Latest news with #hormonalchanges
New York Times
4 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Perimenopause Is Ruining My Sleep. What Can I Do?
Q: I'm a woman in my 40s and never seem to get a good night's sleep. How can I get some rest? Maybe you toss and turn before dozing off, or you wake at 3 a.m., drenched in sweat, and can't fall back asleep. These are common scenarios during perimenopause, the time of transition just before menopause when a woman's period becomes irregular and her estrogen levels start to dip. Perimenopause typically begins during a woman's 40s, and having trouble sleeping is 'probably the most distressing symptom,' said Dr. Karen Adams, director of the Program in Menopause and Healthy Aging at Stanford Medicine. But the good news, she added, is that perimenopause-related sleep issues are 'absolutely treatable.' Here is why they occur and how to mitigate them. Why perimenopause affects sleep Hormonal shifts during perimenopause (and later, during menopause) disrupt the body's ability to regulate temperature, causing hot flashes and night sweats that can interfere with sleep, Dr. Adams said. Anxiety and depression, which are also common during this stage, are big sleep sinkers, too, said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic's Center for Women's Health in Jacksonville, Fla. Women usually have a lot going on during the perimenopause years, Dr. Faubion said, including caring for children or aging parents and addressing work pressures and lengthy to-do lists. These problems alone may keep them up at night, and not sleeping can compound the issues, creating a vicious cycle, she said. Add in perimenopausal hormone shifts, and it can be even more difficult to get some rest. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Menopause. Manopause. Why We're Finally Talking About Both.
For decades, menopause has been a whispered word spoken behind closed doors, misunderstood, and often dismissed as 'just a women's issue.' But now, with more women in leadership, media, and medicine driving the conversation, menopause is stepping into the spotlight and it's about time. Meanwhile, a new term is quietly surfacing in parallel: manopause. While some write it off as satire or exaggeration, others are leaning in, asking serious questions about the hormonal and emotional changes men experience as they age, and whether it's time we bring that out of the shadows too. Let's unpack both. Menopause. Manopause. Why We're Finally Talking About Both. Menopause isn't a single moment. It's a transition that spans years from perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, and marked by declining estrogen, hormonal chaos, and a host of physical and emotional changes. Hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog, fatigue, sleep disruption, and anxiety aren't just inconvenient. They're debilitating, and they impact everything from work performance to personal relationships. Yet for too long, menopause has been brushed aside. Women have been told to 'power through,' often suffering in silence in boardrooms, on Zoom calls, or mid-presentation. Why? Because the workplace was never designed with this life stage in mind. That's beginning to change. Forward-thinking companies are now offering menopause benefits. Health tech platforms are customizing care. Celebrities and executives are speaking out, including Elle Macpherson, a global supermodel and now a wellness icon. Through her company WelleCo, she's reshaping the conversation around menopause, spotlighting midlife as a time of strength, not shame, and offering plant-based, science-backed solutions that empower women to thrive. For Elle, wellness isn't cosmetic, it's holistic. And she's proving that midlife isn't something to something to own. Menopause is no longer taboo. It's a business issue. It's a cultural issue. It's a human issue. Here's where it gets interesting. While men don't have a single, defining hormonal event like menopause, they do experience a gradual decline in testosterone, starting around age 30. Some men report fatigue, depression, loss of libido, irritability and even hot flashes. Sound familiar? While science hasn't fully validated andropause, or as we're now calling it, manopause, as a medical equivalent to menopause, the conversation is gaining traction. Maybe it's less about comparing biology and more about normalizing the reality: hormonal shifts impact everyone. Call it midlife reckoning, male menopause, or just aging with awareness, the point is emotions, energy levels, and self-identity shift. And just like women, men deserve the space to acknowledge those changes without shame. We've long prioritized early-career perks, maternity leave, and retirement planning. But what about the decades in between? Menopause and manopause hit at the height of most people's careers. These life stages are rich with leadership wisdom, perspective, and power, yet too often, they're treated like liability instead of opportunity. What if, instead of hiding these transitions, we honored them? The companies that lead on this won't just retain talent, they'll create loyal, energized, and human-centered cultures. Here's the truth: menopause isn't the end of something; it's the beginning of owning your body and your voice in a whole new way. And manopause? Maybe it's not a crisis, maybe it's a moment to reassess what strength really looks like. Shelley Zalis is the CEO of The Female Quotient and a three-time movement maker redefining the workplace for the modern era. She believes in the power of collaboration, conversation, and closing the gaps that hold us back.
Washington Post
19-05-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
How to banish dry skin as you age
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with any advertisers on this site. Noticing that your skin is drier and more sensitive than it was years earlier? Decades of sun exposure certainly can play a part, but so do the natural changes of aging. For instance, hormonal shifts mean that your skin produces less oil than it used to. And it becomes more prone to breaking down.
