Top 10 Signs Your Hormones Are Out of Balance (and What to Do About It)

Are You Ignoring the Warning Signs?

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, sending clear signals when something inside needs attention. Yet, many of us tend to brush off these as just “normal” or as part of our daily routine. We might accept fatigue, bloating, irritability, or brain fog as part of life. But what if these symptoms are more than just inconvenient? What if they’re actually messages from your body, signaling that something deeper is out of balance?

We often power through these symptoms without realizing their significance. Your body is constantly communicating with you, and when we learn to tune into these signals, we can make informed decisions about our health and well-being.

The Reason Behind Symptoms

Your body goes through a natural process of hormonal shifts each day, month, and throughout your life. These shifts—while natural—can sometimes become unregulated or imbalanced, leading to a range of physical and emotional symptoms that are often misunderstood or dismissed. Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormones, cortisol, insulin, and even testosterone play key roles in regulating your metabolism, mood, digestion, sleep, cognition, energy, and reproductive health. When these hormones are out of sync—either due to life stage transitions, stress, nutrient deficiencies, or other factors—your body responds with symptoms that are far from random.

Your fatigue, mood swings, bloating, hot flushes, stubborn weight gain, or sleep disturbances are not "just part of being a woman"—they are messages from your body that something needs attention. Hormonal imbalances occur when your system struggles to maintain homeostasis—its natural internal balance. For example:

• Fluctuating or declining estrogen can affect mood, memory, joint health, and fat distribution.

• Low progesterone can impact sleep, anxiety, and cycle regulation.

• Thyroid dysfunction can lead to fatigue, weight changes, and low mood.

• Cortisol dysregulation from chronic stress can wreak havoc on everything from your digestion to your periods to your energy levels.

These symptoms are like warning lights on your dashboard—signaling that it’s time to pause, investigate, and support the systems that keep you functioning optimally. They’re not something to ignore or just “push through.”

The more you understand what your body is trying to tell you, the more empowered you are to support it—not by masking the symptoms, but by addressing the root cause of hormonal disruption.

So, let's explore the 10 most common signs that your hormones might be out of balance—across both the menstrual years and into menopause. You’ll learn what’s behind them and what you can do to restore harmony to your system, so you can feel more like yourself again.

1. You Wake Up Tired, Even After a Full Night's Sleep

If you're getting 7–9 hours of sleep and still waking up groggy or struggling to function before caffeine, this is often a sign that your cortisol rhythm is dysregulated. Cortisol, produced by the adrenal glands, is meant to be highest in the morning to help you wake up and lowest at night to help you fall asleep. Chronic stress, under-eating, and over-exercising can flatten this rhythm, leaving cortisol too low in the morning. This means your body doesn’t get the “get up and go” signal it needs. It can also mean your thyroid function is suppressed. Your thyroid governs metabolism, and when it's underactive, energy production drops. Women with low thyroid output (especially low T3) often feel exhausted in the morning regardless of sleep quality.

To start restoring your energy, eat within an hour of waking, and every 3-4 hours to stabilize cortisol and blood sugar. Include quality protein and complex carbs in your meals. Avoid fasting or caffeine consumption before eating. Expose your eyes to natural sunlight early in the morning and go to bed at the same time each night. If you are in a calorie deficit, come out of it temporarily. You may also need to test your thyroid (TSH, Free T3, Free T4) and cortisol levels.

2. You Can’t Fall Asleep at Night, or You Wake Around 2–3 a.m.

Difficulty falling asleep or waking in the early morning hours often indicates low progesterone combined with elevated nighttime cortisol and/or unstable blood sugar. Progesterone, a hormone produced after ovulation, has a calming effect on the brain via GABA receptors. When it's too low — which is common in women who don’t ovulate consistently or are under chronic stress — sleep suffers. At the same time, if cortisol remains high in the evening, it suppresses melatonin production, making it hard to fall asleep. Blood sugar instability also plays a role. If your blood sugar dips too low in the night, cortisol rises to correct it, which can wake you up.

To support better sleep, ensure you're eating enough throughout the day, especially in the luteal phase (your needs increase by 10-20%!). Add a balanced bedtime snack with carbs and fat (such as banana and almond butter). Minimize screen time two hours before sleep and avoid high-intensity workouts in the evening. Supporting ovulation with proper nutrition and stress management is essential. And aim to reduce stress, although difficult at times adding meditation or breath-work, massages, walks without your phone, journalling, and sauna's can help to alleviate stress.

3. Your Breasts Get Painful and Swollen Before Your Period

Cyclical breast pain and swelling that worsens before your period is a clear sign of estrogen dominance — when estrogen is high relative to progesterone. After ovulation, progesterone should rise to counterbalance estrogen. But if ovulation is weak or absent, estrogen continues unopposed. High levels of circulating estrogen stimulate the breast tissue, leading to swelling and tenderness. Poor detoxification of estrogen in the liver and recirculation of hormones due to constipation can worsen this.

To reduce breast tenderness, prioritize liver support with cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower), ensure you’re having regular bowel movements, and stay hydrated (35-40ml/kg bodyweight + 200ml/20 mins exercise). Magnesium and vitamin E have also been shown to help reduce breast pain, increasing intake of magnesium to 400mg and vitamin E to 8mg via supplementation can be a temporary resolution. Supporting healthy ovulation with adequate calories and managing stress is foundational.

4. You Haven’t Had a Period in Months

Missing periods, known as amenorrhea, is a strong sign that your body doesn’t feel safe enough to reproduce — even if you’re not trying to get pregnant. This typically results from low energy availability: when your calorie intake is insufficient for your energy demands (especially with intense training). The brain responds by downregulating the reproductive system, halting ovulation, and stopping the menstrual cycle. This is common in athletes, under-eaters, or during times of chronic stress.

To restore your cycle, you must increase overall food intake, reduce high-intensity training temporarily, and ensure you're consuming enough carbohydrates. This is not the time for intermittent fasting or caloric deficits. Bringing your body back into balance often takes months but is absolutely possible with proper nourishment and recovery.

5. You Feel Irritable, Depressed, or Weepy the Week Before Your Period

If your mood crashes before your period and you feel overly emotional, anxious, or quick to anger, this usually indicates insufficient progesterone or a sensitivity to the natural drop in hormones at the end of your cycle. Progesterone helps to modulate mood via its calming effect on the nervous system. When progesterone is low (due to poor ovulation or perimenopause), its absence leads to increased irritability and a lack of emotional resilience. Some women also experience a dramatic dip in serotonin as estrogen falls, contributing to mood swings and crying spells.

To support your mood, focus on stabilizing blood sugar with regular, small meals (4-6/day), increase magnesium and B6 (through food or supplements), and support stress resilience with adaptogens like ashwagandha. If symptoms are severe (PMDD), talk to a practitioner about tailored hormonal or neurotransmitter support.

6. You Crave Sugar Constantly, Especially in the Afternoon or Before Your Period

Strong sugar cravings — especially in the late afternoon or during the luteal phase — often reflect blood sugar instability, heightened stress, and hormonal fluctuations. Estrogen helps regulate insulin sensitivity, while progesterone can increase insulin resistance. As progesterone rises in the second half of your cycle, your body may become less efficient at managing blood glucose, leading to more frequent drops — which your body compensates for with sugar cravings. Chronic stress and skipping meals can intensify this loop.

To manage cravings, prioritize meals every 3–4 hours with a combination of protein, fiber, and healthy fat. Avoid relying on caffeine or refined carbohydrates to get through the day. Adding cinnamon to meals, maintaining hydration, and getting enough sleep all support better blood sugar regulation.

7. You Have Vaginal Dryness That Makes Intercourse Uncomfortable

Vaginal dryness, especially if it comes with itching or discomfort during intercourse, is a specific sign of low estrogen. Estrogen maintains the thickness, elasticity, and lubrication of vaginal tissues. When levels drop — due to perimenopause, menopause, low body fat, or hypothalamic amenorrhea — the vaginal walls thin and natural lubrication decreases. This can lead to pain, tearing, and even recurrent infections.

To support vaginal tissue, dietary phytoestrogens (like flaxseed and soy) can help in mild cases. Topical vaginal moisturizers or estriol creams may be needed and should be discussed with a health practitioner. Addressing overall estrogen health through proper nutrition, body fat levels, and stress management is key.

8. You Can’t Seem to Lose Weight Despite Eating Healthy and Exercising

If you’re doing “everything right” but your body isn’t responding, especially if you’re gaining fat around your midsection, it could be due to hormonal imbalances related to insulin resistance, cortisol, or low thyroid function. Chronically high cortisol — from stress, lack of sleep, or overtraining — signals the body to store fat, particularly around the belly. At the same time, poor thyroid function reduces your metabolic rate, making fat loss extremely difficult. Estrogen also plays a role, and as it drops (especially in perimenopause), fat distribution often shifts.

To address stubborn weight, you need to focus on lowering stress and building muscle, not slashing calories. Eat enough to support your metabolism, prioritize resistance training, ensure adequate sleep, and consider thyroid testing if you’ve hit a plateau.

9. You’re Severely Bloated Most Days, Especially After Eating

Frequent bloating is a red flag that digestion and hormones are not functioning in sync. Elevated estrogen levels can delay digestion and cause fluid retention, both of which worsen bloating. Estrogen also affects gut motility and stomach acid production. When digestion slows, food ferments in the gut, creating gas and bloating. If progesterone is also low, the smooth muscle of the digestive tract isn’t well-regulated, further impairing motility. Bloating is different from constipation — it’s more about gas, distension, and food not moving properly.

Support digestion by chewing thoroughly (30+ chews per bite), avoiding excess raw vegetables, and eating meals in a relaxed state. Include bitter foods to stimulate stomach acid and bile, such as arugula, lemon, or apple cider vinegar. Consider digestive enzymes or probiotics short term, and ensure daily bowel movements to support estrogen clearance.

10. You Struggle to Concentrate and Feel Mentally Foggy

Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and mental fog can be signs of low estrogen or sluggish thyroid function. Estrogen supports cognition by enhancing neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin. When estrogen dips (such as during perimenopause or the late luteal phase), you may notice decreased verbal recall, slower thinking, and a sense that your brain is not “online.” Low thyroid hormone also reduces the brain’s access to glucose, impairing clarity and processing.

To support mental sharpness, ensure you’re eating enough — especially carbs, which fuel the brain — and managing stress. Omega-3 fats (especially DHA), choline-rich foods (like eggs), and B vitamins are essential. Bloodwork for thyroid and estrogen levels may provide clarity if brain fog is persistent.

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Hormonal imbalance can manifest in subtle — or not so subtle — ways. Unfortunately, many of us have been taught to normalize symptoms like fatigue, poor sleep, and low libido as “just part of being a woman.” But they’re not. They’re signals from your body that it needs more support.

The good news is that once you learn to listen to those signals and understand their root causes, you can take real steps to rebalance. Hormones respond powerfully to small, consistent changes in your nutrition, sleep, training, and stress.

You don’t need to overhaul your life — but you do need to stop ignoring the signs.

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