Let’s talk about something so many women whisper about but rarely get solid answers on: the bone-deep fatigue that shows up somewhere between your late 30s and early 40s. You’re not lazy, you’re not broken—and you’re definitely not alone.
This exhaustion isn’t just about being busy or getting older. It’s often a sign your body is entering perimenopause, a hormonal rollercoaster that can throw everything from your sleep to your mood to your metabolism out of whack. But here’s the empowering part: once you understand why it’s happening, you can take steps to feel like yourself again—without overhauling your entire life.
First, What Even Is Perimenopause?
Think of perimenopause as your body’s warm-up act for menopause. It can start in your early to mid 30s (yes, really!) and last for years. Hormones start to shift—sometimes gradually, sometimes not—and those shifts affect everything.
For a lot of us, the first thing we notice isn’t hot flashes or skipped periods. I’m feeling totally wiped out—even when we technically slept, ate, and did everything “right.” Sound familiar?
What’s Behind This Tired-All-the-Time Feeling?
1. Your Hormones Are Playing Tug-of-War
In perimenopause, your body might still be producing estrogen—sometimes too much—but not enough progesterone to balance it out. This is called estrogen dominance, and it’s one of the biggest culprits behind fatigue, brain fog, and mood swings.
Here’s where it gets interesting: progesterone is your calming, sleep-loving, anti-anxiety hormone. Without it, you might feel restless, wired, and chronically tired.
2. Progesterone Steal: When Stress Hijacks Your Hormones
Now here’s the part no one told me when I was nodding off in 3 p.m. meetings: when your body’s under constant stress (hello, modern life), it starts pumping out more cortisol, your main stress hormone. But to make that cortisol, your body often borrows from the same raw materials it uses to make progesterone.
This hormonal trade-off is known in integrative and functional medicine as “progesterone steal”—or sometimes the pregnenolone steal. Basically, your body diverts resources to deal with stress (short-term survival), leaving your reproductive hormones in the dust.
Here’s the kicker: men handle stress differently. They use testosterone— a hormone that helps them power through and produce results under pressure. And they’ve got up to 16 times more testosterone than we do. Women, on the other hand, rely more on cortisol to push through stress— which ends up draining our progesterone even more. So while men get a performance boost, we get hormone depletion.
The result? Even lower progesterone levels, which means less calm, less sleep, and more of that wired but tired feeling. It pushes you further into estrogen dominance, which is already common in perimenopause, and just adds fuel to the fatigue fire.
This isn’t just a theory—research backs it up. Studies have shown elevated cortisol levels are strongly linked to disrupted sleep, reduced progesterone, and low energy in midlife women (Johnston et al., 2020).
3. Sleep Disruptions (Even If You’re in Bed for 8 Hours)
This one’s tricky. You might think you’re getting enough sleep, but perimenopause can wreck your sleep quality. Night sweats, waking at 3 a.m. with your brain on fire, or just tossing and turning? It’s not in your head—it’s your hormones.
Lower progesterone makes it harder to fall and stay asleep. Estrogen fluctuations can mess with your body temperature and mood. So yeah, no wonder you feel wrecked.
4. Is Your Thyroid Getting the Memo?
Hormonal changes can nudge your thyroid out of its sweet spot. Subtle thyroid slowdowns—called subclinical hypothyroidism—can sap your energy and metabolism, even if your labs are technically “normal.” A 2021 meta-analysis even suggested routine thyroid checks for tired midlife women might catch issues earlier.
So, What Can You Actually Do About It?
The good news? You don’t need a total life overhaul. A few targeted, natural shifts can seriously help you feel better—fast.
1. Eat to Fuel (Not Just Survive)
Your energy is built on what you eat, especially in this season. Blood sugar crashes and nutrient gaps are sneaky energy stealers.
Try this:
- Eat protein with every meal (eggs, lentils, chicken, tofu)
- Add healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, nuts
- Skip the sugar highs (and crashes)
- Add magnesium and B6-rich foods—they support progesterone
- Magnesium (Dark Leafy greens, Pumpkin seeds, Avocado, Dark Chocolate
- B6 – Chicken breast, Salmon, Bananas, Spinach, Sunflower Seeds
2. Cut the Stress Cycle Before It Steals More Hormones
I know, I know—“reduce stress” sounds vague. But even five minutes of stress relief can stop that hormonal hijack.
Easy stress-busters:
- Breathwork or 5-minute meditations- I use the CoCreate App by Brooke Snow
- A walk without your phone (game-changer)
- Ashwagandha or rhodiola (these adaptogenic herbs have shown real benefits in studies for reducing cortisol. I highly recommend HPA adapt. You can access it on my FullScript account.
- Saying “no” to things that drain you – Boundaries are critical to master as you navigate these changes!
Remember, less stress = more progesterone = more energy and better sleep. It’s all connected.
3. Reclaim Your Sleep (Yes, It’s Possible)
You deserve deep sleep, not just lying in bed scrolling.
Sleep resets that actually help:
- No screens 1 hour before bed
- Magnesium glycinate before bed (bonus: helps with anxiety too) I recommend this brand
- Keep your room cool and dark. If all else fails, get some good eye covers.
- Try L-theanine or herbal teas if your mind races
4. Move Gently, But Often
Too much high-intensity exercise can spike cortisol. That doesn’t mean you should stop moving—just move smarter.
What helps:
- Walking in sunlight
- Strength training 2–3x a week
- Yoga or Pilates to reduce cortisol and improve flexibility
- Mini trampoline to stimulate your lymph which support detox and healthy hormones too
Personally, I do Pilates, the mini-trampoline, walking, weights and 1-2 easy Peloton rides a week to keep me healthy, my mood optimized, my weight stable, and I sleep like a baby.
5. Sync with Your Natural Rhythms
Your body wants balance—it just needs reminders.
Circadian support:
- Get morning sunlight (yes, even on cloudy days)
- Avoid caffeine after 2 p.m.
- Stick to consistent bed/wake times (even on weekends)
- Wear blue blocking glasses during the day, when you’re on your screens, use the darker red ones at night, and change the color on your screens to orange. I promise, this really helps!
A Few Natural Supplements That Can Help
Always check with your healthcare provider, but here are a few well-loved options that support energy and hormonal health:
| Supplements | Why It Helps |
| Magnesium | Calms nerves, helps with sleep + anxiety |
| CellGevity | Boosts Glutathione levels that increase cellular energy |
| B-complex | Supports energy, mood, and hormone function |
| Omega-3s | Reduces inflammation, supports hormones |
| Ashwagandha | Balances cortisol, boosts stress resilience |
Final Thoughts
Perimenopausal fatigue isn’t just about getting older—it’s about a body that’s changing, recalibrating, and asking for support. You don’t have to suffer through it or accept exhaustion as the new normal.
With a few intentional shifts—in food, stress, sleep, and self-care—you can feel energized, clear-headed, and like yourself again.
You’re not broken. You’re becoming.
