What perimenopause does to your body and mind

Two women having a discussion in an office.

Ritual reports perimenopause starts in your 30s or 40s, lasting 5-10 years, marked by irregular periods, hot flashes, mood shifts, and sleep changes.

Two women having a discussion in an office.

By their 30s and 40s, most women probably feel like they have a good sense of what works for their body. Stick to certain foods, workouts, and routines, and you generally know what to expect. Until one day, you don’t. Seemingly out of nowhere, your period starts keeping its own schedule, sleep turns patchy, your internal thermostat goes haywire, and the mere sound of your partner’s chewing has you pondering divorce. Maybe you just need a vacation. Or maybe you’re in perimenopause.

Depending on your age, family history, and other factors, a cluster of changes like these may be a sign that you’ve begun the menopausal transition, according to the National Institute on dAging. Perimenopause—the transition leading up to menopause and extending through the first 12 months after your final period—often begins in your 40s, though it can begin earlier. And while it generally lasts between five and ten years, there’s no standard timeline: It can be much longer or much shorter, according to the journal Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology. Perimenopause ultimately leads up to your final menstrual period, which marks menopause and is confirmed retroactively after you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period.

Your body undergoes significant changes through this transition, and some of the ways you care for it may need to change, too. This can mean tracking new symptoms, adjusting everyday habits, and paying extra attention to your nutritional needs. If a multivitamin is part of your routine, you can look for one formulated for this life stage.

It’s normal to feel apprehensive about any major life transition. Understanding what’s actually happening in your body can make the unknown feel a little less daunting; here, Ritual breaks down what to expect during perimenopause and how to support yourself through the transition.

Perimenopause, which literally means “around menopause,” is the transition from your reproductive years to menopause. During this time, ovarian function declines, leading to hormonal changes that can cause a range of symptoms.

Your ovaries are still functioning throughout perimenopause, but ovulation can become less consistent, occurring during some cycles and not others. Your period may show up earlier or later than expected, or with a different flow than you’re used to.

Unlike menopause itself, which is a single point marked by a person’s last menstrual period, and confirmed after 12 consecutive months without a period, perimenopause is a process that may unfold over years. Its timing and patterns vary from person to person, and the transition isn’t linear. Symptoms may come and go or change in intensity over time.

Perimenopause typically lasts between five and 10 years, but its duration varies considerably from person to person. The transition tends to run longer for those who start younger.

Perimenopause most often begins in your 40s, though some people enter the transition in their 30s. Research indicates that most women have entered perimenopause by ages 45 to 47.

The age at which you ultimately reach menopause varies from person to person, too, which can—but doesn’t always—affect when perimenopause begins. Genetics play a role in this timing: Women whose mothers experienced early menopause are more likely to experience early menopause themselves. Smoking is also associated with earlier menopause, with heavier and longer-term smoking linked to greater risk. Certain gynecological surgeries and some cancer treatments can affect menopause timing as well.

The earliest clues your body is beginning the menopausal transition are usually subtle cycle changes. Your periods might arrive a few days earlier or later than you’re used to, and your flow may become lighter or heavier. Clinically, you’ve officially entered early perimenopause when there’s a consistent difference of seven days or more from one cycle to the next—meaning one cycle might last 28 days, another 36, and another 30. PMS symptoms can become more noticeable or worsen as well.

You may begin to experience other changes during this stage, too. Sleep can become disrupted, and you may find yourself waking more frequently throughout the night. Hot flashes and night sweats may begin to appear as well, although they become more common as the transition progresses. Some women also notice changes in memory and focus

Late perimenopause brings more significant changes. At this point, you might start skipping periods altogether Clinically speaking, going 60 days or longer without a period officially marks the start of this phase. Symptom severity tends to rise in late perimenopause, too. Hot flashes and night sweats become more common, while sleep issues, mood changes, cognitive changes, and vaginal dryness may also occur. This phase typically lasts about one to three years before your final period.

Perimenopause involves changes in several reproductive hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Here’s what happens to each as you move through the transition:

Estrogen levels become more unpredictable. During a typical menstrual cycle, estrogen rises and falls in a relatively predictable pattern. In perimenopause, those fluctuations can become more erratic, and estrogen ultimately declines through this life stage. Postmenopause, estrogen levels remain low for the remainder of a woman’s life.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) rises. FSH generally increases during perimenopause, although levels can fluctuate considerably throughout the transition. Because of this variability, a single FSH measurement isn’t considered a reliable way to diagnose perimenopause.

Progesterone becomes less consistent. Progesterone levels rise after ovulation. As ovulation becomes less consistent during perimenopause, progesterone production can become less consistent, too.

Testosterone declines. Testosterone plays a role in women’s sexual and reproductive health. Its levels tend to decrease throughout perimenopause.

These hormonal changes affect more than your menstrual cycle. Estrogen, for example, plays a role in regulating body temperature, sleep, mood, and cognitive function, among other processes, which helps explain why perimenopause can include a wide range of disruptive symptoms.

Perimenopause can affect your menstrual cycle, body temperature, sleep, mood, cognition, and sexual health. Everyone experiences the transition differently, and symptoms may come and go or change in intensity over time.

Here’s a quick list of symptoms you might notice:

What you might notice: Shorter or longer cycles, heavier or lighter flow, skipped periods

What you might notice: Hot flashes, night sweats

What you might notice: Trouble staying asleep, more frequent nighttime waking

What you might notice: Feelings of irritability, anxiety, or low mood

What you might notice: Forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating

What you might notice: Vaginal dryness, pain during sex, lower libido

Some of these symptoms may be unfamiliar. Here’s a closer look at each cluster of changes and how symptoms might show up for you.

You made peace with your period years ago, but now it’s ready to renegotiate the terms. In perimenopause, your cycles can become less predictable than before. They may be shorter or longer than you’re used to, and your flow may be heavier or lighter. You may also begin skipping periods altogether.

Vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats)

Hot flashes are basically exactly what they sound like: sudden waves of heat in the face, neck, and chest that may be accompanied by flushing, sweating, a racing heartbeat, and discomfort lasting a few minutes. When they happen at night during sleep, they’re known as night sweats.

Sleep can become disrupted during perimenopause, which can lead to more nighttime waking and difficulty staying asleep.

Your periods aren’t the only things that become unpredictable in perimenopause. You may also experience changes in mood that seemingly come out of nowhere, including feelings of irritability, anxiousness, or sadness.

Even the sharpest minds can start to feel a bit squishy during perimenopause. You may find yourself forgetting things more often or having a harder time concentrating—experiences commonly described as “brain fog.”

Things may start to feel different below the belt, too. Hormonal changes during the menopausal transition can contribute to vaginal dryness and irritation, pain or discomfort during sex, urinary symptoms, and changes in sexual desire.

You might experience several of these symptoms, only one or two, or none at all. The symptoms you notice—and their intensity—can also change as you move through the transition.

Not every perimenopause symptom requires a trip to your healthcare provider, but you don’t have to simply power through them, either. If your symptoms are affecting your quality of life or if you’re unsure whether perimenopause is behind the changes you’re experiencing, meeting with a healthcare provider can help. Depending on your symptoms and individual needs, a provider can talk you through options that may include menopausal hormone therapy or non-hormonal approaches.

Shifts in your period are common during perimenopause, but certain bleeding patterns are worth discussing with your healthcare provider, including:

Perimenopause is a time of significant change for your body. You can help support it through the transition by adopting, or maintaining, a few healthy habits.

Perimenopause is a natural transition, but that doesn’t mean navigating it comes naturally. Understanding what’s happening in your body, and what you can do about it, can help you make more informed decisions about your health. From irregular periods and hot flashes to changes in sleep, mood, and focus, the symptoms you experience during this transition reflect real physiological shifts. So if you’re feeling out of sorts, it’s not all in your head. It’s biology.

Tracking your symptoms, working with a provider you trust, and supporting your body with healthy habits can help you move through the transition with more agency.

It can be difficult to determine if you are in perimenopause. A healthcare provider may consider factors such as age, changes in your menstrual cycles, the presence of common symptoms, and your family history to help determine whether or not you are likely to be in perimenopause. Hormone testing may help support the hypothesis that you’ve entered this phase under certain circumstances, but it is generally not recommended by experts as a way to determine if someone is in perimenopause. This is because hormone levels fluctuate significantly during perimenopause, so hormone test results may be unreliable and add confusion rather than clarity.

Common signs of perimenopause include irregular periods, changes in menstrual flow, hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and sleep disruptions. If you’re in your 30s or 40s and are experiencing one or more of these changes, perimenopause could be one possible explanation.

What are the stages of the menopausal transition?

Experts break reproductive aging into seven stages. Perimenopause includes the early menopausal transition, the late menopausal transition, and the first year postmenopause.

Seven common signs of perimenopause include irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep problems, vaginal dryness, and lower libido. Other signs can include fatigue, trouble concentrating, and changes in your hair or skin.

What should you avoid during perimenopause?

There’s no universal list of things to avoid during perimenopause, but certain habits may be associated with symptoms. Alcohol consumption and smoking have both been associated with hot flashes. Managing chronic stress may help, too, since stress can affect how you experience menopausal symptoms.

Before starting any new supplement or remedy, it’s a good idea to check in with a healthcare professional.

This story was produced by Ritual and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Originally published on ritual.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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