Written by
Stacy Miller
Do you feel tired about a week before your period starts? If you do, you may be experiencing PMS fatigue. Premenstrual syndrome can cause a range of symptoms, including decreased energy levels. While it can be frustrating, there are steps you can take to boost energy and feel less tired.
Have you ever wondered, “Why am I so tired before my period?” If you have, you’re not alone. Around 80% of women say that they experience some PMS symptoms, including having low energy before period onset, an experience commonly called PMS fatigue. PMS fatigue is when you feel tired before your period is due. The question is, why does PMS make you tired?
The answer may lie in hormone fluctuations or your brain reaction to these fluctuations. Throughout your menstrual cycle, sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone rise and fall as they prepare your body for possible pregnancy. These hormonal changes are responsible for the different symptoms you feel, ranging from high energy to feeling low. You may be thinking, “Okay, I understand that my hormone levels change throughout the month, but why do I get so tired before my period?” Let’s explore that question further.
Before we can answer, “Why am I so tired 3 days before my period?” we need to look closer at how hormones impact each phase of the menstrual cycle. There are two menstrual cycle phases: follicular and luteal, which are broken into different stages—early follicular, mid-follicular, late follicular with ovulation separating the main phases, early luteal, and late luteal.
The follicular phase starts with menstruation and ends with ovulation. During this time, your body starts releasing FSH, which prompts your ovaries to recruit follicles into a new cycle. Follicles grow and compete and only one becomes dominant and continues maturation, while others resolve. As the dominant follicle continues to mature, your estrogen levels rise, which can make you feel energized. Many women feel their best during the mid to late follicular phase.
Once the mature egg is released, you enter into the second phase of the menstrual cycle, the luteal phase. At this time, progesterone levels start to rise, preparing the uterus for implantation. Estrogen, after a sharp decline immediately after ovulation, begins to rise again, reaching a second peak alongside progesterone during the mid-luteal phase.
If implantation doesn’t happen, estrogen and progesterone levels drop, and the uterus sheds its lining, which is called menstruation or your period. This happens during the late luteal phase, and this is the time when you experience PMS.
There are many different PMS symptoms, including breast tenderness, mood swings, food cravings, sleep problems, and, of course, fatigue. Feeling tired before period onset can be due to drop in progesterone levels, since this hormone is well known for its sleep-promoting effects. When progesterone levels drop, you could experience sleep disruption, leading to fatigue.
Along with the decrease in progesterone levels, you also have a drop in estrogen levels in the late luteal phase. Some women feel moody and more tired because of the existing link between estrogen and serotonin, a chemical in the brain that affects mood. Women who have less serotonin and often lower estrogen levels are prone to negative experiences in the second half of the luteal phase.
However, please keep in mind that feeling exhausted before your period is unlikely to be related to normal estrogen and progesterone fluctuations and is not considered typical or expected.
While menstrual cycle-related tiredness can be frustrating, there are ways you can give your body the boost it needs to feel more energetic and awake. Here are some practical strategies to incorporate to help combat PMS fatigue.
Eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals can help lessen PMS symptoms like fatigue. During the late luteal phase, it’s important to focus on foods that are high in iron, B vitamins, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium. Women are more prone to iron deficiencies, which can lead to fatigue. Iron-rich foods include:
B vitamins, especially B6, promote proper neurotransmitter function and contribute to energy production. You can find B vitamins in:
Calcium isn’t just for bone health. If your calcium levels are low, you can experience fatigue, irritability, and mood swings. Foods that are high in calcium include:
Eating foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids can combat inflammation, help regulate mood, and fight fatigue. Some good options are:
Magnesium is a very important mineral that can help with mood, muscle cramps, and tiredness. You can find magnesium in:
Eating a balanced diet is great for your health, but it can be challenging to get the required amount of vitamins every day. Taking a high-quality supplement can fill in the gaps and provide the nutritional support your body needs.
Regular aerobic activity can combat PMS fatigue by boosting energy levels and mood through the release of endorphins. Daily exercise is shown to counteract PMS symptoms like fatigue and help reduce anxiety and depression. It contributes to improved energy levels and can reduce the physical symptoms often associated with PMS, like back pain, headaches, and cramps. Exercising may also improve your sleep quality, helping you feel less tired during the day. You don’t have to perform high-intensity activities to enjoy the benefits that exercise offers. Low-impact workouts like walking, swimming, biking, and yoga are excellent options.
Stress has a significant impact on PMS symptoms, due to its disruptive properties on hormonal balance. When your stress persists, your body releases cortisol, which is shown to interfere with the production and regulation of progesterone and estrogen.
Stress can also cause sleep disruptions, contributing to PMS fatigue. Higher stress levels are shown to heighten discomfort, making PMS symptoms like mood swings, fatigue, and anxiety more intense. You can help manage your stress levels through activities like:
While mild PMS fatigue is normal, having extreme fatigue before period onset may not be. Feeling extremely tired before your period may be due to a condition called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. Although rare, this more severe form of PMS can be very disruptive to your life.
If you’re feeling extremely tired only 1 day before period onset, it is unlikely PMDD, it can be related to another cause. However, you should talk to your doctor, who can make a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan that may include starting hormonal birth control, antidepressants, or making lifestyle adjustments.
Hormona is a revolutionary hormone tracking app that makes it easy to monitor your hormonal fluctuations. Symptom tracking is an effective way to monitor PMS symptoms like mental energy and physical fatigue and gain a better understanding of how your hormones affect you physically and emotionally. With Hormona, you get personalized recommendations, including dietary suggestions and lifestyle changes to help you feel your best all month long. Hormona is a valuable tool providing the insights you need to better understand your body and monitor your hormone health.
No, feeling really tired after your period can be a sign of anemia due to the blood loss. That’s why, if you experience extreme or prolonged fatigue, you should consult with your doctor, as it could signal an underlying condition like an iron deficiency.
For some women, PMS symptoms can get better and for some get worse as they approach perimenopause. Hormonal fluctuations intensify during this transitional period, which may lead to worsening side effects like fatigue, physical discomfort, irritability, and mood swings.
You can help boost your serotonin levels before your period by eating a well-balanced diet, practicing stress management techniques, exercising, and spending time outdoors.
During menstruation, women can feel a range of symptoms like low energy levels, fatigue, cramps, and emotional sensitivity. Getting adequate rest can help you manage symptoms and make the whole experience less bothersome.
While this is an interesting observation, it may have no connection to your period and could simply be coincidental. Nutrition, rest, and physical activity play a significant role in energy levels. Therefore, if you’ve been properly nourishing your body, exercising, and getting enough sleep, and your period happened to start on Monday after an energetic Sunday, these factors could explain the burst of energy.
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Dr Singh is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center. His research and clinical practice focuses on the myriad of sleep.
The role of hormones in perimenopause Throughout your menstrual cycle, you experience normal hormonal fluctuations that are responsible for proper bodily functions like ovulation and menstruation. However, once you enter perimenopause, your hormone fluctuations change. As ovaries become less responsive
Understanding PMS symptoms without menstruation Before we proceed with explanations, we wanted to clarify why having PMS symptoms is not the same as being diagnosed with PMS. As we’ve already mentioned, PMS stands for premenstrual syndrome. This syndrome is diagnosed
Understanding PMS vs. pregnancy symptoms Before we proceed, please keep in mind that during a normal menstrual cycle, you may experience symptoms; however, they should be mild and not interfere with your daily life. This is a common and normal
