her free time, Ellen prefers to be outside in nature and stays active running and practicing yoga. She lives on a farm with her husband and four children where she grows apple trees and keeps honeybees. She also enjoys singing loudly in the car and rarely gets the lyrics right.
