8 Tips to Beat Menopause Fatigue

By the time you turn 58, you’re likely out of menopause, but while you’re going through this transition, there are a lot of uncomfortable things that may happen to you. It is because your body is going through changes, and when menopause fatigue kicks in, you may feel like you’ve lost your motivation and you’re drained all of the time. If you’re struggling with fatigue during menopause, then this article will shed some light on the strategies you can use to beat it. We’ll also explore why you experience fatigue and consider if it’s normal.

Understanding Menopause

Menopause is something that every woman has to go through at some point in their life. The average age for menopause is 51, but sometimes, it can start to develop when you’re still in your early 40s.

The term menopause means you’re coming to a period in life where you won’t have menstrual cycles anymore. You’re diagnosed as menopausal when you haven’t had a menstrual period for a total of 12 months^[1].

It’s a natural process that happens, and when you go through menopause, your body starts to make fewer hormones that come from your ovaries.

Is Fatigue a Symptom of Menopause?

The short answer is yes; fatigue is a relatively common problem that most women experience during menopause. There are different reasons why menopause leads to fatigue.

It’s important to remember that levels of progesterone and estrogen fall when you are in menopause. That’s because your ovaries are no longer making these hormones.

This can cause a chain reaction. Now that there’s a lack of progesterone and estrogen, a hormonal imbalance begins to develop.

Remember that your hormones play several roles in your body. These include the regulation of things like metabolism and ensuring your cells can create energy. As these processes begin to slow down, you’ll notice that fatigue starts to set in.

Thus, if you’re asking, “Does menopause make you tired?”, the answer is yes. It can make you feel drained and unmotivated and can impact your mental performance, too.

Is Menopause Fatigue Normal?

There are a couple of studies that have looked at how likely women are to experience fatigue during this time in their lives. One study^[2] specifically focuses on both mental and physical fatigue or exhaustion.

Some categories were used among the people who participated in the study. These allow the researchers to organize and value the data they collected. Both the post-menopausal and peri-menopausal categories were created.

Amongst women who were in peri-menopause, 46.5% reported difficulties with fatigue. The number got even higher when the researchers looked at post-menopausal women, with 85.3% reporting this issue. The data was compared to the pre-menopausal category in which 19.7% of participants reported fatigue.

Why does Menopause cause Tiredness and Fatigue?

Menopause makes you feel tired due to the hormonal changes in your body. As we’ve said, progesterone and estrogen levels fall. When this happens, other hormones are affected in the process. Your metabolism can become slower. All of these effects can then result in your cells not having enough energy to function properly which causes you to feel tired.

Possible Causes and Risk Factors for Menopause Fatigue

Menopause itself, a natural process that happens to all women, is the main cause behind this kind of fatigue. However, it’s important to note that some things can also increase the risk of experiencing menopause fatigue, so let’s take a closer look at these factors:

• Stress

• Thyroid problems

• Depression

• Insomnia

• Overweight or obesity

• Not exercising enough

• Poor dietary choices

Signs and Symptoms of Menopause Fatigue

Menopause and fatigue generally go hand-in-hand. However, there are a couple of other things that you may also notice - accompanying symptoms that can further contribute to the discomfort that this fatigue already causes.

Here are some of the symptoms you may experience:

• You’re constantly feeling tired; sometimes, you have to take a nap just to get through the day.
• You can’t focus properly on the work that you’re doing.
• It feels like something is constantly draining your energy.

Apart from fatigue, it’s important to note the other symptoms that menopause can cause. These may include:

• Problems with your ability to sleep well
• Heart palpitations
• Hot flashes
• Anxiety
• Depression
• A low libido
• Weight gain
• Vaginal dryness
• Night sweats

Tips to Beat Menopause Fatigue

If you’ve got menopause fatigue, then you’ll probably be looking for ways to stop it. Fatigue can be irritating and interfere with your ability to get through your daily routine.

In this section, we’ll take a look at some of the most important steps you can follow if you want to beat fatigue and get your energy back.

• Make time for regular exercise: While fatigue does make you feel tired, don’t use that as an excuse to skip out on exercise. Regular exercise should help you with weight management. Also, establishing an exercise routine can give you more energy enabling you to be more active and productive during the day.

• Develop a good sleep routine: Sleep is essential to people of all ages. If you’re going through menopause, you may also experience problems like insomnia. This can cause you to miss out on sleep. Getting at least seven hours of sleep every night should be enough, but if you still feel tired, you can adjust your sleep routine and get a good night’s sleep up to eight or nine hours. Research suggests^[3] that disturbances in your sleep affect your quality of life and your performance at work.

• Take a meditation break: Meditation is a healthy and helpful activity that’s often overlooked and underrated. Meditating can help your body to calm down, clear your mind, and possibly change your perspective. If you feel tired, go to a comfortable location and meditate for a few minutes.

• Turn down the thermostat at night: The temperature of your room while you sleep can affect your sleep quality and duration. Try to lower the temperature without making your room too cold. It can also help you deal with those night hot flashes that often happen during menopause. One study^[4] shows that a room temperature of 18 degrees Celsius can significantly reduce hot flashes and improve sleep quality.

• Downsize your meals: Take a look at how much you eat at a time. If you enjoy large meals, consider downsizing on them. Eat more frequently during the day. This helps to stabilize your blood glucose and allows you to avoid crashes.

• Reduce alcohol consumption: Alcohol now and then isn’t a problem, but when you drink too much, it can contribute to and worsen several of the symptoms you experience as you go through menopause.

• Avoid eating late or having caffeine too late in the day: Avoid eating for at least three hours before bed. Plus, limit your caffeine to the early hours of the day.

• Hydrate: You also need to make sure you stay hydrated. This means drinking enough water and fluids. If you’re dehydrated, then your risk of fatigue significantly increases.

What is the best vitamin for menopause fatigue?

While some medications can help, you can also look for vitamins for menopause fatigue. The first step here is to learn more about your current nutritional profile. You can talk to your doctor to determine your nutritional deficiencies. Starting with those in the form of supplements is a great way to bring things back into balance.

Many supplements are developed specifically for menopause. For example, consider the NutriMax Defense Plus (NUU3 Active Immunity Gummies + Multivitamin Gummies). This combination of two supplements helps to strengthen your immune system and, at the same time, gives your body access to vitamins and other essential nutrients. It helps to ensure your body has enough vitamins for cells to function properly to keep you more energized.

A supplement like NUU3 Green Pura can also be helpful. Oxidative stress is something that constantly happens in our bodies. It’s due to free radicals that can cause inflammation and contribute to disease. The green tea extract in this supplement is packed with antioxidants that help to fight off those free radicals.

Menopause fatigue FAQs

Why is fatigue a common symptom of menopause?

It’s because of the changes in hormones that happen when you go through menopause. When your progesterone and estrogen levels decline, it lowers your thyroid and adrenal glands’ ability to produce hormones, hence the imbalance.

Does menopause fatigue impact mental health?

Menopausal women can find that fatigue affects their mental health. Plus, you also have to keep in mind that depression is quite common in menopause.

What does menopause fatigue feel like?

If you have menopause fatigue, you’ll constantly feel like all energy has drained out of you. You’ll find yourself unmotivated and can hardly concentrate and focus on your activities.

Outlook

Menopause isn’t something you can avoid, and when your body stops making estrogen and progesterone, several things can happen. These include the possibility of experiencing menopause fatigue, feeling drained, and running low on energy. However, by having a positive mindset and following the right strategies, you can tackle the impact of menopause in your daily routine more effectively. Do your exercises and stay active, get a restful sleep, take the right supplements, and you’ll be up and energetic every day.

References

1] ↑https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507826/
2] ↑https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5866170/
3] ↑https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6092036
4] ↑https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16837879/