"Why Am I Always So Tired?" We Know. Here's Why.

The Science Behind Bad Sleep — & What You Can Actually Do About ItLet's say it: you are not imagining how tired you are, and "just go to bed earlier" was never going to fix it.In this episode, Jillian sits down with Dr. Marguerite Weston, Courtney Gilbert, PA-C, and Colleen Bush, RDN, to pull apart why so many of us are running on empty. Cortisol spikes waking you up at 3 a.m. Gut imbalances quietly wrecking sleep quality. Hormones shifting everything from fertility to perimenopause. There's a root cause, and they're going to find it!This episode is for anyone who has been told their sleep is "fine" while feeling anything but.Everything We're Covering:Why 45% of adults are sleeping less than six hours a nightThe real reason you keep waking up at 3 a.m. (hint — it's not your bladder)How gut bacteria imbalance shows up as poor sleep, even without GI symptomsThe cortisol-melatonin relationship and what a DUTCH Hormone Testing panel can revealWhy "you can't out-supplement bad sleep"One week of bad sleep equals about one extra pound — & they show the math!REM sleep, deep sleep and why timing matters as much as total hoursDo women actually need more sleep than men, or just better sleepWhat's really happening to sleep during perimenopause and menopauseMelatonin: the dose most people are taking wrongMagnesium, L-theanine and what's worth tryingCognitive behavioral therapy and why it beats sleep medication in the researchThe five-hour mark your brain needs to start clearing waste overnightThe vital importance of early morning light exposure"Melatonin is not meant to knock you out, as many people think it is. It's actually just supposed to be an indicator to your body — 'hey, it's getting close to sleep.'" — Dr. Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP, Functional Medicine DirectorMeet Your Experts:Dr. Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP — Functional Medicine Director, dual board-certified in Family and Sports Medicine, bringing root-cause clarity to a topic most people have only gotten surface-level advice on.Courtney Gilbert, PA-C — Hormone health and fertility specialist who connects the dots between cortisol, melatonin and the overnight wake-ups so many women have just learned to live with.Colleen Bush, RDN, LDN, IFNCP — Functional dietitian who makes the case that gut health and sleep quality are far more connected than most people realize.Jillian Birkle — Host of Asking For a Friend, bringing the questions patients are already thinking but haven't had the chance to ask out loud. 🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!🍎 Apple Podcasts🎵 Spotify🛒 Amazon Music❤️ iHeartRadio▶️ YouTube💻 Visit Our Site