Perimenopause, written down day by day
Your periods change, sleep gets lighter and symptoms come and go for months at a time. Her Good Days keeps the dates, so you can see what is shifting and bring it to your doctor.
Perimenopause is the run-up to menopause, when hormone levels rise and fall unevenly. It often starts in the 40s and can last several years. Menopause itself is dated 12 months after your last period.
Common changes include irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, poor sleep, mood changes and brain fog. A short daily log shows which of them you have, how often, and what tends to come before them.
What changes in perimenopause
Cycles are often the first sign. They can get shorter, then longer, with a skipped month here and there and flow that is heavier or lighter than you are used to.
Other changes people report:
- hot flashes and night sweats
- waking at 3 or 4 AM and not falling back asleep
- low mood, irritability or anxiety that feels new
- trouble finding words, or brain fog
- joint aches, headaches and tender breasts
- weight that settles differently, often around the waist
Not everyone gets all of these, and some come and go. That is why a record over weeks tells you more than a guess at the end of a bad month.
What to log, and why it helps at the doctor
A few taps a day is enough. In Her Good Days, a woman in perimenopause usually sees Hot flash, Period, Sleep, Mood and Brain fog in her Log menu first, and she can change that.
| Log | What it shows after a month |
|---|---|
| Period start and flow | Cycle lengths in days, and any gap over 60 days |
| Hot flash or night sweat | How many a week, and at what time of day |
| Sleep | Hours slept and wake-ups, next to nights with night sweats |
| Mood and energy | Low days against your cycle and your sleep |
| Medication and supplements | Which days you took them, from your reminders |
The doctor report puts those dates on a few pages. In a short appointment, "14 hot flashes last week, most after 2 PM" is easier to act on than "they're bad lately".
When to see a doctor
Book an appointment if symptoms affect your sleep, work or mood, if periods are very heavy or come closer than three weeks apart, or if you bleed after sex or between periods. Bleeding after a full year with no period always needs a check.
Moving through it
The app has walking, gentle strength and stretching programs. Sarah leads them, each session has an easier version on screen, and walks and stretches also come as audio only. How the programs work.
Other life stages
The features for this stage
Questions
What age does perimenopause start?
Most women notice changes in their 40s, and some in their late 30s. The NHS puts the usual age for menopause symptoms at 45 to 55. The app works the same at any age.
How do I know if it is perimenopause?
There is no single test, and a doctor usually goes by your age, your symptoms and your cycle history. A log of period dates and symptoms gives that conversation something concrete to work with.
Can the app tell me I am in perimenopause?
No. You pick your stage yourself, and the app never labels you. If your cycles change, it may ask whether you want to update your stage, and you can say not now.
Does it still track my periods?
Yes. In perimenopause the cycle stays on, with period dates and flow next to your symptoms, so long or skipped cycles show up in the same view.
Start with today
Her Good Days is free, with no third-party ads and nothing to subscribe to. Free on iPhone and Android.