Cortisol and Menopause- What’s really making you so tired and wired!

This entry is all about cortisol—our body’s stress hormone—and how it’s often the missing link in why so many women in perimenopause and menopause feel tired, wired, anxious, overwhelmed, foggy, or like they’re constantly running on fumes.

Spoiler alert: it’s not just your hormones. It’s your stress hormones too.

What Is Cortisol Anyway?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands—those little guys that sit right above your kidneys. It’s released in response to stress and has a natural rhythm: it should rise in the morning to help you wake up and then taper off at night so you can sleep.

In a healthy, balanced system, cortisol helps regulate:

 • Your energy levels

 • Blood sugar

 • Blood pressure

 • Inflammation

 • Your sleep-wake cycle

So, it is pretty important, right?

During perimenopause and menopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop—and this shift affects how your body responds to stress. You become more sensitive to cortisol. You might even overproduce it, or sometimes you’re running on empty, with flat cortisol levels all day long.

Either way, your body is confused. And so are you.

Now let’s look at Cortisol Chaos and How It Feels

You might be dealing with cortisol imbalance if you:

 • Wake up exhausted even after a full night’s sleep

 • Get a “second wind” at 9pm and can’t fall asleep

 • Feel anxious, jumpy, or irritable

 • Crave sugar or salty snacks like crazy

 • Feel like your brain is in a fog

 • Have stubborn belly fat that won’t budge no matter what you do

Sound familiar? I know it does to me!

The problem isn’t just hormones or age. It’s that your body has been under stress for decades, and now in midlife, your buffering system—your estrogen, your resilience, your sleep, your bandwidth—is gone. You’re running on cortisol alone, and it’s burning you out.

To really understand what’s going on, we need to talk about your body’s internal stress system—what’s called the HPA axis. That stands for hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. These three work together like a command center, managing how your body responds to stress.

During perimenopause and menopause, this system often gets overloaded. Why? Because your body is trying to keep you going while your hormones are fluctuating, your sleep is disrupted, and your emotional bandwidth is maxed out.

Your ovaries are producing less estrogen and progesterone, and your adrenal glands are supposed to help pick up some of the slack. But if you’ve been under chronic stress—whether it’s from parenting, work, caregiving, past trauma, or just doing too much for too long—your adrenals may already be running on empty.

When the HPA axis is out of balance, your cortisol rhythm gets thrown off. That can leave you feeling wired when you want to rest, exhausted when you’re supposed to be alert, and just plain out of sync with yourself.

So, what helps, and how do we support cortisol? Here are some real, doable strategies:

1. Eat to balance blood sugar.

Don’t skip meals, and don’t start your day with just coffee. Include protein, healthy fats, and fiber with each meal. This helps prevent cortisol spikes from blood sugar crashes.

2. Ditch the high-intensity workouts (at least for now).

If you’re exhausted, don’t punish yourself with a strenuous workout every day. Try walking, strength training, or gentle movement like chair yoga or Pilates. Your nervous system will thank you.

3. Prioritize sleep like your life depends on it—because it kind of does.

Cortisol and sleep are deeply connected. Get off screens earlier. Your phone, computer, or tv can keep you awake. Create a calming bedtime routine. If needed, Magnesium or guided meditations can help.

4. Reduce caffeine and alcohol.

I know, I know. I love my coffee and a glass of wine. But both can disrupt cortisol patterns—especially if you’re already sensitive. Try cutting back and see how you feel.

5. Practice real stress reduction—and I don’t mean just bubble baths.

This might mean saying no more often, getting help if you need it, doing less, or actually processing emotional stuff you’ve been carrying for years.

Breathwork, meditation, journaling, therapy, music, time in nature—it all helps regulate your nervous system, which regulates your cortisol.

Here’s the truth: we’re not just dealing with hormones—we’re dealing with decades of pressure, stress, responsibility, and emotional labor. And our bodies are speaking up loud and clear.

You are not lazy or crazy. You are not weak. You’re biologically and emotionally under strain, and it’s okay to admit that.

This stage of life is an opportunity to slow down, reassess, and rebuild. Your body is asking you to treat it with more care—not more punishment.

If this resonates with you, please share it with another midlife woman who might be blaming herself for things that are actually hormonal and stress-related.

Until next time, breathe deep, drink water, move gently, and remember—you’re not alone. You’re just blooming and growing.