You’re sleeping differently. You’re a little snappier than usual. Your joints are complaining about workouts they used to tolerate just fine. And at some point, you might find yourself wondering: is this just life in my 40s, or could it be perimenopause?

Perimenopause is the gradual hormonal transition leading up to menopause. Changes can begin around age 40 and affect everything from your cycle and mood to sleep, vaginal tissues, and joints; because they don’t always happen at once, the signs can be easy to miss.

So, let’s explore the signs of perimenopause to look for in your 40s.

One thing to know about perimenopause is that it doesn’t always announce itself with one big, obvious change.

Instead, you may notice things that seem completely unrelated: feeling moodier, waking during the night, vaginal dryness or joints that suddenly seem to have opinions. Behind many of these are changing hormones. You might notice the following symptoms starting to pop up as a result of hormone changes.

Your Mood Feels a Little… Unbalanced 

Feeling more irritable than usual? Busy mind? A little flat for no obvious reason? Changes in oestrogen may be part of the picture. Oestrogen interacts with brain chemicals including serotonin and dopamine, which play important roles in mood.¹,² Not every woman experiences mood changes in the same way. But if you’re noticing that you don’t quite feel like yourself, it may be worth considering perimenopause as a contributing factor.

Sleep Feels Less Restful

Changes in your menstrual cycle can affect levels of progesterone, a hormone produced after ovulation that influences brain chemicals involved in sleep.³ As a result, you might notice that it’s harder to either fall or stay asleep throughout your 40s and 50s.

Your Joints or Vaginal Tissues Feel Different

Oestrogen changes don’t only relate to periods. Oestrogen changes can affect collagen, which helps tissues stay strong and flexible.⁴ This may be linked with changes such as vaginal dryness and joint pain.

Wondering if your hormones are starting to shift? Your cycle might have a few clues.

Subtle changes can begin around age 40, and your own timing may share similarities with your mother’s experience.⁶ One useful way to begin spotting changes is surprisingly simple: pay attention to your menstrual cycle.

Tracking things like:

• Menstrual timing
• Premenstrual symptoms
• Body temperature at certain times of your cycle

Can help you notice patterns over time that can indicate perimenopausal changes.

Your Cycle Can Leave Clues

A menstrual cycle has two main halves: from menstruation to ovulation, and from ovulation to your next period. Research shows cycle length changes with age and may offer clues about changing hormones as perimenopause approaches.⁷,⁸ So, if your cycle starts behaving differently in your 40s, take note rather than brushing it off as “just one of those things”. Think of it as your body leaving clues about what’s changing.

Firstly, you don’t need to figure it all out alone. Start by tracking your symptoms with our Menopause Guide to spot patterns and changes over time. Then, take what you’ve noticed to a healthcare practitioner, who can look at the bigger picture, from your symptoms and nutrition to lifestyle factors, and help determine appropriate support.

If symptoms are getting in the way of everyday life, ERr 731™ may be worth knowing about. Found in Estrovera®, this Siberian rhubarb extract has been shown to improve mood, support sleep, and ease vaginal dryness and joint pain in as little as four weeks.⁵ By interacting with oestrogen receptors,⁴ ERr 731™ can help support the body as hormones change. For more info, read more about ERr 731™science in these articles:

Maybe you’ve noticed one change. Maybe there are five little things that suddenly make more sense when you put them together. Either way, the goal isn’t to diagnose yourself from a checklist. It’s to start noticing the clues.

Track your cycle. Pay attention to symptoms that keep popping up. Look for patterns. Then take that information to your healthcare practitioner, who can help you make sense of what’s happening. Because sometimes the first useful step isn’t having all the answers. It’s realising those seemingly random changes might actually be connected.

1. Del Río JP, Alliende MI, Molina N, Serrano FG, Molina S, Vigil P. Steroid hormones and their action in women's brains: the importance of hormonal balance. Front Public Health. 2018 May 23;6:141. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00141.
2. Barth C, Villringer A, Sacher J. Sex hormones affect neurotransmitters and shape the adult female brain during hormonal transition periods. Front Neurosci. 2015 Feb 20;9:37. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00037
3. Elsevier Clinical Key [Internet]. Melbourne (AUS): Elsevier; 2021. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: [updated 2021 February 26; cited 2021 Jul 12]. Available from https://www.clinicalkey.com.au. subscription required to view.
4. Wober J, Möller F, Richter T, et al. Activation of estrogen receptor-beta by a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731), its aglycones and structurally related compounds. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Nov-Dec;107(3-5):191-201. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2007.04.002
5. Hasper et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of the special extract Err 731 Rheum rhaponticum. 2009 doi:10.4103/jmh.jmh_86_21
6. Bentzen JG, Forman JL, Larsen EC, et al. Maternal menopause as a predictor of anti-Mullerian hormone level and antral follicle count in daughters during reproductive age. Hum Reprod. 2013;28(1):247-255. doi:10.1093/humrep/des356
7. Bull JR, Rowland SP, Scherwitzl EB, Scherwitzl R, Danielsson KG, Harper J. Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles. NPJ Digit Med. 2019;2:83. Published 2019 Aug 27. doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0152-7
8. Mumford SL, Steiner AZ, Pollack AZ, et al. The utility of menstrual cycle length as an indicator of cumulative hormonal exposure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;97(10):E1871-E1879. doi:10.1210/jc.2012-1350

 Every menopause journey is different, and feeling informed can make navigating the changes a little easier. Alongside healthy lifestyle choices and guidance from your healthcare practitioner, targeted support may also be an option worth exploring.