STILL TIRED AFTER 8 HOURS OF SLEEP? HERE’S WHAT MIGHT BE GOING ON

You’ve had a solid 8 hours in bed. Maybe even squeezed in a few extra. And yet... you're still dragging yourself through the day, wondering how it’s possible to feel this exhausted after a full night’s sleep. If that sounds familiar, there are real, biological reasons why you might feel permanently knackered — especially in your 40s and beyond. And spoiler: it’s not just "getting older" or "being busy."

I see this all the time in clinic. Women like you, who are doing all the "right things" — eating well, getting to bed at a decent time, showing up for work, family, and everything in between — but still feel like they’re running on fumes.

Let’s explore what could actually be going on inside your body — and what you can start doing about it.

HORMONE FLUCTUATIONS: IT’S NOT JUST ESTROGEN "DROPPING"

Hormonal chaos isn’t just about things slowly declining. In perimenopause, it’s more like a symphony being played by an orchestra where each section is following a different conductor. The violins (estrogen) might be rushing ahead, the cellos (progesterone) are falling behind, and the brass section (testosterone) is barely audible some days.

When hormones fall out of sync, they throw off everything from sleep to mood to motivation. Estrogen and progesterone in particular are closely linked to our brain’s feel-good messengers — serotonin and dopamine. So when they fluctuate, your mood and motivation often drop too. That flat, heavy feeling? It’s not always a lack of physical energy — sometimes it’s a lack of drive. Low dopamine can make you feel like everything is a chore, even the things you used to enjoy.

Sleep also takes a hit. Falling asleep and staying asleep gets harder. That’s partly because estrogen affects serotonin, and we need serotonin to make melatonin — our sleep hormone. But it's not just estrogen at play. Progesterone also has a key role in both the quality and quantity of your sleep. It has a naturally calming effect on the brain, helping you feel settled and ready to rest. When progesterone declines during perimenopause, many women experience more light sleep, more night waking, and an overall sense of not feeling refreshed by morning. When this hormone-neurotransmitter chain gets disrupted, it doesn’t matter how early you get into bed, sleep becomes fragmented and frustrating.

If you want to understand more about the hormone changes in perimenopause, you can access my free 4 Hormones Training.

CORTISOL CHAOS: THE HORMONE THAT’S MEANT TO GET YOU GOING — BUT ISN’T

You know that feeling when your alarm goes off and you need to drag yourself out of bed like a zombie? That used to be me, every single morning. And what’s worse — by 9pm, I’d finally feel awake. Sound familiar?

That’s your cortisol rhythm being completely out of whack. It’s meant to rise gently in the morning to help you feel alert, and drop off at night so you can wind down. But during perimenopause, and when you're constantly juggling work, kids, life — that curve can flip. You’re flat when you need to go, and buzzing when you should be sleeping.

When cortisol is spiking at the wrong time, it wrecks your ability to sleep deeply and recharge properly. So even if you’re in bed for 8 hours, you wake up feeling like you barely slept.

SUBCLINICAL THYROID FUNCTION — MISSED, BUT NOT HARMLESS

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “My doctor said my thyroid is fine.” And yet the woman sitting across from me has all the classic signs: fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, dry skin, constipation.

Your thyroid might still be within the ‘normal’ range — but that doesn’t mean it’s optimal. During perimenopause, thyroid function can dip because of changes in estrogen and progesterone. And lower progesterone increases your risk of developing an autoimmune thyroid issue like Hashimoto’s.

The good news? You can absolutely support your thyroid (and lower antibodies) through what you eat, drink, and do.

I’ve written more about this in my past thyroid blogs.

YOUR MITOCHONDRIA ARE STRUGGLING

Think of mitochondria like tiny engines in every cell. They’re what take your food and turn it into actual usable energy.

But those engines don’t just run on fuel (glucose) — they need spark plugs, oil, and parts to work properly. That includes B vitamins, magnesium, iron, carnitine, and CoQ10. And when you’re low on those? Your body feels like a car stuck in first gear.

Mitochondria can be damaged by inflammation, viral illness, stress, and even medications. But with the right support — from targeted nutrients to reducing inflammation — they recover and become more efficient energy engines again, helping you feel better day by day.

YOUR NUTRIENT TANK IS RUNNING LOW

Imagine trying to cook dinner with an empty fridge. You’re opening cupboards, staring at shelves, hoping something will magically appear.

That’s what your body is doing when it doesn’t have the nutrients it needs to make energy. Some of the biggest ones I see in clinic include:

• Iron
• Vitamin B12 (and other B vitamins)
• Magnesium
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• CoQ10 (essential for powering mitochondrial energy production)

These nutrients are essential for your mitochondria — the tiny energy producers in every cell — to convert food into fuel. Without them, it’s like trying to run a car without oil, spark plugs, or a functioning battery.

Stress, gut issues, heavy periods, and medications like statins or the Pill all chip away at your nutrient reserves. So even if your meals look balanced, your body might still be struggling to produce energy — simply because it’s missing the tools.

And when your mitochondria can’t do their job, your body switches to energy-saving mode. You might still get through the day — but it’s a slog, and it certainly doesn’t feel good.

Stress, gut issues, heavy periods, medications like statins or the Pill — they all chip away at your nutrient stores. And once you’re running low, your body has to start rationing energy.

BLOOD SUGAR SWINGS (EVEN IF YOU EAT “HEALTHY”)

Let me tell you about my client *Lisa*. She was eating salads, smoothies, and barely touching sugar. But every afternoon, she hit a wall. And she couldn’t figure out why.

Turns out, she was skipping breakfast and grabbing quick, carb-heavy snacks between school pick-up and dinner. Her blood sugar was on a constant rollercoaster — and her energy was paying the price.

Even if your food choices look healthy, it’s how you balance your plate that matters. Without enough protein, healthy fats, and fibre, your blood sugar can spike and crash all day long. And that crash? That’s the foggy-headed, can’t-keep-your-eyes-open part.

This is one of the first things we fix in PerimenoGO — giving your body what it needs *before* it asks (or screams) for it.

GUT HEALTH: IT’S NOT JUST WHAT YOU EAT — IT’S WHAT YOU ABSORB

You could be eating the perfect meal plan, but if your gut isn’t absorbing nutrients properly, it’s like pouring water into a bucket with holes.

Bloating, irregular bowel movements, SIBO, or gut dysbiosis can all interfere with nutrient absorption. But it doesn’t stop there — poor gut health can also trigger an immune response and increase inflammation. Microbiome imbalances can send a constant low-grade signal to the immune system, putting your body in a state of defence that quietly saps energy.

And your gut isn’t just for digestion — it plays a key role in hormone clearance and immune health, too. When your gut is off, energy - everything - suffers. Full stop.

INFLAMMATION: THE SILENT ENERGY STEALER

You can’t always feel inflammation — but it’s like background noise in your body, draining your energy reserves without you even noticing.

Things like stress, poor sleep, processed food, and blood sugar instability all stoke the fire. And when inflammation is up, your mitochondria can’t produce energy efficiently.

It’s like trying to make a phone call with static on the line. You might get through, but it takes way more effort.

So, What Can You Do About It?

I know this might feel like a lot. But here’s what I want you to know: you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

The real question is: What’s driving *your* fatigue?

Because no two women are the same. Your energy drain could be mostly blood sugar and stress. Or it could be thyroid + nutrient depletion. Or maybe your mitochondria are running on empty while your gut is holding back absorption.

This is exactly what we uncover in PerimenoGO. We help you connect the dots, figure out your unique blend of drivers, and give you simple, realistic ways to start turning things around.

CONCLUSION:

Fatigue isn’t just something to put up with. It’s your body’s way of waving the red flag, asking for support.

And while yes, perimenopause is messy and layered — that doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck in the fog.

With the right understanding and a bit of strategy, you *can* feel clear, focused, and energised again. You just need to start with figuring out what your body is really trying to tell you.

That’s what I help women do inside PerimenoGO. If you’re ready to stop pushing through and start feeling better, this is your next step.