What To Take For Fatigue During Menopause

Prepare A Menopause Diet

If menopause is bad, then going through it with a bad diet is even worse. If you dont control certain aspects at this stage of life then it can have an adverse effect on your health. Your objective is to keep control of your glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels.

In fact, your bodys functioning and the production of hormones depends to a large degree on your diet. Additionally, it would be a good idea to increase your consumption of foods that contain calcium, iron, and other minerals. With this diet you can help fight osteoporosis.

Treat Menopause Fatigue With Daily Exercise

Exercise is one of the main natural methods that women can use to beat the fatigue that comes with menopause. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week.

Though exercising might be the last thing you feel like doing when youre tired or weak, it does a lot to boost your energy and produce hormones for boosting your mood. You can also add weight training a couple times a week for an extra lift.

Many women find that when they start their day with exercise instead of waiting until bedtime, it helps them feel rejuvenated all day.

Mix Up Your Caffeine Source

Coffee has its health benefits, including anti-inflammatory antioxidants and maybe even a connection to longer life spans. However, coffee can also boost levels of epinephrine and cortisol, two chemicals involved in the bodys stress response. Drinking lots of coffee leads to increased alertness and heart rate that feels energizing for a few hours but might have you feeling drained later that day.

Some of us are fast caffeine metabolizers and clear caffeine much faster, while slow metabolizers take longer to clear it from their body. Genetic tests like 23andMe can tell you which group you fall into. People with normal sensitivity to caffeine can usually have 200-400 mg of caffeine daily without any adverse reactions so long as they consume it early enough in the day.

Given the potential connection between stress and fatigue, avoiding the stress response that coffee brings might help with both symptoms. If you want to stick with coffee, try staying below 1 or 2 cups and consuming them before 12pm to ensure the caffeine doesnt interfere with sleep. Alternatively, hot tea can offer the same antioxidants and satisfying sipping ritual but with less stress-inducing caffeine.

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Natural Ways To Treat Adrenal Fatigue And Heal Your Adrenals

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With three boys to take care of ), a big house and garden to maintain, a company to run plus trying to stay in shape and be a good homemaker its no wonder perimenopause struck me hard.

I thought I was the tough woman who could handle it all!

Well, I could, but it had a price. All the built-up stress didnt help me, and I felt discomforts crashing down on me. Today, my schedule is still full, but I have tools to organize everything, so Im not bothered anymore.

The adrenal glands, our main stress regulator, is important as we enter menopause. These backup organs produce estrogen and progesterone when our ovaries start to falter. Like any part of the body, our adrenals reach a point of exhaustion too, and we experience adrenal fatigue symptoms.

If the adrenals are not your ally during menopause, you will experience more symptoms. Your adrenals are the first you have to take care of!

Lifestyle Changes Can Also Help Improve Menopausal Fatigue

Itâs helpful to try incorporating lifestyle changes to start improving your sleep and feelings of fatigue.

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Treatments For Menopausal Symptoms

Your GP can offer treatments and suggest lifestyle changes if you have severe menopausal symptoms that interfere with your day-to-day life.

These include:

• hormone replacement therapy tablets, skin patches, gels and implants that relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing oestrogen
• vaginal oestrogen creams, lubricants or moisturisers for vaginal dryness
• cognitive behavioural therapy a type of talking therapy that can help with low mood and anxiety
• eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly maintaining a healthy weight and staying fit and strong can improve some menopausal symptoms

Your GP may refer you to a menopause specialist if your symptoms do not improve after trying treatment or if you’re unable to take HRT.

Causes Of Menopause Fatigue

As a woman nears menopause, her hormone levels fluctuate dramatically, which causes the brain to wake up at all hours of the night. Also, lower levels of progesterone make some women short-tempered and less able to relax.

Hormones like progesterone and estrogen are also known to help protect women from a condition called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. When women go through menopause, they no longer produce progesterone which means theyre no longer as naturally protected from this sleep disorder, ultimately putting them more at risk.

If you have sleep apnea, oxygen deprivation may cause you to awaken several times during the night.

But hormones arent the only thing that will keep women up at night. Other symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and night sweats are also likely culprits of poor sleep.

Continued

There are changes in the brain that lead to hot flashes, and those changes not just the feeling of heat can also be what triggers the body to wake up while youre trying to sleep. Even women who dont report having sleep disturbances from hot flashes often say that they have more trouble sleeping than they did before menopause.

In short, the more uncomfortable you are, the more likely youll wake up throughout the night, often more than once.

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Firstly Why Do We Need Sleep

Our bodies require a long period of sleep for optimal health and wellbeing. During sleep, our bodies consolidate memories and experiences, restore and rejuvenate, repair tissues, grow muscle, and synthesize hormones. When we do not get enough consecutive hours of sleep, our bodies are not able to complete all of these necessary tasks in order to perform at our best.

Interestingly, our bodies regulate sleep similarly to the way we regulate breathing, eating, and drinking. Therefore, while scientists are still exploring theories for why we sleep, there is consensus that sleep serves a critical role in our health and well-being. Unfortunately, when we are in perimenopause, there are a number of symptoms that prevent women from getting enough sleep. Consequently, fatigue during perimenopause further aggravates an already stressed body.

Understanding Perimenopause And Menopause

Perimenopause refers to the time of transitional before menopause begins. Your periods may become irregular, and your flow may become heavier or lighter.

Production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone usually begins to slow when a woman reaches her 40s. That happens as a woman enters the perimenopausal period. The full transition to menopause can take 4 to 12 years.

Menopause is the time of life when your periods stop, estrogen and progesterone production ends, and you can no longer become pregnant.

During perimenopause, you might start experiencing symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia, and fatigue. Youll officially be in menopause when you havent had a period for 12 months.

Fatigue can be one sign that youre in a menopause transition. Here are a few of the other symptoms that are common during perimenopause:

• hot flashes
• mood changes, such as feeling sad or more irritable than usual
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness
• weight gain

Talk to your doctor if these symptoms or any others bother you. You can work together to find the best treatment options for your symptoms.

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Menopause Fatigue Remedies: Your Guide To Crashing Fatigue During Menopause

As you enter menopause, your body starts to undergo changes caused by hormone level fluctuations. You may start to experience symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and insomnia.

Fatigue is also a common symptom of menopause, and it can interfere with your normal day-to-day activities. But there are ways you can boost your energy levels and beat menopausal fatigue.

What Is Menopausal Fatigue

Menopausal fatigue is debilitating tiredness, many perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women experience. It is caused by menopause transition, hormonal changes, and a drop in Estrogen levels. It is very common for some women to experience such extreme menopause fatigue that makes everyday tasks very challenging, leading to anxiety and worry as exhaustion takes over. It is common for menopausal women to feel weak and exhausted, with some memory loss and irritability.

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Develop A Good Sleep Routine

A good sleep routine can leave you feeling more energized. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, even on the weekends. Avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.

You may want to establish a nighttime routine to help set the mood for sleep. Take a warm shower or a bath, and avoid using smartphones and computers close to bedtime. Its also good practice to only use your bed for sleeping. Avoid reading, watching television, or using your smartphone while in bed.

How Hormones Affect Your Energy Levels

Your hormones are chemicals that play a key role in controlling your bodys processes for example, your body temperature and heart rate. If these powerful chemicals are out of balance, even by a small amount, they can cause a wide range of symptoms. This includes feeling tired and having trouble sleeping.

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Menopause Fatigue Can Be Mental And Physical

During menopause and perimenopause many women may experience an on-going and persistent lack of energy and feelings of tiredness and weakness. You may be surprised to find yourself feeling exhausted in a way that is unexplainable. The signs of menopausal fatigue include decreased wakefulness, lowered attention span, mental fuzziness, irritability and memory lapses. You may find that you are lacking your usual zest for life.

How To Improve Fatigue In Menopause

Like so much else in perimenopause, fatigue is likely temporary, but that temporary can be years long. Here are some ways to feel more energized in the meantime.

Get moving. Its probably the last thing that you want to do, so start with just a simple walk. Being physically active raises your energy levels and helps you sleep better . It can also boost the feel-good hormones that may be in short supply at this time. And you dont have do a body-drenching workout. Yoga and tai chi have been found to help with menopausal fatigue, according to research in the journal Maturitas.

Hydrate. Even low levels of dehydration can leave you feeling drained. I slam two big glasses of water in the afternoon to fight fatigue, says Laura Boulay of One Million Women Walking. And then, not surprisingly, she goes for a walk. Water is your best choice for hydrating. In addition, eating more fruits and veggiesmany are over 80 percent watercan add some serious fluids along with important nutrients.

Rediscover naps. Maybe you havent napped since your mom made you, but now might be the time to reinstitute nap time. While you should still take steps to get enough sleep, during this time when a good nights rest may be elusive, a quick snooze during lunch may be the pick-me-up you need. Research shows that naps can improve your energy and mood and increase alertness and performance. Just keep them to under 30 minutes so youll be less groggy when you wake up.

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The Complexity And Durability Of Menopause

Though a frequent complaint for middle-aged women in general, fatigue is especially common in those who are postmenopausal. Menopause, the point at which a womans menstrual cycles have been absent for twelve consecutive months, brings a range of common symptoms that includes hot flashes, mood swings, low sex drive, vaginal atrophy, and sleep disturbances. Though fatigue may be a primary symptom related to changing hormone levels, it is also influenced secondarily by other common symptoms such as night sweats, poor sleep quality, and changes in body composition.

While menopause symptoms are short-lived in some women, for others they are enduring, causing discomfort and distress that lasts for years. The Study of Womens Health Across the Nation found that among the 44% of women who reported frequent menopausal symptoms, more than half of these lasted 7 years or more. The average duration of symptoms ranged from 10.1 years for African-American women to 4.8 years for Japanese women, with other ethnicities falling somewhere in between. These numbers indicate that the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause may disrupt womens lives for a significant period of time and should be addressed as soon as possible to preserve long-term health and quality of life.

Mental And Physical Effects

You may find that during menopause and perimenopause a persistent lack of energy or feelings of weakness can be experienced both physically and mentally. Your sense of exhaustion may seem unexplainable and can include feelings of:

It is important to note that if you are currently taking any medications, you should consult with your doctor before turning to herbal remedies as they can sometimes interfere with various medicines.

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Why Do You Get Fatigued In The Menopause

So, why do you get fatigued in the menopause? There’s a number of reasons for this.

Hormonal changes

The first thing is to think that all the hormonal changes that are going on in your body can really drain you of energy. We might appear calm on the outside. Inside, our body is busy. It’s frantically trying on a daily basis to keep balance. And your hormones are going up and down, and the body is trying to balance everything again.

And that is what can really deplete us of energy. And it can happen really quickly. It can be something that can last quite a long time or it can be something that’s really quite short-lived.

Don’t ignore fatigue!

Now, the problem with fatigue, as I’ve said before, it’s one that we tend to ignore. You know, as women today, we’re so busy. We’re doing everything. We’re looking after everybody else apart from our own needs most of the time. And that drains us even further. So, it’s really important to get a good balance in our life, especially when fatigue is happening on a regular basis.

Hormones decreasing

Now, I’ve very often, likened the menopause to puberty in reverse. It’s just our hormones decreasing instead of increasing. But if you think about it, teenagers going through puberty, what is the main thing that they do? They sleep. So, they are very wise because their bodies get terribly fatigued by all the hormonal changes going on, and they are very sensible because they just listen to their inner instinct.

Listen to your body

End Stress In Your Life

Prolonged stress creates excess cortisol! This hormone slows down your functions and suppresses your organs from working properly. It makes your body dormant, draining your energy. Reduce stress by learning how to say NO and set your priorities straight. Slow down and calm yourself down with proper breathing techniques. It will help relax your mind and body.

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An Introduction To Fatigue And Menopause

Fatigue is a feeling of extreme exhaustion and complete lack of energy. Menopausal fatigue, or crashing fatigue, is when this feeling suddenly overwhelms a person. While fatigue is often exacerbated after physical or mental exercise, for menopausal women it can come at any time, without good reason, even after a good nights sleep. In fact, often with this symptom, the woman is not sleepy or longing for bed, but completely lacking in energy and unable to continue with their normal activities.

Certain lifestyle factors may trigger the symptom. These include stress and anxiety, and so it is worth trying to keep these at a minimum, not least for your general well-being.

At this time of life, low thyroid function and low iron levels can also appear, causing similar symptoms. If you are feeling fatigued on a regular basis, it is best to get checked out in case it is down to one of these underlying health issues.

It is important not to confuse episodes of menopausal fatigue with a more serious condition such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or anaemia, when you will feel prolonged periods of exhaustion which do not go away with sleep or rest.