This is part of a series on women’s stories, experiences of menopause, and our reflections on what we are going through.

For me, it started with sleep. I suddenly began waking up in the middle of the night, during what we call the “wolf hour,” and couldn’t fall back asleep. I’ve always been a good sleeper, and in recent years I’ve made sleep a real priority and developed better bedtime routines. The problem wasn’t falling asleep, but waking up wide awake in the middle of the night and not being able to drift off again.

On top of that, I sometimes felt a sense of hopelessness for no clear reason. I became irritated with my husband and my children, and I noticed that I had become more sensitive to smells.

At first I didn’t think much about it. I didn’t connect it to perimenopause. Instead, I thought it was simply part of who I’ve always been – a person with big mood swings. I move easily from highs to lows. One moment I can feel euphoric, on top of the world, and the next I fall very low and feel like shit. Barely worthy of being loved.

For a long time my attitude has been: well, that’s just who I am. These emotional states will pass.

My husband had actually realised many years ago that my mood swings were connected to my menstrual cycle. When I found myself really low for a few days, sometimes up to a week each month, and then my period arrived, I began to see the pattern myself.

But the sleep was different. And the irritability. Suddenly I couldn’t stand certain smells that had never bothered me before. I also started experiencing pain in my lower back.

I shared this with my friends, and my best friend, one of the wisest people I know, said that I might need estrogen.

I saw a gynecologist and filled out a form listing all the symptoms I was experiencing, and there were quite a few. She prescribed estrogen, and after just a couple of nights I was sleeping through the night again.

It has changed my life in so many ways, and honestly I don’t know what I would do without it. I still wake up during the night sometimes, but I almost always fall back asleep.

In addition to the estrogen, I’ve started taking magnesium glycinate before bedtime, which has improved my sleep even further.

This has been an interesting journey, and I’ve made several lifestyle changes over the past few years. Besides prioritisng sleep, I strength train regularly, eat healthier, and have cut down on wine, especially red wine, since my body seems to react negatively to it.

Recently I’ve also started meditating in the mornings and doing more inner work. It may sound a bit woo-woo, but learning to listen to my body and tune inward has been a real game changer for me.

At first I saw menopause as something negative. And it can be, when you feel worse and notice it in your mood, your body, and your sleep. But thanks to hormone therapy, better balance in my life, and the lifestyle changes I’ve made, I’ve managed to turn it into something positive.

Overall, I actually feel much better today than I did five years ago.

For me, menopause didn’t just become a challenge – it also became a reminder to slow down, listen to my body, and truly start taking care of myself.