Period FAQs

why does your period make you tired

by Daphnee Bednar Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Heavy menstrual bleeding often causes women to feel tired, commonly known as period fatigue. This is normal due to the decrease in oestrogen levels, which occurs around this point in your menstrual cycle. Your energy levels will usually return to normal within a few days as your hormone levels begin to increase again.Jul 9, 2019

Full Answer

Why you should not ignore tiredness during your period?

  • Stress. Believe it or not, being under stress (especially when its chronic) can throw a wrench in your menstrual activity.
  • Extreme fluctuations in weight and physical activity. ...
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome, aka PCOS. ...
  • Hormonal birth control. ...
  • Perimenopause. ...

Why do I get so Moody before my period?

Mood swings are common before a period. According to the MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health, some people are hypersensitive to natural hormone changes that happen during the menstrual cycle. This hypersensitivity may predispose a person to premenstrual mood swings.

Why is my period so heavy all of the sudden?

That might mean you:

  • soak through one or more pads or tampons per hour for several hours in a row
  • need to change your pad or tampon in the middle of the night
  • need to double up on pads
  • pass blood clots that are bigger than a quarter
  • have constant or intense abdominal cramping during your period
  • avoid doing the things you normally do because your period feels too heavy

More items...

Why am I so tired when I Have my period?

What causes period fatigue?

  • Hormonal changes. During menstruation, your body experiences changes in hormone levels that can leave you feeling tired, Mandal says.
  • Blood and associative iron loss. Additionally, the blood loss during your period can contribute to fatigue due to a loss of iron. ...
  • Dehydration and stress. ...

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How long after ovulation do you feel less tired?

There’s not much you can do about your body’s natural cycle, but the good news is that your energy levels tend to peak during ovulation, which is generally about two weeks after the start of your period.

How to get tired when you're tired?

There are natural ways of helping your body out when its feeling tired though; drinking water, getting at least eight hours sleep and exercising is all useful, general advice. But according to Nicole Telfer, Science Content Producer at period tracking app Clue, there are different ways to overcome your tiredness depending on what's causing it.

What happens when your uterus isn't invaded by a fertilised egg?

Then, when your uterine lining isn’t invaded by a fertilised egg, the hormones sustaining the environment aren’t needed anymore and the hormone levels plummet. When this happens, your body goes from high alert to nothing hormonally and that shift causes other changes, which are exhausting.

What foods can help with energy during menstruation?

Instead of reaching for a slab of Dairy Milk, a few foods likely to boost your energy levels while menstruating include oats (for slow release energy), red meat, ...

Can light therapy help with premenstrual mood disorder?

If you have a premenstrual mood disorder, the expert suggests you're "more likely to experience sleep disturbances like insomnia, hypersomnia, fatigue, and even disturbing dreams during the luteal phase (the second part of the menstrual cycle) which could be due to disruption in circadian rhythms." In order to overcome this, Nicole explains that some researchers suggest using light therapy may help people with severe cases, but more research in the area is needed.

Can menstrual cycle cause depression?

As well as feeling irritable and depressed, people who menstruate can also become very drained and weary, he adds (lucky us!). "It is thought that PMS could be triggered by a drop in oestrogen and serotonin, resulting in a double whammy for mood swings and energy levels."

How to help with period fatigue?

It is a symptom of PMS. Some people may be able to alleviate period fatigue and other PMS symptoms using home remedies, such as exercise, relaxation, and alternative therapies. Others may require medical treatment. Anyone who is concerned about period fatigue should see a doctor.

What are the symptoms of a period?

Symptoms can include weakness and fatigue. Food cravings: During a period, a person may experience food cravings. Eating too much food could lead to a spike and subsequent dip in blood glucose levels. This dip could leave a person feeling tired and fatigued.

What is PMS fatigue?

According to the Office on Women’s Health, as many as 5% of females of childbearing age experience a more severe form of PMS known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Why is it so hard to sleep during the night?

Disturbed sleep: Period pains and mood changes may make it difficult for a person to get to sleep or stay asleep throughout the night. The person may then experience tiredness and fatigue the following day.

What happens if you have low iron during your period?

Low iron: Heavy bleeding during a period could lead to iron deficiency anemia. Without sufficient iron, the body is unable to produce the hemoglobin that red blood cells require to transport oxygen to the body’s cells. Symptoms can include weakness and fatigue.

How to prevent fatigue from dehydration?

Staying hydrated: Dehydration can worsen fatigue. Drinking fluids at regular intervals will help prevent dehydration.

How to improve sleep quality during period?

A person’s baseline body temperature increases by about 0.5°C before their period, which may contribute to poor or interrupted sleep. Lowering the room temperature slightly may help improve comfort and sleep quality, resulting in less fatigue the following day.

Why is it so hard to fall asleep during my period?

Stress: As we mentioned before, periods cause extra stress. This can make it hard to fall or stay asleep—despite making you feel so tired.

What happens when you have your period?

In the weeks leading up to your period, your body prepares for a potential pregnancy with spikes in your estrogen levels. These hormones work in overdrive to create the perfect environment for a fertilized egg. Once your period arrives, your body realizes that you no longer need those high estrogen levels to sustain a pregnancy, causing them to drop off.

What can I do to relieve menstrual fatigue?

When it comes to abnormal period symptoms, the key is to find and treat the underlying cause. That is why it is important to find a doctor who is willing to take the time to really talk with you and understand your symptoms.

How long does it take for fatigue to start before your period?

While you might think that 7-days of menstrual fatigue sounds manageable, this tiredness can actually begin several days before your period does. For many women, PMS or PMDD causes fatigue and other negative symptoms in the days or weeks leading up to their period.

What hormones cause fatigue?

Estrogen dominance—fatigue from high levels of estrogen. While estrogen can give you energy, abnormally high levels of estrogen creates a hormonal imbalance. Your body’s estrogen will begin overpowering your body’s progesterone levels. Progesterone is responsible for regulating your period.

What hormones are responsible for regulating your period?

Progesterone is responsible for regulating your period. It also plays a key role in offsetting the negative side effects that estrogen can create. One of these—as you may have guessed—is fatigue. When your estrogen levels are much higher than your progesterone levels, this condition is called estrogen dominance.

What happens when you are in menopause?

As your body prepares for menopause, you will begin to notice differences in your period, body, and overall well being. This may include fatigue. Harvard Health Publishing reports that 40% of perimenopausal women have difficulty sleeping. Fatigue and other pre-menopausal challenges can seem overwhelming and inevitable.

How to get rid of tiredness during period?

Some ways to combat the feeling of tiredness during your period include drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration, eating healthy, getting at least 8 hours of sleep, and doing some physical activity or exercise – as it is the best fighter of fatigue.

When Is a Period Heavy?

Though the degree of menstrual bleeding differs from woman to woman, a period can be considered ‘heavy” when the following symptoms occur:

How to tell if you have thyroid problems?

Your GP can determine if you have a thyroid problem by carrying out a thyroid function test, taking a blood sample to measure hormone levels. If diagnosed, hormone replacement tablets are prescribed and should be taken daily, with blood tests being carried out regularly to monitor hormone levels.

What is it called when you have a heavy period?

Many women suffer from menorrhagia, which is more commonly known as heavy periods. Around 1 in 3 women will seek treatment for the issue.

How long does it take for energy levels to return to normal?

Your energy levels will usually return to normal within a few days as your hormone levels begin to increase again. However, for some women, fatigue may last longer and be more extreme. Some women may find themselves completely sluggish and unable to properly carry out routine activities, signifying something more severe.

How to get rid of tiredness during period?

Keep An Eye On Your Diet. Along with water, it seems that you need to watch your diet during the more fatiguing parts of your period, to try and counteract the exhaustion. Good sources of iron are particularly useful, to counteract any tiredness-triggering iron loss; get yourself some red meat, spinach or sardines.

What to eat during your period to get rid of fatigue?

Good sources of iron are particularly useful, to counteract any tiredness-triggering iron loss; get yourself some red meat, spinach or sardines. You may also want to stay away from carbohydrates and load up on healthy fats and vitamins, to help you process nutrients and give you maximum energy.

What happens to estrogen before the period?

when the womb sheds its lining, creating a period), levels of estrogen and progesterone lower, which means that energy may be at a low ebb.

What does it mean when you have a heavy period?

The technical term for a heavy period is menorrhagia, and it can show up in several ways: going through many menstrual products in a short time, bleeding for longer than a week, or having blood clots appear in your flow beyond a 24-hour period.

What is the meaning of "menstrual cycle"?

Menstrual cycles involve a complex interplay of hormones and bodily processes, plus various underlying conditions that may be causing variation, so you can't draw any conclusions just because your friend Lizzie's cousin's boss got tired during her period, and shortly thereafter her womb exploded. (Or something to that effect.)

Is everyone's period different?

The main lesson to take away from this article is that everybody's period is different. Menstrual cycles involve a complex interplay of hormones and bodily processes, plus various underlying conditions that may be causing variation, so you can't draw any conclusions just because your friend Lizzie's cousin's boss got tired during her period, and shortly thereafter her womb exploded. (Or something to that effect.) Exhaustion during menstruation is annoying, but it can be dealt with, and medical professionals won't find it puzzling or shocking.

Can you nap during your period?

And yes, you can have that nap. 1. Don't Panic. It seems as if hormonal levels may be at least partially to blame for increased fatigue at the start of your period, because of the impact that estrogen and progesterone have on your body's energy levels.

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