Perimenopause at a glance:
- What: The years leading up to menopause, when your periods and hormone levels begin to change.
- When: Usually starts in your 40s, but it can begin earlier or later.
- How long: Usually several years. The average is around 4 to 6 years.
- What you might notice: Period changes, hot flushes, poor sleep, brain fog, mood changes, and more.
- Menopause: Means you haven’t had a period for 12 consecutive months.
Perimenopause can affect much more than your periods. Some changes are easy to recognise, while others can look a lot like stress, poor sleep, or simply having too much going on.
In this article
- Signs and changes to look for.
- Try the perimenopause symptom check.
- What you can do at home.
- Is there a test for perimenopause?
- What support is available.
What Can Perimenopause Feel Like?
Changes to your period may be the first clue, but your sleep, concentration, mood, and energy levels can change too.
Around 1 in 4 women have symptoms that affect their day-to-day life, including work, sleep, exercise, and relationships.
Irregular periods
Hot flushes
Night sweats
Trouble sleeping
Mood changes
Brain fog
Other changes you may not immediately connect:
Fatigue
Headaches
Joint and muscle pain
Vaginal and urinary changes
Lower interest in sex
Body changes
| Perimenopause | Menopause | |
|---|---|---|
Periods | Often become irregular. | No period for 12 months. |
When | Commonly begins in your 40s. | Usually occurs between 45 and 55 |
Pregnancy | Still possible. | Natural pregnancy is no longer possible. |
Symptoms | Can change over several years. | May continue after your final period |
Can perimenopause start earlier?
Yes. Perimenopause commonly begins in your 40s, but it can start earlier.
If you’re under 45 and your periods become irregular or stop, speak with your GP rather than assuming perimenopause is the cause. There are other possible reasons for changes to your cycle.
Perimenopause Symptom Check
Answer Yes or No to these 10 questions. This won't diagnose perimenopause, but it can help you make sense of the changes you've been noticing.
1. Are you aged 35 or older?
2. Have your periods changed in timing, frequency, or flow?
3. Have you started experiencing hot flushes or night sweats?
4. Has your sleep changed, including waking during the night or earlier than usual?
5. Have you been feeling unusually tired or low in energy?
6. Have you noticed changes in your mood, such as increased irritability, anxiety, or feeling low?
7. Are concentration, memory, or brain fog becoming more noticeable?
8. Have headaches, aches, or other physical symptoms changed or become more frequent?
9. Are these changes affecting your work, sleep, relationships, or everyday life?
10. Have you gone 12 consecutive months without a period?
What Can You Do at Home?
You don’t need to track everything but a few simple notes can help you see what’s changing and whether there’s a pattern.
- Track your periods: Note dates, flow, and missed periods. Changes to your cycle are often one of the clearest signs of the menopause transition.
- Track your symptoms: Note sleep, hot flushes, headaches, mood, fatigue, and concentration. This helps show whether symptoms are recurring or changing over time.
- Note the impact: Write down when symptoms affect work, exercise, relationships, or sleep. It gives a clearer picture of how much they’re affecting your quality of life.
- Support sleep and general health: Regular exercise, consistent sleep habits, eating well, and reviewing alcohol or caffeine intake can help support your health through this stage.
You don’t need months of perfect records. Even a few weeks of notes can give you and your GP something useful to work with.
Is There a Test For Perimenopause?
Usually, there isn’t one test that confirms perimenopause.
According to the Australian Government’s perimenopause guidance:
- Age, symptoms, and period history are usually the main clues.
- Hormone blood tests aren’t routinely needed for women aged 45 to 55 because hormone levels fluctuate.
- If you’re under 45, blood tests may be used when periods become irregular or stop.
- Other tests may be useful to check for conditions with similar symptoms, such as low iron or thyroid problems.
Yarra Medical’s Women’s Health service can help assess what’s happening and discuss your options.
When Perimenopause Starts Affecting Everyday Life
Symptoms don’t have to become unbearable before you ask for help.
If poor sleep is making work difficult, mood changes are affecting your relationships, hot flushes are disrupting your day, or you’re simply struggling to feel well, there are options to discuss with your GP.
Depending on your symptoms and health history, management may include lifestyle strategies, Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT, also called HRT), hormonal contraceptives, or non-hormonal medicines. The right approach isn’t the same for everyone.
What can this look like in real life?
In this short ABC News story, Corrine shares her experience with perimenopause, including the symptoms she lived with for years, and what prompted her to speak with her doctor.
Supporting a Partner Through Perimenopause
Perimenopause can affect life at home too, particularly when sleep, mood, and energy levels are changing.
Being supportive doesn’t mean blaming every difficult day on hormones. Listen to what she’s experiencing, take symptoms seriously, and recognise when she may need more rest, support, or time to herself.
- Learn about it: Understanding that symptoms can extend beyond hot flushes and periods can make changes easier to navigate together.
- Ask what would help: Don’t assume. She may want to talk, get some sleep, have time alone, or need you to take something off her plate.
- Share the load: If she’s exhausted or sleeping poorly, taking on more at home can make a meaningful difference.
- Support her in getting help: If symptoms are affecting her quality of life, encourage her to speak with a GP and offer to go with her if she’d find that helpful.
And perhaps retire the phrase “Is it your hormones?” altogether.
So, What Now?
If some of this sounds familiar, start by tracking what’s changing, and how often it’s happening. This can be really helpful.
If symptoms are worrying you or affecting your work, relationships, sleep, or everyday life, speak with your GP. You don’t need to wait until they become severe, and you don’t need to know for certain that perimenopause is the cause.
For more support, see our Women’s Health service. You can also read Women’s Health: What and When to Check for other health checks to keep on your radar.
