There's a particular kind of tired that shows up in menopause. Not the honest tiredness of a long day, the kind a good night's sleep puts right. This one's still there in the morning. It's there after the weekend, and after the holiday you were sure would fix it. Your reserves, the ones you used to draw on without a second thought, have quietly run low.

If that feels familiar, there's a reason for it. And there's a great deal you can do about it.

Why your energy runs low in menopause

Energy isn't one switch your body flicks on and off. It comes from several systems working together: your sleep, your hormones, your blood sugar, and the tiny power plants inside your cells. Menopause happens to touch all of them at once.

As oestrogen falls, sleep often becomes lighter and more broken. Sometimes that's down to night sweats, sometimes there's no obvious reason at all, and either way you rarely get the deep, restorative rest that refills the tank. Oestrogen also shifts your relationship with cortisol, your main stress hormone, which can leave you in that maddening "wired but tired" state: worn out, yet somehow unable to switch off.

At the same time, the cellular machinery that turns food into usable energy gets a little less efficient with age. Add the real demands of midlife on top (work, family, caring for everyone but yourself) and a persistent dip in energy starts to make complete sense. It's one of the most common experiences of this stage.

Persistent tiredness makes sense once you see what's behind it. And what makes sense, you can do something about.

Inside the Energy formula

Energy brings together two traditional herbs, a plant source of caffeine, and the nutrients your body uses to make energy, chosen to support energy production rather than whip it into a short-lived high. Here's what's inside, and what each one does.

Siberian ginseng: the lift

Siberian ginseng (you might also see it called eleuthero) is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to relieve tiredness and weariness. It's an adaptogen: a plant traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to help your body adapt to stress. Of the two herbs in Energy, this is the uplifting one. If you want to go deeper, we've written more on Siberian ginseng.

Ashwagandha: the steadiness

If Siberian ginseng does the lifting, ashwagandha is the ground beneath it. A cornerstone of Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years, ashwagandha (withania) is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to relieve tiredness and to help soothe and calm nerves. The two work as a pair, one lifting and one steadying, which is the whole reason they sit together in the same blend. There's more on ashwagandha if it's an ingredient you'd like to know better.

Guarana: a plant source of caffeine

Guarana is a seed native to the Amazon, traditionally used in South American medicine to enhance mental alertness and energy levels. It's also a natural source of caffeine, which is exactly why the timing of your dose matters (more on that shortly). It's the natural pick-me-up in the blend, while the adaptogens do the steadier work alongside it.

CoQ10: the cellular spark

Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is a compound your body makes naturally and keeps in almost every cell. It plays a part in how your cells make energy, and in Energy it supports energy production and acts as an antioxidant, helping reduce free radical damage to body cells.

The B-vitamin complex: turning food into fuel

Rounding things out: a full B-vitamin complex, plus vitamin C, biotin and folate. The B vitamins are the quiet workhorses of energy metabolism, the helpers your body uses to turn what you eat into fuel it can actually run on. Vitamin C adds antioxidant support. Like all vitamins, they can only be of assistance if your dietary intake is inadequate. There's more on why vitamin B matters during menopause if you'd like to know this group of nutrients better.

How and when to take Energy

Because guarana contains natural caffeine, Energy is best taken in the morning. That way it supports you through the day without disturbing your sleep at night. If you're also taking Sleep, the rule is simple: Energy in the morning, Sleep in the evening, never the two together.

If you're sensitive to caffeine, start gently and, if you're at all unsure, have a quick word with your pharmacist or doctor. Energy isn't recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding without medical advice. And one important note: if you take warfarin or another blood thinner, please don't take Energy without speaking to your doctor first.

As with any supplement, Energy works best alongside the basics, not in place of them. And if your tiredness is severe, sudden, or unlike anything you've felt before, it's worth seeing your doctor. Fatigue can have other causes that are well worth ruling out.

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. Do not take while on warfarin therapy without medical advice. Adults only. Caffeine intake more than 200 mg per day is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Sustaining your energy naturally

A supplement is one piece of the picture. The habits below do a lot of the heavy lifting, and they're better still when they go together.

• Eat to keep your blood sugar steady. Building meals around protein, healthy fats and fibre, rather than quick refined carbs, helps your energy arrive gradually and stay, instead of spiking then dropping away.
• Move, even when you'd rather not. A short walk or a few minutes of gentle stretching can lift fatigue more reliably than rest can, and movement earlier in the day tends to set you up well for the rest of it.
• Drink more water than you think you need. Mild dehydration drains energy more than most of us realise.
• Protect your sleep fiercely. It's the other half of the energy equation, so a cool, dark room and an unhurried wind-down give your body a real chance to recharge.
• Get daylight early. A little morning light helps set your body clock, which steadies both your energy and your mood as the day goes on.

Running low on energy in menopause doesn't mean you're slowing down or losing your edge. It usually means your body needs different support than it used to: steadier rest, steadier fuel, and a little help from the right ingredients. Give it that, and the version of you who still has something in the tank by evening is a lot closer than she feels right now.