Sexual Health Reset: National Wellness Month Tips for Libido, Pelvic Floor, and Sleep
August is National Wellness Month, which often sparks conversations about mindfulness, movement, and nutrition. But here’s something that doesn’t always get the spotlight: sexual wellness.
For many midlife women, libido is down, sleep is disrupted, and pelvic discomfort has quietly become part of daily life. And yet, too often, these issues are pushed to the back burner. They’re inconvenient. They’re awkward to talk about. And sometimes, they’re dismissed entirely, even in medical settings.
At The GSM Collective, we’re changing that.
Sexual health is health. And for women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, this piece of the puzzle can affect everything from mood to confidence to the quality of intimate relationships. This month, we’re inviting you to take a deeper look at how libido, pelvic health, and sleep are connected, and how small, strategic changes can lead to meaningful improvements.
What Happened to My Libido?
If you’ve found yourself feeling less interested in sex lately, you’re not alone. Changes in desire are common during midlife, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with them.
Hormonal shifts play a significant role here. As estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone levels change, they can influence not just the physical experience of sex, but also the mental and emotional desire for it. Fatigue, vaginal dryness, and body image shifts all layer on top.
But libido is more than just hormones. It’s tied to how safe, rested, and emotionally connected we feel. It’s tied to stress and mental load. It’s tied to whether or not sex actually feels good, and if it doesn’t, many women naturally stop wanting it.
That’s where a reset comes in.
Start by being honest with yourself about what’s changed. Are you avoiding intimacy because it hurts? Do you feel too exhausted to even think about it? Have you stopped recognizing the person in the mirror? Are you doing the bulk of household duties at home, and the inequality is making you hate your partner?
These questions aren’t always easy, but they’re where progress starts.
Pelvic Floor: The Under-Discussed Powerhouse
Too often, the pelvic floor only gets mentioned when something goes wrong, like urinary incontinence or pelvic pain. But this group of muscles is essential to sexual health, core stability, and even sleep quality.
When the pelvic floor is too tight or too weak, it can cause pain during intercourse, lower back issues, and bladder urgency. And here’s the twist: stress is one of the biggest contributors to pelvic floor dysfunction. Just like you might clench your jaw or shoulders when anxious, the pelvic floor can stay in a prolonged state of tension, and if you think you’re not clenching your jaw or shoulders, you may not be paying close enough attention to your body.
Pelvic floor therapy and PT is not just for postpartum women. It’s one of the most powerful tools for addressing midlife sexual pain and function. In our concierge practice, we work closely with pelvic floor physical therapists and provide guided care that acknowledges the whole body, muscles, hormones, and mind.
If your body has been sending quiet signals, like discomfort, dryness, or a sense that sex is just “off”, it might be time to explore whether your pelvic floor needs support.
Why Sleep Isn’t Just a Side Issue
Most women don’t walk into our practice complaining of poor sleep and expecting it to connect back to sexual health. But it almost always does.
Lack of sleep affects hormone regulation, mood, and how our nervous systems respond to touch. Midlife women already face increased sleep challenges thanks to night sweats, cortisol shifts, and a racing mind at bedtime. That 3 a.m. wake-up call isn’t just frustrating, it’s depleting your body’s capacity to recover, repair, and connect.
Creating better sleep routines doesn’t have to be elaborate. Start with these basics:
Keep your room cool and dark.
Avoid screens before bed.
Prioritize a consistent sleep and wake schedule.
Practice a calming wind-down ritual that tells your body it’s safe to rest.
And if none of that is working? That’s a signal, not a failure. In our practice, we offer hormone evaluations and wellness reviews that look at the whole picture, not just the symptom.
What a Reset Can Actually Look Like
The idea of a “reset” can feel overwhelming if you’re already stretched thin. But the beauty of concierge care is that we start with your actual life, not a generic plan.
For one woman, that might mean beginning with low-dose vaginal estrogen to address dryness and discomfort. For another, it might look like pelvic floor therapy and guided education around mindful intimacy. For someone else, it may be time to adjust hormone therapy or look more closely at sleep and stress.
Whatever it is, the path forward should feel clarifying, not confusing.
And above all, it should center you.
A Better Approach to Midlife Wellness
At The GSM Collective, we specialize in sexual medicine because we know how powerful sexual health can be when it’s addressed with care and nuance. There’s no shame in talking about libido. No embarrassment in naming pelvic pain. No reason to settle for poor sleep or low energy and chalk it up to “just aging.”
This Wellness Month, give yourself permission to press pause and take inventory. If your sexual health has been on the back burner, bring it back to the table. It’s not too late to feel at home in your body again, and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Start Where You Are
You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need a place to ask the questions. At The GSM Collective, we’re here to walk alongside you with thoughtful, evidence-based care tailored to your body and your life.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Sameena Rahman, visit thegsmcollective.com or call 312-574-3434. Let’s make this your month to reset, reconnect, and restore.
