Q&A
Why is my libido so different across my cycle?
Testosterone peaks at ovulation. Progesterone dampens libido in the luteal. Same body, different chemistry, very different sex drive across the month.
Articles
Things worth knowing about your cycle.
The science of hormones, mood and the menstrual cycle. Plain language, real research, no fluff.
Q&A
Why do I crave sugar before my period?
Estrogen drops, serotonin drops, and the brain reaches for the fastest food it knows that brings serotonin back up. The craving is real biology.
Q&A
Why am I so hungry the week before my period?
Your basal metabolic rate actually rises 5 to 10% in the luteal phase. You're burning more, so you need more. The hunger is proportional to a real metabolic change.
Q&A
Why do I feel anxious every week before my period?
Premenstrual anxiety has a specific biological cause: the sharp drop in allopregnanolone disrupts the brain's calming system. Same receptors as anti-anxiety meds.
Q&A
Why do I get doom thoughts in the week before my period?
Amygdala reactivity goes up, prefrontal regulation goes down. Catastrophic thinking feels real because the brain is processing it as real.
Q&A
Why do I cry for no reason during my luteal phase?
Crying easily in the luteal phase isn't fragility. It's a measurable lowering of the emotional threshold caused by three hormonal drops at once.
Cycle science
Period brain fog: what causes it (and what helps).
The science of cycle-related brain fog: estrogen, allopregnanolone, and why focus dips in the late luteal phase. Evidence-based interventions that actually work.
Cycle science
Why your sleep changes across your menstrual cycle.
Sleep is sensitive to hormonal change. Body temperature, GABA, serotonin and inflammation all shift across the cycle, and they all affect sleep. Here's how, and what helps.
Cycle psychology
Why recognizing your patterns changes everything.
Naming a feeling reduces its intensity. Brain science explains why. And why cycle awareness alone has been shown to reduce psychological distress in PMS.
Cycle education
The 4 phases of the menstrual cycle, in plain language.
The hormones behind each cycle phase — menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, luteal — and how each one shows up in your mood, energy and sleep. Also known as Inner Seasons.
Cycle science
Why your worst mood week is always the same week.
If your hardest week consistently lines up with the days before your period, it isn't a coincidence. The science behind PMS, allopregnanolone, and the late luteal drop.
Cycle science
Progesterone, allopregnanolone, and why day 24 is hard.
The deeper biochemistry: how progesterone becomes allopregnanolone, why GABA receptors downregulate, and what that means for the late luteal drop.
Cycle tracking
How long does it take to spot patterns in your cycle?
Most personal patterns become visible after 2 to 3 cycles of consistent tracking. Here's what shows up when, and what makes the whole thing go faster.
Cycle education
The 28-day cycle is a myth. Here's what's actually normal.
Only about 13% of cycles are exactly 28 days. Here's the research on what's normal, why your cycle varies, and how variation is the norm not the exception.
More articles coming.
Cycle changes in perimenopause, what your sleep does across the month, and the cycle's effect on cognition. We're working on them.