Flushes, poor sleep and mood changes all contribute to feeling tired.
Feeling tired is a common experience during perimenopause and menopause. Many things happen to impact your energy levels – disrupted sleep, altered mood and all the stressors that pull and push us at this time in our life.
It is not uncommon for mid-life women to be managing combinations of caring for children, parents, partners whilst working and facing self identity challenges. Hormonal changes, specifically a drop in oestrogen, can also directly affect your energy levels.
There are also some medical causes of fatigue or low energy:
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depression and other mental health problems
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an under-active thyroid
- low iron levels (from heavy bleeding).
Make sure you check with your doctor to see if any of these apply to you.
Once you have excluded a medical cause of fatigue, then addressing these lifestyle factors can help:
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make sure you get enough sleep
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get regular physical activity (but perhaps keep it gentle)
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take time out to do something you enjoy
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eat a healthy diet – enough calories, proteins and not too much sugar
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avoid too much alcohol
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don’t depend on caffeine to lift your energy.
