I use to think that being in your 40’s was this smooth path. I echoed the “Fabulous 40’s mantra” a couple of years ago. With the kids now in their teens, I thought that regaining a little bit of “me” was finally within reach after raising my kids. But the reality had me scratching my head, thinking that I was going crazy and constantly wondering where I left my keys, my cup of coffee or completely forgetting what I am saying mid-sentence.

Perimenopause

If you’re in your 40’s and have been noticing some unexpected changes in your body weight, concentration, attention, headaches, sleep, reduced sex drive, vaginal dryness, mood or menstrual cycle, you might be entering the wonderful world of perimenopause.  This is a natural and gradual transition leading up to menopause (which is not a dirty word). But did you know that I can start 10-12 years before your last period, or menopause?  Menopause is the life phase that begins one year after the final period (1). Most women begin to experience symptoms in their 40’s. Here’s a quick rundown of the top 5 symptoms many women face during this time.

1. Irregular Periods

One of the signs of perimenopause is a change in your menstrual cycle, where our hormones are all over the place. Your periods might become shorter, longer, heavier, or lighter. You might even skip a few months. This happens because your hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone, are starting to fluctuate triggering some of these symptoms.

2. Hot Flushes & Night Sweats

Hot flushes are sudden feelings of heat that can spread over your body, often accompanied by sweating and a red, flushed face. They can occur during the day or night (night sweats), disrupting your sleep and leaving you feeling fatigued. Not fun, right? These symptoms are due to hormonal changes affecting your body's temperature regulation.

3. Poor mental focus and concentration

Brain fog, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating are very common. Our brains are influenced by hormones, and in perimenopause, greater fluctuations can affect mood and cognition (2). Dr. Jen Gunter, in her book The Menopausal Manifesto, describes the hormonal changes in perimenopause and the effect on the brain much like that of a computer uploading a new program.  The upload may be a little slower, and once uploaded, it may be a little glitchy until is completely uploaded and running smoothly (3).

4. Sleep problems

If you’re finding it hard to fall or stay asleep, you’re not alone. Sleep disturbances are common during perimenopause, often linked to night sweats and anxiety. Insomnia can lead to fatigue, affecting your daily life and overall well-being. Sleep is crucial for your ability to think during the day, make decisions, concentrate, support your immune system, control your hunger hormones, and support emotional regulation.

5. Weight Gain

During perimenopause, thanks to the shift in reproductive hormones, our body composition changes. This affects fat mass, a decline in muscle mass and accumulation of fat around the midsection (4). Estrogen plays a role in energy metabolism via the regulation of hunger and satiety hormones (5).   Lower levels of estrogen also associated with the redistribution of fat from the hips and thighs to the midsection, impacting metabolic health as we age (6).  The decline in muscle mass is due to the decline of estrogen, particular oestradiol, on muscle fibres and muscle health, putting women at a higher risk of sarcopenia as we age (7).  Muscle mass is crucial for blood glucose control and metabolic health (8,9).

What can you do?

If you’re finding it hard to fall or stay asleep, you’re not alone. Sleep disturbances are common during perimenopause, often linked to night sweats and anxiety. Insomnia and poor sleep can lead to fatigue and impact your daily life and overall well-being.

Top tips for perimenopause Self- Care:

1.     Aim to eat 3 balanced meals each day to stabilise blood sugar levels.

2.     Prioritise sleep. Reduce screen time before bed and aim to go to sleep at the same time each night to make it easier to fall asleep.

3.     Do physical activity that you love. Walking, running, yoga, Pilates, HIIT, strength training, dancing or hiking.

4.     Incorporate stress relief or management practices like yoga, meditation, deep breathing, exercise, walking in nature or spending quality time with family and friends.

Remember, perimenopause is a natural phase of life, and you don’t have to go through it alone. Share your experiences and take care of yourself. You’ve got this!

If you would like to find out how I can support you through perimenopause.

Got Questions? Book in for a Discovery Call.

References:

1.     Lara Briden.(2024, February, 21).  Perimenopause Is Second Puberty and Is Tempory.https://www.larabriden.com/why-perimenopause-is-not-about-aging/

2.     Ali, S. A., Begum, T., & Reza, F. (2018). Hormonal Influences on Cognitive Function. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences : MJMS, 25(4), 31–41. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2018.25.4.3

3.     Jen, Gunter. (2021). The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism. Citadel Press

4.     Sowers, M., Zheng, H., Tomey, K., Karvonen-Gutierrez, C., Jannausch, M., Li, X., Yosef, M., & Symons, J. (2007). Changes in body composition in women over six years at midlife: ovarian and chronological aging. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 92(3), 895–901. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2006-1393

5.     Mauvais-Jarvis, F., Clegg, D. J., & Hevener, A. L. (2013). The role of estrogens in control of energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Endocrine reviews, 34(3), 309–338. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2012-1055

6.     Chopra, S., Sharma, K. A., Ranjan, P., Malhotra, A., Vikram, N. K., & Kumari, A. (2019). Weight Management Module for Perimenopausal Women: A Practical Guide for Gynecologists. Journal of mid-life health, 10(4), 165–172. https://doi.org/10.4103/jmh.JMH_155_19

7.     Geraci, A., Calvani, R., Ferri, E., Marzetti, E., Arosio, B., & Cesari, M. (2021). Sarcopenia and Menopause: The Role of Estradiol. Frontiers in endocrinology, 12, 682012. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.682012

8.     McPherron, A. C., Guo, T., Bond, N. D., & Gavrilova, O. (2013). Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism. Adipocyte, 2(2), 92–98. https://doi.org/10.4161/adip.22500

9.     Kim, G., & Kim, J. H. (2020). Impact of Skeletal Muscle Mass on Metabolic Health. Endocrinology and metabolism (Seoul, Korea), 35(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2020.35.1.1