Menopause is weird. If you are a human woman, you are born with all the eggs you will ever have in your womb. By the time you reach five decades, every egg is gone. You stop menstruating. As your hormone levels change, you experience symptoms ranging from hot flashes to bone loss. We don’t know much about it, because only humans and whales encounter it. There is also a gap in research specific to women’s health.
A number of recent initiatives, from the public and private sector, are trying to change this. Last year, First Lady Jill Biden launched the White House Initiative on Women’s Health to help close the research gap on conditions like menopause. Also, if you own an Apple Watch, you can sign in to donate your data to the Apple Women’s Health Study, which is designed to improve understanding of menstrual cycles.
Yesterday, smart-ring manufacturer Oura announced its first Perimenopause report, which compiles long-term data from 100,000 anonymous Oura ring wearers to help understand how menstruation and menopause may affect your daily life.
Coming of Age
Photo: Adrienne So
The term “perimenopause” refers to the age leading up to menopause, which is when your period ends; some call it “second puberty,” because the physical symptoms are so broad. It usually lasts four years, but for some women, it can last up to 14 years. It’s amazing to think that 50 percent of people experience sleep disturbances for more than a decade due to night sweats, memory problems, or weight gain (or weight loss, it affects everyone differently).
As Oura reports in its data, only 28 percent of women don’t know what to expect during menopause, which is a huge knowledge gap when you consider that every middle school student takes a health class to prepare for their period. The first step is to even realize that it is happening. To that end, Oura has recently added 17 new markers such as hot flashes, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and vision, so that its users can start noticing trends across their periods.
One of the most important findings in Oura’s report is that sleep is significantly affected during and after menopause. Hot flashes increase significantly during menopause and before menopause. A hot flash can last anywhere from thirty seconds to 10 minutes, and 69 percent of hot flashes are related to waking up at night. As anyone who has cared for a baby can attest, getting up repeatedly during the night can affect how you function the next day.
Acne, constipation, and migraines are some of the most common symptoms reported by women in Oura’s perimenopausal age range. More concerning for me, perimenopausal women report a 20 to 30 percent decrease in heart rate variability. A high HRV means your nervous system is responsive and strong; you can cope with changing situations, manage a lot of physical activity, and manage stress. Low HRV is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.
Public Opinion
Even if you know you have perimenopausal symptoms, it can be difficult to know what to do about it. Hormone therapy for menopause is a common, if controversial, option. But big solutions—like an employer handling health conditions—are beyond our control. However, if you notice your sleep quality and HRV decrease as you enter menopause, reducing the amount of alcohol and caffeine you consume or increasing regular heart activity may help.
As both public and private organizations learn to harness the power of smart rings and other fitness wearables, we can begin to shed some light on this unique human phenomenon. It’s not just your imagination—you don’t have to figure out how to get by on your own.
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