The 5 types of tiredness and how to combat them

AS your hormones see-saw throughout the month, so do your energy levels. Women may feel more tired when get-up-and-go hormones oestrogen and testosterone drop off after ovulation, around days 12 to 14 of the menstrual cycle. Levels of sedative hormone progesterone also rise, making you feel more lethargic. Hormone expert Gabrielle Lichterman, author of 28 Days, tells Sun Health: “You can also experience fatigue due to a drop in iron lost through menstrual blood. Iron helps deliver energising oxygen to cells, so when you’re low, this oxygen gets low and your pep gets sapped.” If you are in your forties or fifties, intense tiredness coupled with irregular periods may be a sign your body is moving towards menopause. HOW TO SPOT IT: Track your energy levels — you will notice they drop at around the same point during your menstrual cycle. HOW TO FIGHT BACK: Gabrielle says: “Get more sleep, drink energising drinks like fruit juice or caffeinated tea, add iron-rich foods to your meals and schedule short afternoon naps.” GP Dr Ferhat Uddin, of liberty healthclinics.com, adds that the Pill may help: “It will inhibit ovulation and prevent swings in hormones.”

March 4, 2023 | 7:17 pm