Why Am I So Tired On My Period?

Is it okay to be tired on your period?

Track your health and wellness with Everlywell – During the luteal and menstrual phases of your menstrual cycle, fluctuations in hormone levels, iron deficiencies, and low blood sugar levels can contribute to feelings of tiredness or fatigue. Fortunately, energy levels often increase during the follicular stage and ovulation as estrogen levels begin to balance out.

• However, if you feel you’re experiencing significant energy shifts or hormonal imbalances, consider gaining a deeper insight into your body’s unique cycle with the Everlywell At-Home Women’s Health Test,
• With Everlywell, you’ll receive a comprehensive hormone panel (reviewed by CLIA-certified labs and board-certified physicians) that can help you understand your symptoms so that you can confidently take the next step toward greater equilibrium.

Period. Understanding low energy levels in females Do women need more sleep? What This Women’s Hormone Test Can Reveal About Your Health References

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2. Epperson C, Amin Z. Interactive effects of estrogen and serotonin on brain activation during working memory and affective processing in menopausal women. Psychoneuroendocrinology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3226892/. Published August 5, 2011. Accessed April 9, 2023.
3. Reed B, Carr B. The normal menstrual cycle and the control of ovulation. Endotext. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279054/. Published August 5, 2018. Accessed April 9, 2023.
4. Serotonin. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin. Published March 18, 2022. Accessed April 9, 2023.
5. Bashaw M, Pathak D, Moody S, Gilder R. An overlooked connection: serotonergic mediation of estrogen-related physiology and pathology. BMC Womens Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1327664/. doi: 10.1186/1472-6874-5-12. Accessed April 9, 2023.
6. Iron-deficiency anemia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/anemia/iron-deficiency-anemia. Published March 24, 2023. Accessed April 9, 2023.
7. Krishnan S, Tryon R, Welch L, Horn W, Keim N. Menstrual cycle hormones, food intake, and cravings. The FASEB Journal. https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.418.6. Published April 1, 2016. Accessed April 9, 2023.
8. Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia). CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/low-blood-sugar.html. Published December 30, 2022. Accessed April 9, 2023.
9. Follicular phase. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23953-follicular-phase. Published August 8, 2022. Accessed April 9, 2023.
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13. Premenstrual Syndrome. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24288-pms-premenstrual-syndrome. Published October 12, 2022. Accessed April 9, 2023.
14. High estrogen. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22363-high-estrogen. Published February 9, 2022. Accessed April 9, 2023.

How much sleep does a girl on her period need?

Feeling cranky? It might not be PMS. Feeling cranky? It might not be PMS. The week before I get my period, everything feels harder: exercise is like wading through concrete; everyone annoys me, often simply by opening their mouths; and I am suddenly ravenous.

A girlfriend once told me she could almost ‘feel the hate drain from her body’ (if you’ll excuse the graphic metaphor) when her period finally came. It made me laugh, because I couldrelate. Oh boy, could I relate. Sure, herein lies another short straw of womanhood – but what can you do? Usually, I tend to bunker down, armed with a few blocks of Cadbury, and weather the storm.

I’ve always blamed hormones for this mental and physical rollercoaster and, until recently, it had never occured to me that women should be getting more sleep before our periods. But according to sleep expert Dr Carmel Harrington, in addition to the 10 tonnes of caramello, often this is what our body is crying out for.

1. This is not well-known but I think it should be,” Dr Harrington tells me, down the phone.
2. Young fertile women need an extra half an hour, minimum, in the second half of our cycles, due to the increase in progesterone, which leaves us sleepy, she says.
3. The problem of course being that for most women – many of whom, like me, are falling short as it is – sneaking in an extra half an hour is a fantasy, up there with daily yoga and celery juice.

Dr Harrington gets it, she really does, but the problem is, she says, that we are paying for this “sleep debt” as a result. “Normally in this day and age, where women have 9-5 jobs, you can’t sleep in extra and so you ignore that feeling and as it goes on through the second half of your cycle, towards the last 10 or 12 days, you’re actually very sleep deprived.

• If you’re not responding to that tiredness, you start to get all the characteristics of being sleep deprived: you’re cranky, you’re moody, you can be a little bit emotional, all those characteristics are now being treated as PMS.” I recently tracked my sleep using new A.H.
• Beard sleep technology, which showed I feel asleep in three minutes and slept for nine hours (it was the weekend).

A slumber even I was surprised by, given I’m usually scraping the barrel with six – maybe seven, if I’m lucky – hours a night. But Dr Harrington says this is clear evidence of my own “sleep debt”. She says women my age, in their late 20s, should be aiming for eight hours of sleep a night, and an extra half hour on top of that in the second half of our cycles.

Meaning by Dr Harrington’s calculations, most days I am falling shamefully short. The answer, while not particularly groundbreaking or sexy, is to go to bed earlier, Dr Carrington says, promising “because you are tireder you will be able to go to sleep”. The only problem being that most of us have a “peak of alertness” at around 9pm, which means if we try to go to sleep then (or earlier) we often end up tossing and turning.

“One of the ways we can affect that peak is to reset your biological clock. So if you wake up at 8am around about 16 hours later you’ll be ready to go to sleep. So the most important thing we can do is to wake up at the same time every day.”

What part of your cycle are you most tired?

If you’ve ever felt sluggish and exhausted on certain days of the month, you might have wondered when you are most tired during your menstrual cycle. During your menstrual cycle, you will likely feel the most tired during the luteal phase (post-ovulation) when estrogen levels drop.

• The corresponding rise in progesterone levels also has a depressant effect, leaving you tired and sluggish.
• Mood changes and discomfort are common before and during a person’s menstrual cycle.
• You’ve likely learned what to expect from your body during menstruation, but hormonal fluctuations affect your body throughout the entire month.

Your mood and energy levels consistently change due to hormonal shifts during your cycle. This is why you may be more productive during certain weeks than others. Let’s explore the sequence of events your body goes through each month and learn more about identifying these changes so you can maximize your mood and productivity during different points in your cycle.

Do you gain weight on your period?

How much weight gain is normal during your period? – The amount of weight gain you experience during your period can vary from woman to woman. On average, women may gain anywhere from 1 to 5 pounds or 0.4 to 2.2 kilograms during their period. However, it’s important to note that this weight gain is usually temporary and should go away once your period is over.

When does period weight go away?

When Does Period Weight Gain Go Away? – Whether you typically lose weight after your period is another common question we hear. Generally, your weight will usually return to normal 3 to 5 days after your bleeding begins during your menstrual cycle. It is also possible to reduce PMS symptoms like period weight gain with some home remedies and lifestyle changes (diet, exercise and behavioural changes). Overall, there isn’t anything you can do to avoid period weight gain but there are ways you can minimise it. If weight fluctuations and PMS symptoms significantly interfere with your daily life, we recommend that you seek medical advice from your healthcare provider.

Should I eat more or less on my period?

Feature Image by Dylan Lu Whenever it’s that time of the month, we constantly crave carbs and sweets like french fries, pizza, and chocolate, which makes it more difficult to stick to a healthy, balanced diet. But you shouldn’t feel guilty when you’re giving into your cravings.

• In fact, it’s completely normal and OK to eat more during your period.
• We explain why, below! Your body needs more calories when menstruating Your menstrual cycle increases your metabolic rate, which is the amount of energy you expend while at rest.
• The weeks leading up to your period, you actually burn more calories than any other time of the month.

When your period does finally come, your body has used up a lot of its fuel, so it’s no wonder why you’re so hungry. There’s a change in hormone levels There are two main phases of a period: the follicular phase and the luteal phase. The levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone go up and down during the different phases of your period, which affects your hunger levels.

• The body craves mood-boosting foods The rise in estrogen during the follicular phase can leave you feeling moody, cranky, and sad.
• Therefore, your body craves foods that will give you a quick energy boost.
• For example, when you bite into a chocolate bar, you feel comforted and lifted all at once.
• The high feeling you get is the result of chocolate, carbs, and sugar-laden foods that offer a boost of serotonin and dopamine.

Your blood sugar changes Yep, your period also affects your blood sugar level. Because of this, women are more responsive to insulin (the hormone that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood) when they’re on their periods. Cravings for chocolate and sugary foods are normal in response to your body’s need to raise its blood sugar levels.

Just be sure to limit your intake of sugary foods, which provide a quick boost but will leave you feeling tired shortly after. Your body is fatigued Changes in diet during your period are a natural response to fatigue and a drop in iron levels. The simple fact that your body is tired and taking on the internal stress of a menstrual cycle on top of your everyday responsibilities, means it’s perfectly OK to eat more during your cycle.

However, it’s important to also eat whole, nutritious meals with lots of greens to restore your iron levels. xx, The FabFitFun Team Do you tend to lose track of your menstrual cycle? These period tracking apps will make your life so much easier,

Why do you want to eat a lot on your period?

Blame It (Partially) on the Hormones – There is good evidence that progestogens, such as progesterone, can stimulate appetite. Levels of this sex hormone reach their peak about one week before menstruation begins, which can help explain pre-period munchies.

In a similar vein, while BMR decreases during menstruation, it rises to its maximum just prior to it. The variations in BMR during a menstrual cycle have been estimated by researchers as roughly 8 percent, or 164 Calories, That is roughly the amount of energy found in 1.5 navel oranges, or ¾ of a Kit-Kat bar.

It’s not a huge amount, but it is big enough to impact your hunger leading up to and at the beginning of your period. Still, we likely cannot blame our menstruation-related hungers completely on physiology. Food is comforting, and when you are feeling crampy or emotional, comfort foods are especially appealing.

It doesn’t hurt either that chocolates and sweets have come to be associated with menstruation, with marketing campaigns and depictions in the media reinforcing this link. So, in the end, while we may feel hungry just before, or during, our periods for several societal, physiological, and psychological reasons, we do not need to consume more Calories.

There is, however, a small increase in caloric demands during the two weeks leading up to menstruation, although it is small enough that it is likely met through normal fluctuations in our diets. Please though, do not let this article dissuade you from eating your favorite foods on your period.

What should I eat when tired on my period?

Wholegrains. Along with protein, wholegrains help to balance blood sugar levels by releasing energy steadily. They are also a source of fibre needed to clear out old hormones and toxins. Good sources include brown rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, whole wheat pasta.

What is the longest a girl should be on her period?

What to expect – Periods can last anything between 4 and 8 days, but usually last for about 5 days. The bleeding tends to be heaviest in the first 2 days – but everyone is different. When your period is at its heaviest, the blood will be red. On lighter days, it may be pink, brown or black.

Do you bleed less when you sleep on your period?

Rate and amount of menstrual bleeding is different for each individual. The amount does not change day to night. Your period doesn’t care if you’re sleeping or not, and flow continues. The difficulty with night time is that we are not as aware of what is going on.

1. We sleep for six to eight hours or more, and are much less likely to get up and check flow status then we are during the day.
2. If you are bleeding through on a regular basis, be sure to get up once at night and change your pad and tampon.
3. I also want to point out the role gravity plays at night.
4. While on your period you experience small uterine contractions that help expel blood and tissue from your uterus.

During the day while standing or sitting, the menstrual flow easily falls straight downward (this is the gravity part) onto your pad or tampon. Now at night, this process continues while you are sleeping and laying flat. As the blood comes out, instead of going directly on the pad like when we are standing up (simply flowing directly downward), it seems to go everywhere and anywhere else.

• Don’t we all have “period underwear”? Stains on the back of our underwear, straight through to the bed sheets and sometimes even on the comforter.
• Ugh! Sleep on your side and the bleeding tends to fall towards the inside of your leg closest to the bed, pajamas, sheets and comforter.
• Frustrating.
• Be sure to wear the pad and/or tampon with the right amount of absorbency.

Wear firm-fitting underwear to hold the pad close against your body. It is fine to wear tampons at night, though you should change after 6-8 hours. If your period is excessively heavy, where you need to change your pad or tampon every two hours or more, or you are passing clots bigger than a quarter, you should contact your healthcare provider. When it comes to periods, there really is no “should be” — we’re all different. I have two or three really heavy days (and nights) when I’m menstruating, too. I think your tampon plus an overnight pad is a good plan, but if you’re soaking through you may need to set your alarm for a middle-of-the-night change. Every woman’s flow is different and can change not only with each period but her throughout her lifetime. For the first few years of my period my flow was really heavy. As I’ve gotten older it has slowed a bit. But even at its heaviest, I don’t remember ever soaking through a tampon and a super pad. I think it would be good idea to see what our Health Expert Michelle has to say about this.