How To Manage Menopause Symptoms

A quick guide to menopause symptoms: 

• Menopause is a natural stage of life that can bring changes to sleep, mood, energy, skin, joints, and overall wellbeing as hormone levels change.
• Common menopause symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog, and joint pain, are often connected and can affect more than one area of the body at a time.
• Everyday habits like movement, good nutrition, quality sleep, and stress management can help support your health throughout menopause.
• Some people barely notice the shift; for others it reshapes daily life. 

Menopause symptoms aren't a sign that something's wrong with your body. They're the result of changing hormone levels, particularly declining oestrogen and progesterone, which can influence far more of the body than just the reproductive system1.

That's why symptoms can show up in so many ways: sleep, mood, temperature regulation, skin, joints, and more. For some people, this transition passes by easily. For others, it's disruptive enough to affect day-to-day life1.

This guide covers why common signs of menopause happen, and practical ways to support your wellbeing through the transition.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

The most common symptoms of menopause include hot flushes, night sweats, disrupted sleep, mood changes, vaginal dryness, and changes to your menstrual cycle2. These happen because oestrogen and progesterone naturally decline during this stage, and because these hormones play a role in many systems in the body, symptoms often overlap2.

While changes to your menstrual cycle are a normal part of the menopausal transition, it's important to speak with your healthcare professional if you experience very heavy bleeding, bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex, or periods that last longer than a week². 

Sleep, temperature changes and menopause fatigue

Hot flushes and night sweats are among the most common menopause symptoms. They happen because changing hormone levels affect the body's ability to regulate temperature, which can trigger sudden feelings of warmth during the day or night³ ⁴.

Sleep quality is closely tied to this. Night sweats can interrupt your sleep and make it harder to feel rested the next day3. These hormonal changes during menopause can also affect sleep more widely. Circadian rhythm disruption, stress, and the effect of poor sleep over time can all feed into feeling rundown or mentally drained.

Menopause night sweats

Menopause night sweats are hot flushes that happen while you're asleep. They can wake you several times during the night, making it difficult to get the uninterrupted sleep your body needs to recover⁴. 

Because sleep plays an important role in your mood, energy, and concentration, ongoing night sweats can have a noticeable impact on how you feel during the day. If they're affecting your quality of life, it's worth speaking with your healthcare professional about the help available. 

Why does menopause cause brain fog?

If you've ever struggled to find the right word, forgotten why you walked into a room, or felt less mentally sharp than usual, you're not alone. Brain fog is a common experience during menopause, and it's thought to be linked to the changing hormone levels that happen during this stage of life⁵. 

Oestrogen supports many areas of brain function, including memory, learning, and concentration. As oestrogen levels naturally decline, some people notice changes to their focus, mental clarity, or memory⁵. Sleep disruption can make these symptoms feel even more noticeable, particularly if hot flushes or night sweats are affecting your rest⁵.

Mood changes often go hand in hand with these cognitive changes. Declining oestrogen can disrupt brain chemicals involved in mood regulation, while cortisol and menopause are also connected. Changes in hormone levels may affect the way your body responds to stress, which can contribute to feeling more emotionally sensitive or overwhelmed.⁵

Menopause mood swings, changes in concentration, mental fatigue, and brain fog are often linked. Understanding how these changes relate to one another can make them feel easier to recognise, and help you find the assistance and care that's right for you.

Physical changes during menopause

Alongside sleep, mood, and temperature regulation, there are also plenty of physical changes that come along with menopause. From your skin6 and joints7 to muscles and your inflammatory response8, the physical shifts can show up in various parts of your body.

Menopause headaches

Changes in headache frequency or pattern are common during menopause. During early menopause, some people find that migraines can be more severe and frequent, fuelled by hormonal changes. Plus, factors like sleep disruption, stress, fatigue, and muscle tension can make headaches feel worse9.

If headaches become more frequent or severe, it's worth discussing with a GP to identify what might be contributing.

Skin changes

Hormonal shifts can also impact your skin. Declining oestrogen can affect the skin's structure and function, reducing collagen production and elasticity, and contributing to moisture loss, dryness, and wrinkling6. 

Some people may also experience acne during menopause, even if they haven't had breakouts for many years. Looking after your skin with gentle skincare products, regular moisturising, and daily sun protection can protect skin health during this stage of life. 

Joint pain and hip pain

Joint pain and hip pain during menopause can show up as general aches and stiffness, particularly in the morning7. You may also experience reduced mobility and comfort7. Menopause joint pain can affect multiple joints rather than one specific area7. 

Inflammation also shifts during this transition. Research has found significantly higher levels of certain pro-inflammatory markers in women going through natural or surgically induced menopause compared with women who are still menstruating8.

Lifestyle habits that may support menopause wellbeing

Lifestyle habits won't reverse hormonal changes. However, taking care of yourself during menopause can help how you feel while your body moves through it10. A few areas worth focusing on:

• Movement: Regular physical activity, whether that's walking, strength training, yoga, or another form of exercise you enjoy. 
• Sleep: Aiming for a consistent sleep routine and creating a relaxing environment that helps promote quality rest. 
• Stress support: Finding healthy ways to unwind, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or spending time outdoors. 
• Nutrition: Eating a balanced, varied diet that supports your overall health and vitality. 
• Hydration: Drinking enough water throughout the day to assist your body's everyday functions. 
• Social connection: Staying connected with friends or family, and reaching out when you need extra care. 

Menopause looks unique for everyone, so the habits that work best for you may vary too. Small, consistent changes often make a bigger difference than trying to change everything at once. 

Navigating symptoms of menopause over time 

Menopause is a natural stage of life, and the way you experience it is unique to you. Symptoms can change over time, with some easing while others come and go throughout the transition. It's completely normal for your experience to look unique from someone else's.

Understanding what's happening in your body can help you make sense of these changes and find the support that's right for you. Small, consistent habits can play an important role in helping your health and wellbeing, and if your symptoms are affecting your daily life, speaking with your healthcare professional is a good place to start.

Explore more relevant articles like a guide to perimenopause and why women’s health matters on the Swisse Wellness Hub. 

References:

1. World Health Organization (2024). Menopause. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause 
2. National Institute on Aging (2021). What is menopause? National Institute on Aging. Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/menopause/what-menopause 
3. Sawada, K., Yagi, T., Liu, Y., Yoshimoto, S., Kobayashi, M., Shimura, K., Yamamoto, M., Yamamoto, G., Kodama, M., Kurachi, H., Sekitani, T. and Kimura, T. (2025). Analyses of Menopause and Its Related Symptoms on Sleep Quality Using a Novel Wearable Sheet-Type Frontal Electroencephalography Sensor, Haru-1. Women's Health Reports, 6(1). doi:10.1089/whr.2025.0007. 
4. Deecher, D., Dorries, K. Understanding the pathophysiology of vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats) that occur in perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause life stages. Arch Womens Ment Health 10, 247–257 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-007-0209-5 
5. Garg, R., & Munshi, A. (2024). Sleep and Brain Function at Menopause. Journal of mid-life health, 15(4), 221–224. https://doi.org/10.4103/jmh.jmh_201_24 
6. Viscomi, B., Muniz, M., & Sattler, S. (2025). Managing Menopausal Skin Changes: A Narrative Review of Skin Quality Changes, Their Aesthetic Impact, and the Actual Role of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Improvement. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 24 Suppl 4(Suppl 4), e70393. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.70393 
7. Manno R. L. (2026). Joint pain and menopause. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 33(3), 358–360. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002756 
8. Malutan, A. M., Dan, M., Nicolae, C., & Carmen, M. (2014). Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine changes related to menopause. Przeglad menopauzalny = Menopause review, 13(3), 162–168. https://doi.org/10.5114/pm.2014.43818 
9. Carlson K, Vadakekut ES. Menopause. [Updated 2026 Mar 23]. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507826/ 
10. McNulty, K.L., Murphy, M., Flynn, E., Lane, A., Muldoon, A., Kealy, R., Harrison, M., Windle, J. and Heavey, P. (2025). The Effectiveness of Lifestyle Interventions, Including Exercise, Diet, and Health Education on Symptoms Experienced During Perimenopause: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 34(3), pp.380–403. doi:10.1123/japa.2024-0226.