Perimenopause is the body’s gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) shift towards the end of your reproductive years, when hormone levels start to change and your periods can become irregular, lighter, heavier, or just less predictable. It often starts in your 40s, but for some women it can begin a bit earlier, in their mid‑30s, and this phase can last a few years or sometimes longer. It's during this phase that most women experience the strongest symptoms.

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Menopause itself is the moment when you’ve gone 12 months in a row without a period, which usually happens somewhere between 45 and 55, most often in the early 50s. After that, you move into postmenopause, a new long‑term phase where hormone levels stay low and many symptoms slowly settle, although things like hot flashes, sleep changes, or vaginal dryness can linger for some women.

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The most common symptoms women experience during this transition include hot flashes and night sweats, which affect up to 75-80% of women as sudden waves of heat often followed by chills. Sleep problems are also widespread, with many struggling to fall or stay asleep due to night sweats, hormonal shifts, or the need to urinate frequently. Other frequent complaints are mood changes like irritability or anxiety, explosive displays of emotions, vaginal dryness leading to discomfort during sex, irregular periods, fatigue, joint pain, brain fog or trouble concentrating, and can go as far as hopeless, dark thoughts.

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Emotional support from loved ones, friends, or professionals offers reassurance, helps normalize these changes, and empowers women to navigate this stage with greater confidence and less isolation. 

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Cayla is designed to enhance that by offering daily support and companionship, being on call for when you need it - between meetings, during your commute, or at home.

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