Menopause FatigueQUESTION: Menopause fatigue: Is it common to feel fatigued all the time during menopause? I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open at work. RESPONSE: Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported symptoms of menopause. Although menopause itself or the change in hormones doesn't cause the exhaustion, all the associated symptoms will. For example, night sweats can keep you up at night resulting in poor quality and quantity of rest. Insomnia is very common during menopause. In fact, your body needs as much sleep as a teenager does because of your changing hormones, but frequently this is not what women are getting, partly due to their busy lives in midlife, and partly because they don't know that they need more sleep. Well, now you do! Stress is also a major factor that often occurs during midlife when you're trying to balance your changing body with everything else you are doing in midlife. Often women in midlife are caught between caring for teenagers and elderly parents, and juggling career responsibilites and their spouses who are also going through male menopause. It's enough to make anyone exhausted! If what you are calling "menopause fatigue" continues to be a problem, you will want to see your family physician to see if you are suffering from some other condition that's causing you to feel tired all the time. I won't go into all the possiblities here because the list is far too long, and I might just frighten you for no good reason. Once you know that there are no other medical conditions that are making your exhausted, it is time to focus on caring for yourself better, and getting more sleep.
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