Fatigue before period: The causes and management tips

Fatigue before period and during its first days isn’t rare. 71% of women report experiencing it, which makes it a normal PMS syndrome. The feeling of tiredness is caused by hormonal fluctuations before the period and low levels of both progesterone and estrogen during it. Also, it’s not uncommon to feel more tired when your period starts because of iron deficiency created by heavy menstrual flow (especially in the first days), sleep issues, and unhealthy food cravings.

Luckily, it’s possible to stabilize your energy levels and feel better by implementing positive lifestyle changes, such as:

• Cycle tracking
• Proper hydration
• Improved sleep
• Healthy eating
• Regular, low-impact exercise
• Using birth control

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The time between one to two weeks before your period can be rather challenging. As many as 3 out of 4 menstruating women are facing multiple discomforting feelings at this time. Commonly known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) comes with breast tenderness, irritability, mood swings, and food cravings. But have you ever felt so tired at this time that you just want to stay in bed for the entire day? If yes, you’re not alone there!

Fatigue before period is a common symptom of PMS that many women have to occasionally deal with. The intensity of tiredness can vary from very light to quite severe, when you can’t function normally, and is often accompanied by other symptoms.

If you are wondering: “Why am I so tired before my period,” this article will explore the common causes and ways to effectively manage your tiredness.

What Is Fatigue Before Period?

Period fatigue is one of the many PMS symptoms. It refers to energy dips and increased tiredness women experience before and/or during menstruation.

Although not all women experience it, fatigue before period is one of the three most commonly reported period symptoms, among which:

• Dysmenorrhea (period pain) – 85%
• Psychological distress – 77%
• Tiredness – 71%

Although this symptom is very common, it’s also one of the most discomforting ones. Since period fatigue can greatly vary in its intensity, sometimes, it can take a serious toll on your daily productivity and focus. It can get in the way of your work, studies, and other daily commitments. Together with increased emotional intensity, it becomes a more serious form of PMS that requires special management to maintain your ability to function and get things done. 

Why Am I So Tired Before My Period? Understanding the Luteal Phase

When you feel tired and sleepy before period (just like if you experience any other PMS symptoms), the answer is always in your hormones. To understand the exact causes, it’s important to know what happens to your body during the luteal phase – the part of your menstrual cycle that takes place after ovulation and before your period starts.

In a nutshell, the luteal phase is the second half of your menstrual cycle that usually lasts for 12 to 14 days. The primary purpose of this phase is to prepare your body for possible fertilization. In order for your body to be able to host and sustain a new pregnancy, it starts increasing your progesterone levels starting from ovulation. Due to progesterone, your uterine lining thickens (unless you have a luteal phase defect), so that a fertilized egg can implant and start growing.

Progesterone levels continue rising until they reach their highest point around day 21 in a 28-day cycle. That’s when, one week before your period, you can start experiencing fatigue and other PMS symptoms.

According to studies, it’s not unusual to feel tired when progesterone levels are high. The thing is that this hormone creates a significant sedative-like effect (both subjective and performance). So, yes, feeling more tired is normal at this time.

So, what happens next? Why am I so tired 3 days before my period or 1 day before it? About one week before your period, if there is no conception, your progesterone levels start going down. Since this hormone has a sedative effect, you can assume that you should feel more energized at this time. However, other hormones shift too. In your luteal phase, the levels of another essential hormone, estrogen, initially drop after the egg release. Then, they rise a little before a final decrease by the time of menstruation.

When your estrogen levels drop, they can result in a disrupted energy balance and fatigue. At the same time, dropping progesterone can also trigger sleep disturbance, headaches, and other PMS symptoms, which can make you feel worse. So, whenever you ask yourself: “Why do I feel extremely tired 1 day before period,” you should know that it’s okay and is due to hormonal changes.

Why Am I So Tired on My Period?

As you already know, experiencing extreme exhaustion before period is natural and quite common due to a decrease in essential hormone levels. But why does your period make you tired when it has already begun? There are a few reasons for that.

First and foremost, it’s also about your hormones. When you start menstruating, both estrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest. When they are low, these hormones also lead to reduced serotonin, which gives you irritation, increased anxiety, and decreased energy levels.

Another factor that can contribute to feeling exhausted during your period is bleeding. Studies show that heavy menstrual bleeding, especially during the first few days of menstruation, can create an iron deficiency. This, in turn, can make you feel more tired.

Lastly, energy dips can also result from typical period symptoms. For example, severe period pain can cause sleep issues and make you get insufficient rest, hence, feeling more tired during the day. Also, additional stress and unhealthy food cravings can have an adverse effect on your energy balance.

Practical Tips to Combat Extreme Exhaustion Before Period, and During It

Although feeling exhausted and sleepy before period (and during it) is normal, this can really get in the way of your daily life. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to stabilize energy balance and feel better.

Here are a few managing tips you should try:

• Start tracking your cycle. The better you understand each phase of your cycle and what to expect during them, the more thoroughly you can prepare and minimize the damage from energy crashes and other PMS symptoms.
• Keep a focus on hydration. Drinking plenty of water helps replenish the liquid balance and fight fatigue.
• Improve your sleep hygiene. Although you can experience sleep issues before and during your periods, establishing a relaxing sleep routine can help you get lots of quality rest, which should mitigate the feeling of tiredness. Your routine should include going to bed earlier, setting a cooler temperature, and limiting screen time before bed.
• Watch your eating patterns. The foods you consume during the luteal phase and menstruation can greatly improve your physical and mental well-being. Focus on whole foods, leafy greens, seeds, and nuts. These products are high in magnesium, which is known to improve focus and energy. And, yes, you can have cravings for something salty and sweet. But you can opt for more nutrient-dense options to feel better.
• Get on the move. Of course, it can be hard to stick to your normal workout schedule during PMS and your period. In fact, you don’t need to do it in order to prevent excessive load. However, doing regular low-impact exercises can help you boost your mood and energy. Besides, physical activity is also known to reduce PMS symptoms.
• Consider birth control. Since fatigue before period is caused mainly by hormonal fluctuations, experts believe that using hormonal birth control can help stabilize your hormone levels and ease PMS symptoms, including tiredness.

When to See a Doctor?

So, does your period make you tired? Yes, it can. It’s a normal PMS symptom that affects many women. In most cases, it shouldn’t be a cause for concern. However, you may want to consult a healthcare provider if you have any of the following disturbing symptoms:

• Extreme fatigue that impacts your daily life a lot.
• Prolonged fatigue that doesn’t improve with lifestyle changes.
• Uncontrollable emotional swings and extreme sadness.
• Heavy or abnormal menstrual bleeding.

FAQ

What makes me tired and sleepy before period?

Fatigue before period results from hormonal changes. It can manifest around one week before your next period when progesterone levels are high. Due to its sedative effect, high progesterone can make you feel more tired than usual. Later, as you get closer to your period, both progesterone and estrogen levels drop, which also reduces serotonin levels and disrupts energy balance.

Why does the first day of my period make me so tired?

When your period begins, there are additional factors that can make you feel tired. Apart from low hormone levels, you can experience iron deficiency due to heavy bleeding. Other period symptoms, like poor sleep and unhealthy food cravings, can also result in lower energy.

Conclusion

Fatigue before period is a common thing reported by as many as 71% of women. Energy crashes can begin as early as one week before your period and grow stronger as you enter the first few days of it. And although it’s a natural PMS symptom, of course, it can be frustrating and impact your daily activities way too much.

Luckily, now you know that there are some things that you can do about it. Implementing positive lifestyle changes, such as cycle tracking, better hydration, improved sleep, healthy eating, and regular, low-impact exercise, can greatly improve your physical condition and help sustain energy. Additionally, using birth control can help ease PMS symptoms and create a more stable hormonal balance. Still, be sure to keep a close eye on your symptoms and see a doctor if you are dealing with overly extreme or prolonged fatigue accompanied by other abnormal symptoms.

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