Menopause Fatigue Explained: How Estrogen, Cortisol, and Blood Sugar Hijack Your Energy

Feeling tired all the time, even after a full night’s sleep? Struggling with brain fog, hot flashes at night, or that wired-but-exhausted feeling? You’re not alone-and you’re not imagining it.

In this episode of Joyful Menopause, we dive into the real reasons behind the exhaustion so many women feel during perimenopause and menopause. From unstable blood sugar and cortisol imbalances to poor sleep and hormone shifts, we uncover what’s really going on in your body, and how to start getting your energy back.

You’ll learn:

 ✔️ How estrogen affects weight loss and energy
 ✔️ What unstable blood sugar has to do with mood, anxiety, and midlife weight gain
 ✔️ Why menopause sleep problems (like insomnia, night sweats, and waking up wired) are so common—and what to do about them
 ✔️ How to calm cortisol and finally get deep, restorative sleep
 ✔️ Simple food and lifestyle strategies to support your body in this season

Whether you’re dealing with perimenopause sleep problems, brain fog in perimenopause, or just feel like you’ve lost your spark—this episode is your roadmap to reclaiming it.

✨ Ready for a deeper shift? Learn more about the Be Well Joyful Menopause Plan here: [https://bit.ly/joyfulmenopause]

✨ Don’t forget to like, subscribe, so you never miss an episode that helps you thrive in menopause!

When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you to feel your best during perimenopause and menopause:

1. Want more science-backed health tips? Click here to sign up for my free weekly newsletter for practical advice on navigating menopause with confidence:

2. Click here to get the free guide: 5 Natural Ways To Reduce Menopause Symptoms.

2. For more information about Lynda and how she supports women on their health journey, click here to learn more.

3. Interested in seeing if nutrition coaching with Lynda is right for you? Click here to book a free discovery call with Lynda.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You are not imagining it.
Menopause fatigue is real.
And if you feel like you'redragging through your day
needing caffeine or sugar justto stay upright, you are not
alone.
It's one of the most commonmenopause symptoms right up
there with hot flashes at night,brain fog and perimenopause, and
just overall menopause sleepproblems.
Welcome to Joyful Menopause.

(00:21):
Today we are talking aboutsomething so many of you have
told me you're struggling withfatigue, exhaustion, that bone
deep tiredness that no nap canfix.
In this episode, we're going tolook at why you're so tired,
even if you're technicallygetting enough sleep, the hidden
role of blood sugar swings andenergy crashes, how stress and
cortisol may be draining yourreserves and what you can do

(00:44):
starting today to feel more likeyourself again.
So let's get started.
Menopause doesn't have to feellike you are living in someone
else's body.
Your host, Lynda Enright, hasspent the last 25 years helping
women to thrive in midlife.
Here you'll find science-basedpractical advice that you can
start using today to get realresults for your health.
Welcome to Joyful Menopause.

(01:07):
Let's start with this.
Your body is doing a lot duringperimenopause and menopause.
Hormones like estrogen andprogesterone don't just affect
your period.
They influence everything fromyour brain to your blood sugar,
to how well you sleep at night.
That is part of why sleep andmenopause are so tightly
connected.
That means when those hormonesstart to shift, so does your

(01:29):
energy.
And for many women, what thatcan look like is feeling groggy
in the morning, no matter howlong you slept, needing sugar,
carbs, or coffee to push youthrough the afternoon, and maybe
feeling wired but tired atnight, unable to calm down and
truly rest.
This is a common sign ofmenopause insomnia.

(01:51):
Does any of that sound familiarto you?
One of the most overlookedenergy zappers during menopause
is unstable blood sugar.
Here's the thing, you don't haveto be diabetic or even
pre-diabetic for blood sugarswings to steal your energy.
When your blood sugar goes upquickly, say after a refined
sort of carb heavy meal or snackyour body responds by releasing

(02:14):
a burst of insulin to bring thatback down.
But during menopause, your bodymay become more insulin
resistant, meaning it doesn'thandle that rise as efficiently.
So that can lead to biggercrashes.
And with each crash, you'relikely to feel tired, shaky,
craving more sugar or caffeine.
You might feel anxious orirritable or like you just hit a

(02:36):
wall mid-afternoon.
Is that ringing any bells foryou?

It becomes a vicious cycle (02:40):
eat, crash, crave, repeat.
And every time your blood sugardips too low, your adrenal
glands release, cortisol, yourmain stress hormone, that brings
it back up.
So that's a big deal becauseelevated cortisol over time
doesn't just make you feel tiredand wired.
It contributes to belly fat,hormone disruption, menopause,

(03:03):
sleep problems, and even worsensbrain fog symptoms.
So if you're thinking I'm doingeverything right, but I still
feel exhausted, this could beyour missing link.
And also what I hear all thetime is I'm doing everything
right, but I keep gainingweight, particularly around the
abdomen.
If that's you and you'rewondering how to lose weight
during menopause, this may beyour missing link.

(03:25):
So here's what can help tostabilize your energy through
the day.
Number one, don't skip meals,especially breakfast.
Starting your day with proteincan help set your blood sugar up
for success all day long.
So also understand that doesn'tmean you have to get up and eat
at 7:00 AM It might not be untilnine or 10.
That can be totally okay if thatfeels good for your body.

(03:48):
But if you are sort of forcingyourself to wait to eat, then
you're sending a confusingmessage to your body that you
aren't nourishing it well.
And that's not going to workeither.
So that breakfast meal, seeingwhat works for you and the
timing is just fine.
But it's important to start outwith a good nourishing meal
earlier in your day.
We want to build meals aroundthree things, protein, fiber,

(04:10):
and healthy fat.
This slows digestion and keepsyour blood sugar more stable.
Protein from lean sources, fiberwith lots of fruits and
vegetables, maybe a little bitof whole grain and healthy fats,
things like nuts and seeds,olive oil, avocados, or fatty
fish for protein and healthyfat.
You want to limit ultraprocessed carbs and added

(04:33):
sugars.
They give you a quick boost ofenergy, but drop you hard
leaving, you feeling exhausted.
And then you want to watchcaffeine habits too.
Using caffeine to push throughthe dips and energy might just
kind of cover up the problem andthen worsen sleep later.
It is not just about what youeat, but how and when.

(04:53):
So eating erratically or grazingall day keeps your insulin on
overdrive.
So you want to have consistentmeals with enough nourishment,
allowing your body to relax andfocus on repair and not
emergency management all thetime.
So once you get your blood sugarunder control, the difference in
your energy can feel likeflipping a switch.

(05:16):
You're more clearheaded, moreeven tempered, and you don't
maybe feel like you need a napor a latte to make it to dinner.
So now let's talk about stress alittle bit and the hormone that
drives it, cortisol.
I already mentioned cortisol.
Cortisol isn't all bad.
In fact, it plays a reallyimportant role in your body.
It helps to regulate bloodpressure, blood sugar, and

(05:36):
immune function.
It gives you energy in themorning and helps you to respond
to challenges to get you startedin the day.
But here's the problem.
Cortisol is meant to go upbriefly, then come back down.
During menopause, because oflower levels of estrogen and
progesterone, which normallyhelps to buffer your body stress
response, you can become moresensitive to stress.

(05:58):
So what used to maybe roll offyour back now feels
overwhelming.
And your cortisol levels, theycan stay elevated longer than
they should.
So over time.
This can leave you again,feeling wired but tired,
anxious, irritable, on edge,craving sugar, or maybe carby
salty snacks.
And yes, drained, fatigued.

(06:19):
Your body is basically living ina low grade state of fight or
flight, and just like youwouldn't want to run a marathon
every day, you can't keepproducing cortisol at high
levels without at some pointburning out.
Chronic stress also interfereswith sleep, suppresses your
digestion and promotes fatstorage, especially around the
middle.
And if you're already dealingwith hormone changes in

(06:41):
menopause, this just compoundseverything.
So what can you do?
You can't eliminate all thestress, but you can change how
your body responds to it.
So that's the secret.
You want to start small withthese nervous system soothers
things that can calm yournervous system.
First thing you can do is getoutside and go for a walk,

(07:02):
especially in the light of themorning.
Just even 10 minutes in themorning can really help.
You want to try deep breathingor meditation just for five
minutes.
Or even just practice takingthree deep breaths throughout
your day.
So when you sit down to eat,when you're washing your hands
or when you're sitting at astoplight, something you could
do every time you have a desireto pick up your phone, take

(07:25):
three, three deep breaths.
You might find you get a lot ofrelaxation breathing builds into
your day.
You could also practice yoga,gentle stretching in the evening
before bed is wonderful to calmat the end of your day.
You can keep a journal.
A gratitude journal is awesome.
It's something to clear themental clutter before you go to

(07:45):
bed can be super helpful.
And create boundaries aroundnews, emails, social media.
They are really good atstimulating your nervous system,
which we're trying to avoid.
So these aren't just things thatare nice to have.
They are tools that lower yourcortisol and help your body get
back into a state of rest,repair and energy restoration,

(08:09):
bringing your energy back up.
And remember rest, it's not aperk, it's not a reward, it's an
absolute requirement, especiallyat this time in life.
And let's not forget the sleeppiece.
If you're not getting qualitysleep, you are not going to feel
rested.
Period.
Poor sleep is frustrating.
I know I've been there, but thething is it can affect

(08:29):
everything and I expect you'vemaybe been there too.
Sleep impacts your immunesystem, your mood, your weight,
and even brain health in thelong term.
Lack of restorative sleep hasbeen linked to depression,
anxiety, heart disease,Alzheimer's, weight gain, and
more.
That's because sleep is the timeyour body restores, it repairs

(08:50):
itself.
During deep sleep, you makegrowth hormone.
Your body produces growthhormone, which is critical for
muscle, bone, and tissue repair.
Your brain even clears out wastesomething that's called the
glymphatic system, which isreally more active during sleep
than it is when you're awake.
So this system helps to removesomething called beta amyloid

(09:10):
plaques, something you've maybeheard of.
It's the same protein that'sassociated with Alzheimer's
disease.
Sleep loss also disrupts yourhunger and fullness hormones,
ghrelin and leptin.
Which can make you crave sugarand carbs and lead to weight
gain.
And if you've ever felt moresort of emotionally reactive or
maybe foggy after a bad night'ssleep.

(09:32):
That's, you're not imaginingthat either.
Poor sleep increases stress,reduces impulse control and
amplifies negative emotions.
So it's not just a bad night.
It's a big deal, especially withpost menopause sleep problems
becoming more common andoverlooked.
Instead of chasing melatonin oranother sleep supplement, start

(09:53):
upstream balance your bloodsugar first with whole food
meals, like I talked about,protein, fiber, and nourishing
fats throughout your day.
Lower your cortisol with calmingroutines, especially before bed,
and then maybe rethink justnighttime habits you have.
Make your bedroom dark and cool.
Avoid screens before bed andcreate a predictable wind down

(10:14):
routine.
It's not just little kids thatneed that predictable wine down
routine at all ages, our bodyneeds that.
These things can really add upto build again, that foundation
that will allow for improvedsleep.
A few really powerful tips Ilove from the book, the Sleep
Solution.
Number one, expose yourselfagain to that morning light and

(10:36):
movement.
It sets your circadian clock.
Avoid eating heavy meals orprotein too close to bedtime.
Something that can be helpful, afew things tart cherry juice,
almonds, herbal teas likechamomile.
They actually support thenatural production of melatonin.
And if you wake up in the nightand you can't sleep, don't

(10:57):
panic.
Rest, just resting quietly canactually still give you benefits
for your brain and body.
Sleep isn't a luxury of course.
I'm sure you know that.
It's an important foundationalpart of your health and
improving it takes time andconsistency and a little
strategy.
So by now you might be thinking,I've tried these things, but I'm

(11:17):
still tired, I'm stilloverwhelmed, and I still don't
feel my like myself.
That's because while you knowthese small steps can help,
sometimes what you really needmight be a complete reset
looking at a lot of differentcomponents around your lifestyle
and your habits.
So you know, things like a wayto reconnect with your body,
understand really what is itasking for, and getting support

(11:39):
to make lasting changes.
That is exactly what I guidewomen through in my Be Well
Joyful Menopause Plan coachingprogram.
It's not about chasing a perfectdiet.
It's not about rigid rules oranother quick fix.
It's about really understandingwhat is going on in your body
and figuring out what to doabout it.
And I help you every step of theway.

(11:59):
So inside the program you get apersonalized plan that helps to
support your energy, yourhormones, your mood.
You learn how to fuel your bodyin a way that's satisfying,
nourishing, not stressful.
You understand what's behind thesymptoms, fatigue, weight gain,
brain fog, and poor sleep, andyou get tools to feel clearer,

(12:20):
stronger, and more groundedevery day.
You don't have to figure thisout on your own.
I created this program becauseI've worked with hundreds of
women who felt just like you,confused by the changes in their
body, dismissed by doctors andtired of feeling exhausted.
They wanted to feel vibrantagain, not just cope with
menopause, but actually make itjoyful and thrive in it.

(12:44):
And I want that for you too.
If you're ready for a biggershift, a sustainable one that
actually works in your reallife, join me in my Joyful
Menopause Plan program.
So you can go to the commentsbelow and find out more.
Before we go, I want to tell youabout my client, Karen.
When Karen came to me, she was51, and she said she was just
like running on fumes.

(13:04):
She described her days as anever ending cycle of coffee and
willpower.
She'd wake up exhausted, she'dpower through her workday.
She'd crash mid-afternoon.
And then she'd struggled to fallasleep at night.
She told me she used to feelenergy and sharp, but now she
felt foggy and moody and puffyand just not herself.

(13:24):
She thought it was just gettingolder, like, what are you going
to do?
That's what she kept being told.
Or maybe she was doing somethingwrong.
It was her fault.
She tried low carb, intermittentfasting, cutting out sugar, but
nothing seemed to help for verylong.
So here's what we found outtogether that she was skipping
breakfast and drinking two cupsof coffee before eating
anything.
Her meals weren't balanced,mostly carbs, not enough protein

(13:46):
or fat.
She was pushing through stressall day with no real time for
recovery.
And her evenings were packedwith to-do lists and scrolling
on her phone, not helping hersleep at all.
So we started simple.
We added a protein richbreakfast within an hour of
waking that seemed to work bestfor her.
Nothing fancy, just eggs, somegreens with avocado.

(14:09):
We adjusted her meals to reallyfocus, as I said before,
protein, fiber, healthy fat.
We made sure she wasn't goingmore than four to five hours
without food, but she wasn'tgrazing all day long either.
She also started taking those 10minute morning walks and doing a
little bit of breathingthroughout the day with five
minutes.
She sort of planned for fiveminutes before bed.
We worked on reducing screentime in the evening, creating

(14:32):
that calming wind down routine.
And most importantly, she let goof the idea that she had to just
sort of push through thisfatigue.
Within just a couple weeks, shetold me, I didn't realize how
bad I felt until I started tofeel better.
Her energy became more steady,her sugar cravings dropped
dramatically.
She wasn't crashing in theafternoon, and maybe best of

(14:54):
all, she started sleeping.
Good sleep then had left herfeeling clear headed when she
woke up in the morning, she feltbetter than she had in a long
time.
So over time, Karen didn't justget her energy back.
She got everything back.
She finally felt like herselfagain.
And that's the kind oftransformation that's possible
when we stop blaming our bodies,start supporting them, and

(15:15):
getting the right kind of help.
So thanks for tuning in today toJoyful Menopause.
If you like this episode, shareit with a friend who's feeling
fatigued and know that you arenot alone.
There is a better way.
I'll see you next time.