Have trouble sleeping? Does your mood shift frequently? Are you feeling hot...flashes?

For most women, this may only mean that they’re experiencing some hormonal changes due to an upcoming period. But for women in their 40s, 50s and 60s this may mean a different thing.

Experiencing menopause is inevitable for every woman, and those who don’t identify as women but menstruate, in their 40s, 50s and 60s. For some women, the menopausal stage may come a little early with them experiencing the ‘symptoms’ in their early 40s. Some women, on the other hand, hold off until their late 50s, even early 60s.

Speaking of experiencing menopausal symptoms, there’s more to menopausal transition than just experiencing hot flashes and night sweats.

Dr. Michelle Jacobson, an assistant professor and menopause specialist in the Department of Core Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Toronto, reveals the six sneaky signs that may indicate that you are experiencing menopause.

1. Change in cycle length

Dr. Jacobson tells Yahoo! Lifestyle that one of the first signs that an individual is entering the perimenopausal stage, a medical term for menopausal transition, is when they start having their cycles "a little bit closer together before you start to skip them."

"[If] your periods get a little bit closer together, from the first day to the first day, that can actually be the first sign that the number of eggs you have left, or your egg reserves, are decreasing.”

"If your cycles were previously very regular at 28 days, it might be a whole week shorter, so you're getting a period every 21 days."

2. Vaginal dryness and discharge

"Early signs of perimenopause, before you start skipping periods, may include vaginal dryness or a change in the vaginal discharge," explains Michelle.

3. Sleep disruption

According to Dr Jacobson, some women may experience sleep disruption due to the decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone during menopause.

"While night sweats are among the most talked-about irregularities, any change in how well [you] sleep could be an indication of perimenopause."

4. Mood changes

One early sign of perimenopause is mood mobility; if you're suspecting you're in the perimenopausal stage, you should be on the lookout for feelings of depression and anxiety.

Dr Jacobson said: "where people are more prone to crying, [for example] at ads on TV or things that would not have made them cry in the past.”

5. Weight gain

Menopause itself does not cause weight gain. However, women will notice that maintaining the same body weight becomes troubling once they hit their 50s and 60s.

The condition is sometimes referred to as ‘meno-pot’ or ‘meno-pudge’.

Further, women who are overweight prior to entering the age of perimenopause "tend to suffer from worse hot flashes and night sweats," according to the expert.

6. Genetics

Your genetics play a vital role in the severity of the symptoms and whether you will experience all of them or just some.

In addition, certain surgical procedures, including hysterectomies and tube removals, endometriosis, chemotherapy, and even anemia, can also affect your experience.


Finally, women who experience the symptoms should keep in touch with their trusted healthcare provider to have someone at hand to assist them in their concerns.