A brutally honest guide for women who are tired of being tired
⚠️IMPORTANT: This guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. TMJ , sleep, anxiety and other disorders can have multiple causes and may require professional evaluation. Always consult qualified healthcare providers for diagnosis and treatment decisions. See full medical disclaimer at the end of this guide.
Hey Girl, Let’s Talk About That “Stress Thing” (And Then The “Hormone Thing”) 🙄
So first your doctor says your exhaustion, brain fog, and general feeling like garbage is just “stress” and you need to “manage it better.”
Then, if you’re lucky enough to get a more enlightened doctor, they’ll say it’s “hormones” and you should “embrace this phase of life.”
Cool. Cool cool cool.
Let me guess – you’ve also been told to:
- Try yoga 🧘 ♀️(because namaste will fix your collapsed airway)
- Get more sleep 😴 (if only you COULD sleep, Karen)
- Reduce stress 🌸 (ah yes, let me just turn off my life real quick)
- Consider HRT 💊 (throw hormones at the hormone problem – genius!)
Plot twist: What if I told you that while they’re not WRONG about the hormones, there’s a vicious cycle happening that nobody’s explaining?
Your dipping hormones cause muscle mass loss → which makes your tongue weaker → which makes your sleep worse → which increases your stress → which makes ALL your symptoms worse → which makes your sleep even MORE terrible.
It’s like your body is playing a really cruel game of dominos with your wellbeing. 🀄
I know. Sexy, right?
The Thing Nobody Tells You About Perimenopause 😤
Here’s what’s REALLY happening (and why your doctor probably doesn’t know):
When estrogen drops, you lose muscle mass EVERYWHERE. And yes, Karen, that includes your tongue.
But here’s the kicker – it’s not just that your tongue gets weak. It’s that this creates a domino effect that ruins your entire life:
The Cruel Cycle:
1. Hormones dip → You lose muscle mass (including tongue muscle)
2. Weaker tongue → Falls to floor of mouth like it’s given up on life
3. Collapsed airway → You’re basically breathing through a cocktail straw all night
4. Terrible sleep → Your body screams “WE’RE DYING” and pumps stress hormones
5. Increased stress → Makes hormone symptoms WORSE
6. Worse symptoms → Disrupts sleep even MORE
7. Repeat until you want to burn everything down 🔥
Your poor tongue literally goes “peace out” and plops down, which means your airway gets about as open as a McDonald’s ice cream machine. Your body is in survival mode all night pumping you full of cortisol to keep you alive.
And then everyone wonders why you’re “stressed” and “moody.” 🙃
The Vicious Cycle That’s Ruining Your Life 🌪️
Dipping hormones → muscle mass loss → weaker tongue → poor sleep → increased stress → worse hormone symptoms → even worse sleep → repeat until you want to burn everything down
Sound familiar?
Your doctors aren’t wrong about the stress OR the hormones – but they’re missing the sleep piece that’s making EVERYTHING worse. It’s like trying to fix a leaky roof by mopping the floor. You can mop all day, but until you fix the roof (your sleep), you’re just creating more work for yourself.
Your body is literally in survival mode all night, every night. No wonder you wake up feeling like you got hit by a truck driven by your own hormones while stress sat in the passenger seat giving directions.
“But I Sleep 8 Hours!” (And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves) 😴
Honey, let’s be real. You might be horizontal for 8 hours, but are you actually SLEEPING?
Signs your “good sleep” is actually garbage:
✅ You wake up feeling like you slept on concrete
✅ Brain fog so thick you forgot your own name at Starbucks
✅ Need 47 cups of coffee to function like a human
✅ Your Fitbit says you got “restful sleep” but you feel like death
✅ You dream about sleeping (the audacity!)
✅ 3 PM crashes that make you question all your life choices
Fun fact: Sleep-deprived brains look identical to drunk brains on scans. So basically, you’re walking around drunk on exhaustion while everyone expects you to “adult.” 🍷
The 5 Signs Your “Hormone Symptoms” Are Actually Sleep Issues 🚨
1. Brain Fog That Gets WORSE After “Sleeping”
If 8+ hours of sleep makes you feel dumber, not smarter, your sleep quality is trash. Real sleep should make your brain work BETTER, not worse.
Normal reaction: “I slept great!” Reality check: If you need a GPS to find your car in your own driveway, you did not sleep great.
2. Weight Gain Despite Doing Everything “Right”
Poor sleep destroys your metabolism faster than a toddler destroys a clean house. When you don’t get deep sleep, your hormones go rogue and store everything as fat “just in case.”
What you think: “My metabolism is broken!” What’s actually happening: Your sleep-deprived body thinks there’s a famine and is hoarding calories like toilet paper in 2020.
3. Mood Swings That Seem Random
When your nervous system is stuck in “survival mode” from poor breathing, everything feels like a threat. That’s why you ugly-cried at the dog food commercial.
What people think: “She’s so hormonal!” Reality: Your oxygen-deprived brain can’t regulate emotions properly.
4. Hot Flashes That Get Worse With Stress
Stress + poor sleep = hot flash central. Your overworked nervous system is basically throwing tantrums in the form of personal summers.
The irony: Hot flashes disrupt sleep, which creates more stress, which creates more hot flashes. It’s like your body is trolling you.
5. Headaches/Migraines That Started With Perimenopause
Your jaw is probably working overtime trying to keep your airway open at night. All that muscle tension radiates up into your head like a very unwelcome house guest.
Doctor says: “It’s just hormones!” Translation: “I don’t know what’s wrong so here’s some Advil.”
The Simple Sleep Assessment (AKA The Reality Check) 📝
Rate these on a scale of 1-5 (5 = totally me):
□ I wake up with a dry mouth (like the Sahara desert moved in)
□ I snore (or my partner relocates to the couch)
□ I grind my teeth (jaw of steel, brain of mush)
□ I wake up multiple times per night (bladder or anxiety – pick your poison)
□ I need to prop myself up with pillows to breathe
□ I have a double chin
□ I mouth breathe during the day without realizing it
□ I feel like I’m suffocating when I lie flat
□ I wake up with headaches (morning torture session)
□ I feel like I could nap in the middle of the day (If someone would let you)
Score:
- 0-15: Your sleep might actually be okay (or you’re in denial)
- 16-30: Houston, we have a problem
- 31-45: Your airway is more closed than a bank on Sunday
- 46-50: Girl, you’re basically suffocating in slow motion
What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You (Because They Don’t Know) 🤫
The Truth: Most doctors get about 2 hours of sleep education in medical school. That’s less time than it takes to binge-watch a Netflix series.
The Problem: They’re treating your hormone symptoms without addressing WHY your sleep is garbage.
The Solution: Fix the breathing, fix the sleep, fix the hormones. In that order.
It’s like trying to fill a bucket with a giant hole in the bottom. You can pour all the hormones you want, but until you fix the hole (your sleep), you’re just wasting expensive pee.
The Good News (Finally!) ✨
You’re not crazy. You’re not “just getting older.” You’re not destined to feel like garbage forever.
Your tongue CAN be retrained. Your airway CAN be opened. Your sleep CAN be fixed.
The even better news: When you fix the sleep, the hormone symptoms often improve dramatically. Like, “holy crap I remember what it feels like to be human” levels of improvement.
The BEST news: Myofunctional exercises don’t just strengthen your tongue and fix your sleep – they can literally take 5-10 years off your face! 🤯
Sell Me The Vacation! (Because You Deserve ALL The Benefits) 🏝️
Forget selling you the “hard work” – let me paint you a picture of your life AFTER you fix this:
The Beauty Glow-Up ✨
- Your face literally lifts itself – proper tongue posture acts like a natural facelift, putting weight back in the top of your face where it belongs
- That double chin disappears – when your tongue lives on the roof of your mouth instead of the floor, your jawline comes back home
- Cheekbones for DAYS – the beauty triangle is restored, giving you those high cheekbones that make people ask “what’s your skincare routine?”
- Jaw definition that could cut glass – strong oral muscles = defined facial structure (hello, jawline selfies!)
- Natural face yoga – except you don’t have to make weird faces in the mirror, you just breathe properly
The Sleep Paradise 😴
Picture this: You actually SLEEP through the night. Like, put your head on the pillow and wake up 8 hours later feeling like a human being instead of a zombie extra from The Walking Dead.
- No more 3 AM anxiety parties – your nervous system finally chills out
- Goodbye, melatonin dependency – your body remembers how to make its own sleep hormones
- Magnesium actually works – because you’re not fighting a broken system anymore
- Morning energy that doesn’t require IV coffee – imagine that!
The Stress Relief Vacation 🌺
Your nervous system goes from “EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE” to “we got this, girl”:
- Cortisol levels drop naturally – no more feeling wired and tired simultaneously
- Your brain fog lifts – remember when you could find your car keys without a search party?
- Emotional regulation returns – you stop crying at dog food commercials (unless they’re really good ones)
- Mental clarity that makes you feel like yourself again – that sharp, witty woman is still in there!
The Hormone Harmony 🎵
When your sleep improves, your entire hormonal symphony starts playing in tune:
- Hot flashes calm down – your body stops throwing random heat tantrums
- Weight stabilizes – your metabolism remembers how to work properly
- Mood swings level out – you become predictably pleasant (revolutionary!)
- Energy returns – not just caffeine-fueled energy, but REAL energy that lasts
The Confidence Comeback 👑
You know that confident, energetic, sharp woman you used to be? She’s coming back:
- You look in the mirror and think “damn, girl!” instead of “who is this tired stranger?”
- People start asking what you’re doing differently (and you’ll have the best answer)
- Your clothes fit better – not just because of weight, but because you carry yourself differently
- You feel like YOURSELF again – not a shell of who you used to be
The Ripple Effect 🌊
When you feel amazing, everything else gets better:
- Your relationships improve – hard to be cranky when you’re well-rested and feeling good
- Work performance soars – brain fog is replaced with laser focus
- You have energy for things you actually WANT to do – not just surviving the day
- You become the example – other women start asking for your secrets
This isn’t just about sleeping better or looking younger – this is about getting YOUR LIFE BACK.
Next Steps (Because Knowledge Without Action Is Just Expensive Entertainment) 🎬
Step 1: Stop accepting “it’s just hormones” as an answer. You deserve better.
Step 2: Find someone who understands the connection between breathing, sleep, and hormones. (Hint: that’s me 😉)
Step 3: Start addressing the ROOT CAUSE instead of just managing symptoms.
Step 4: Prepare to feel like yourself again (warning: may cause uncontrollable happiness and energy)
Ready to Stop Feeling Like Garbage AND Look Amazing?
The MyoFit Pro app has specific programs designed for women dealing with perimenopause sleep issues. Because you deserve to feel amazing AND look like the goddess you are – not like a walking zombie who forgot how to human.
Your future well-rested, younger-looking, confident-as-hell self is waiting. 💪
P.S. – Form follows function, always. Fix the function (breathing + tongue posture), and the form (how you feel AND how you look) follows. It’s science, but make it sassy.
Disclaimers (The Fun One + The Real One)
Disclaimer: This guide contains more truth than most people can handle. Side effects may include: actually sleeping through the night, having energy, remembering where you put your keys, looking 5-10 years younger, having a jawline that could cut glass, and feeling like a functional human being again. Consult your sense of humor before reading if you’re allergic to honesty.
IMPORTANT MEDICAL AND LEGAL DISCLAIMER PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE DISCLAIMER CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE INFORMATION IN THIS GUIDE Educational Purpose Only This guide is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional healthcare guidance. The information contained herein should not be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed healthcare provider or other medical professional. No Doctor-Patient Relationship Reading this guide does not establish a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Kathleen Schuster, Magnolia Ridge Dentistry, or any other healthcare provider mentioned herein. For personalized medical advice regarding your specific TMJ condition, you must consult with qualified healthcare providers who can examine you and review your complete medical history. Individual Medical Situations Every person’s TMJ condition is unique and complex. The information in this guide cannot account for all possible medical conditions, complications, contraindications, or individual variations. What may be appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another. TMJ disorders can have multiple underlying causes requiring different treatments. Professional Medical Evaluation Required All treatment decisions should be made in consultation with qualified healthcare providers who can evaluate your specific situation. This includes decisions about whether the approaches described are appropriate for your condition, timing of interventions, and coordination with other treatments. Never discontinue prescribed medications or cancel scheduled medical procedures based solely on information in this guide. Emergency Medical Situations Seek immediate emergency medical care if you experience: – Jaw locking open or closed that cannot be resolved – Severe, sudden onset jaw pain – Signs of infection (fever, swelling, pus) – Difficulty swallowing or breathing – Severe headaches with neurological symptoms – Any other symptoms suggesting a medical emergency Do not delay seeking emergency care based on information in this guide. Scope of Practice Dr. Kathleen Schuster is a licensed dentist practicing functional and airway-focused dentistry. The scope of practice for dentistry is defined by state licensing boards and professional organizations. Nothing in this guide should be construed as practice outside the appropriate scope of dental practice or as providing medical care in areas requiring other medical specialties. Technique Safety and Contraindications The techniques described in this guide are generally considered safe for most adults. However, certain medical conditions may contraindicate these approaches, including but not limited to: – Recent jaw surgery or trauma – Acute TMJ inflammation or infection – Certain autoimmune conditions affecting joints – Blood clotting disorders – Pregnancy (for some manual techniques) – Active cancer treatment affecting the head/neck area If you have any medical conditions or take medications, consult your healthcare provider before beginning any exercises or techniques described in this guide. Kinesiology Tape Considerations Taping techniques should not be used by individuals with: – Known tape or adhesive allergies – Open wounds or skin conditions in the application area – Compromised circulation – Diabetes with neuropathy – Pregnancy (without physician approval) Always test tape on a small skin area before full application. Results and Expectations Individual results may vary significantly. The timeframes and outcomes described represent typical responses but are not guaranteed. Some individuals may require longer treatment periods, professional intervention, or may not respond to these approaches. Factors affecting results include severity of condition, duration of symptoms, compliance with protocols, overall health status, and underlying anatomical factors. Limitation of Liability To the fullest extent permitted by law, Dr. Kathleen Schuster and all associated entities disclaim all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or relating to the use of this guide or the information contained herein. Updates and Changes Medical knowledge evolves continuously. This guide reflects knowledge available at the time of creation but may become outdated as new research emerges. This guide may be updated periodically, but users are responsible for seeking current information from qualified healthcare providers. Jurisdiction and Governing Law This disclaimer and any disputes arising from the use of this guide shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States. Any legal proceedings related to this guide or its contents shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the appropriate courts in Texas. Acknowledgment By reading and using this guide, you acknowledge that: – You have read and understood this entire disclaimer – You agree to use the information for educational purposes only – You will seek appropriate professional medical advice for all healthcare decisions – You understand the limitations and risks associated with the information provided – You will not rely solely on this guide for medical decision-making Contact Information for Questions If you have questions about this disclaimer or need clarification about any aspect of the information provided, please consult with qualified healthcare providers before using any information from this guide. Last Updated: July 2025 © 2025 Magnolia Ridge Dentistry. All rights reserved.
