687: The Period Brain: Why You Feel Like a Different Person Every Month And How To Stop Fighting Your Cycle and Start Thriving in It with Sarah Hill

October 10, 2025 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

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Episode Summary

If you’ve ever felt like you’re riding a menstrual cycle roller coaster of cravings, exhaustion, and mood swings– this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I’m joined by leading researcher and women’s hormone expert Dr. Sarah E. Hill to unpack what’s really going on in your body—and your brain—during your cycle.

Dr. Hill breaks down how shifting levels of progesterone and estrogen in the second half of your cycle can impact everything from your sleep and appetite to your mood and libido.

We also talk about how this becomes even more complex—and important to understand—during perimenopause, when hormone patterns start to change unpredictably.

You’ll learn why traditional health advice often fails women during this phase of life, and what to do instead to actually support your body.

It’s time to rethink your period, reclaim your energy, and finally feel in sync with your hormones!

Dr. Sarah Hill

Dr. Sarah E. Hill is a researcher and professor at TCU, lead science advisor for 28, and the author of The Period Brain and This Is Your Brain on Birth Control. Sarah’s work has resulted in more than 80 research publications, with features in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, The Economist, and on shows like Good Morning and Today. Sarah is a well-known speaker, consultant, and media expert in women’s health, hormones, and sexual psychology.

IN THIS EPISODE

Understanding our hormone changes over the course of a cycle
Why cycle symptoms can be different during perimenopause
How past trauma impacts PMS and your stress response
What’s really happening with your hormone levels in your cycle
Managing your stress response system to feel safe in your body
The negative impacts stress has on your reproductive system
The critical connection between your brain and sex hormones
About Dr. Sarah Hill’s newest Book: The Period Brain

QUOTES

“The week– or for some women, it’s even the full two weeks– of the luteal phase can be a really challenging time emotionally as their body is struggling to keep up with those wild swings and hormones. But then also as you go into perimenopause, you’re going through a period of intense hormonal change, and unlike what goes on across a regular cycle, it’s unpredictable.”

“Women are twice as likely as men to have mental health-related illnesses. They’re more than twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with anxiety. They’re more likely to experience burnout in the workplace. I mean, the list goes on, and it’s because there’s way too much that’s expected of us. And one thing that women don’t recognize about it is that in addition to this being bad for things like cardiovascular health… it can also prevent you from even producing sex hormones.”

“A big part of The Period Brain is first, just really giving women a roadmap to the second half of their cycle, since it’s not something that’s really talked about.”