During perimenopause, your nervous system becomes more sensitive.

Oestrogen fluctuations can:

• Increase anxiety
• Disrupt sleep
• Trigger heart palpitations
• Worsen hot flushes

Caffeine makes all of these worse.

Many women are consuming caffeine from multiple sources without realising it and not knowing how much it adds up over the day.

Here are some common hidden sources:

1. Tea

Green tea, white tea, chai, iced tea, and even kombucha (if made from tea) all contain caffeine. Many people drink these in the afternoon thinking they’re “gentle”, but they can still affect sleep and anxiety.

2. Chocolate

Dark chocolate can contain significant caffeine. Add in hot chocolate, chocolate milk, protein powders, and desserts, and intake adds up quickly.

3. Iced Coffee

Many bottled iced coffees contain the equivalent of 1–3 cups of coffee. Because they’re sold like soft drinks, people often underestimate their strength.

4. Pre-Workout Shakes & Fat Burners

These are frequently loaded with caffeine, sometimes far more than coffee and often labelled as “natural energy blends.”

5. Headache & Cold Tablets

Some pain relievers contain caffeine to enhance effectiveness. If you’re sensitive, this can worsen anxiety or disrupt sleep.

Even small amounts of caffeine can impact your body and make a difference, including:

• An increase in anxiety 
• Worsen 3am cortisol spikes which wakes you up and stops you falling back to sleep easily
• Aggravating breast tenderness
• Heightens your stress response to everyday situations.

For women in their 40s, it’s not just about how much caffeine, it’s about how sensitive your nervous system has become.

If sleep, anxiety or palpitations are worsening, trial reducing where you are eating/drinking caffeine for 2–3 weeks and monitor changes.

Tips:

• Ensure you are not dehydrated. If you are not drinking 2 litres of water a day you are most likely dehydrated even though you may not feel it, your body does. Caffeine will add to the dehydration. Try increasing your water intake up to 2 litres a day while also reducing the caffeine your consuming. 
• Swap out your afternoon coffee. Replace your afternoon coffee with a cup of homemade beef or chicken stock. You'll be surprised how much energy that contains and how much better for you it is. Yes it sounds odd but once you get used to it you won't want to go without it. 
• Switch from a normal coffee mug to a stainless steel travel style mug. The stainless steel mug keeps your coffee hot for longer which means you drink it slower and it lasts longer. With a normal mug you will find you drink your morning coffee fairly quickly or it goes cold. This way you can make that precious morning coffee last longer and extend the time before you are reaching for another one.