11/26/2025
For our peri-menopausal and menopausal women ❤️
This page has excellent resources available - check it out!
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗱?
Fatigue is one of the earliest and most common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, yet it’s also one of the most overlooked.
Many women blame being “busy,” “getting older,” or “just life,” but the truth is: 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘆.
Here’s what’s really going on ⤵️
Hormones + Your Energy Levels
𝟭. 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽
As estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone begin to shift, your sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented. Even when you think you “slept,” you may not have reached the deep, restorative phases your brain and body need.
This shows up the next day as:
▪️energy crashes
▪️irritability
▪️cravings
▪️poor focus
▪️that “moving through molasses” feeling
𝟮. 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆
As estrogen drops, cortisol (your stress hormone) becomes harder to regulate. Over time, this can lead to:
▪️morning fatigue
▪️“tired but wired” evenings
▪️difficulty recovering from stress
𝟯. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆
Estrogen helps regulate serotonin, the neurotransmitter that influences mood, motivation, and mental clarity. When estrogen declines, serotonin dips too, leaving many women feeling:
▪️mentally flat
▪️foggy
▪️unmotivated
▪️emotionally drained
𝟰. 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿
Lower estrogen and testosterone contribute to muscle loss.
Even if you’ve always been active, tasks that once felt easy can suddenly feel like hard work. This muscle loss also slows metabolism and increases general fatigue.
𝟱. 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 + 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲
Low estrogen increases inflammation in connective tissues, which is why many women notice:
▪️stiffness
▪️joint pain
▪️aching muscles
When your body hurts, it’s harder to move, and inactivity then contributes to even more fatigue.
𝟲. 𝗧𝗵𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲
Perimenopause and menopause can unmask or worsen thyroid issues. The thyroid regulates metabolism, and thyroid slowdown makes you feel extremely tired, cold, and foggy.
𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱) 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲
𝗜𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻
Heavy or irregular perimenopausal bleeding can drop iron stores quickly. Low ferritin causes profound fatigue that no amount of sleep can fix.
𝗩𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝟭𝟮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀
Both vitamins are essential for energy, muscle function, and mood.
𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
Fluctuating hormones impact insulin sensitivity.
This is why midlife women often experience:
▪️afternoon crashes
▪️shakiness
▪️energy dips after meals
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱
Even without “stress,” caring for aging parents, supporting children or grandchildren, managing work, and running a home all add significant cognitive and emotional load — which contributes to exhaustion.
𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀
Sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome become more common in midlife women. If your fatigue is extreme, talk to your provider about screening.
𝗦𝗼… 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗗𝗼?
𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆
You can feel like yourself again... it starts with small, consistent steps.
𝟭. 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆
Physical activity boosts mood, supports metabolism, and helps slow the loss of muscle and bone density common in midlife. Choose what your energy allows and honor rest days.
𝟮. 𝗘𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Avoid “eat less, move more.” Prioritize, protein. healthy fats, and whole-food carbohydrates. These stabilize blood sugar and support hormone and brain health.
𝟯. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽
Create a routine that helps your nervous system wind down.
Sleep is your body’s nightly reset button.
𝟰. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 (𝗠𝗛𝗧)
For many women, MHT can be a meaningful part of managing fatigue by replenishing what’s declining. This is a personalized discussion with your healthcare provider, and may take time to get right.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲
Fatigue in perimenopause and menopause isn’t “in your head.”
It’s a real, physiological response to hormonal change, and there are effective ways to support your energy, strength, and well-being.
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
MFNL is here to help you understand what’s happening to your body and what you can do to feel better.
