Starting yoga and cutting down on alcohol and sugar has definitely helped me sleep better at night, and probiotics have helped reduce the bloating that often occurs at night. I’ve also increased my sleep, from six or seven hours to eight or nine hours a night, to address the increased fatigue and exhaustion – these are the hardest perimenopause symptoms to manage. I’ve invested in blackout curtains and Loop sleep earplugs to combat the light sleep. However, this fatigue is also compounded by night sweats, especially before and during my period – something I never experienced before perimenopause. Click here to buy this shirt: Suburb Talks Candy Cane T-Shirts
“Night sweats during perimenopause and menopause are largely due to a decrease in estrogen levels, which affects the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature,” explains gynecologist and author Karen Tang, MD. “This disruption can cause the body to mistakenly think it is overheating, triggering a sweat response to cool down. During perimenopause, when a person is still menstruating, they may also notice that night sweats get worse before their period. This is because estrogen levels decrease during this phase of the cycle.” She continues: “Stress, diet, and lifestyle can also affect the severity and frequency of