Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause: No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller (Penguin Life Expert Series, 1)

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Yes, perimenopause can affect your sleep. Some women in perimenopause experience insomnia and interrupted sleep due to night sweats or other menopausal symptoms. What do hot flashes feel like during perimenopause? The perimenopause is a natural process, but it’s not always easy to cope with. If you’re experiencing symptoms, there are some things that you can do that may help.

On the whole I thought this was a good book. Dr Newson explains many things simply. If you are looking for a drug-free menopause book look somewhere else though as this strongly pushes HRT - the rationale is explained so I don't have an issue with this, just flagging for those who may be looking for an alternative approach. Although most women don’t have a problem with depression during this transition, he explains, changes in hormones can bring a negative mood for some women. Researchers are studying how to counteract the effects of shifting hormone levels. Some people start experiencing the perimenopause before they are 40. This can be as a result of medical treatments, such as surgery to remove the ovaries, but sometimes there’s no cause. If you think you’re experiencing the perimenopause before you’re 40 then you must speak to your doctor. What are the signs of the perimenopause? Speak with your healthcare provider to make sure you understand the risks and benefits of hormone therapy as a treatment for perimenopause. What are the risks of hormone therapy?She is considered one of the UK's top experts on the menopause. Dr Newson has lectured extensively on the menopause, including at the Royal College of GPs annual meeting. She is a director of the not-for-profit company Newson Health Research and Education which has developed a menopause education programme for healthcare professionals and has created the Newson Health Menopause Society (https://www.nhmenopausesociety.org/) which brings together healthcare professionals from around the world to transform the care, treatment, education and research of the perimenopause and menopause. There's a lot of emphasis on HRT and nothing really new that I didn't already know from having other books about wellbeing. There is some very general mention of the value of yoga, mindfulness, how to get good sleep, good diet and CBT but the whole book just felt like an advertisement for HRT. It's good to know there is such a thing in case I need it, but for the same reason I hated being on the pill, I would like to avoid it if at all possible. When you reach menopause, your body makes so little estrogen that your ovaries no longer release eggs. At this point, you stop having your period. What are the first signs of perimenopause?

This book sets out the wide range of symptoms that can be attributable to menopause (and there are a LOT) and the things in your body that can be affected by a reduction in hormones (pretty much everything). Dr Newson is a HUGE advocate of HRT, which is no longer made from horse wee like it used to be (gross) and is now much better and without some of the health risks it used to have.

Again, timing is key and the five symptoms should be there in the final two weeks before your period and start to improve within a couple of days of your period starting, and be minimal in the week after your period.