Hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness tend to get top billing when it comes to menopause.
But the hormonal rollercoaster can wreak havoc well beyond the physical — messing with a woman’s mental and emotional health, too.
Model, actress and entrepreneur Molly Sims, 53, knows this firsthand.
“It’s literally, like, your joints hurt; you can’t fall asleep; you forget your words,” she told The Post about her own perimenopause symptoms. “But mentally, how does that affect you?”
Sims recalls lying awake at night in tears, struggling to fall back asleep, then waking up exhausted. Eventually, the physical and emotional strain become too much.
A friend suggested she try Rula, a virtual mental healthcare platform that connects users with licensed therapists and psychiatrists within 24 hours, with an average copay of $15.
“I was kind of having a moment and kind of just hanging on by a thread,” she said. “I ended up using the platform at the last minute.”
The experience made such an impression on Sims — particularly the ability to book appointments with experts on her own busy schedule — that she eventually partnered with the platform.
“Whether it’s 40-plus, 50-plus, women are struggling,” she said. “They think they can do it all. They think that they can be everything to everyone until you hit a wall, and you know, life happens.”
Sims acknowledged that she has the privilege of living between NYC and LA, where she has “incredible people at the tip of my fingers.”
“For the people who live in rural areas, who live in areas that they can’t take a day off work and go and meet someone amazing, this gives them the opportunity to do that,” said Sims.
Mental health support has been central to Sims’ approach to perimenopause. But she’s also developed a roster of everyday habits and wellness rituals that she credits with helping her feel better.
“I live and die by magnesium,” she said, touting magnesium baths and a magnesium CBD balm for her feet. She also adds Epsom salts to her baths to soothe achy joints.
In perimenopause, magnesium can help improve sleep, relax muscles, maintain bone strength, regulate mood swings, and even support metabolic health.
Another staple? A buzzy wellness drink.
“I do my Dria water,” she continued. “It’s pretty much a drink I do every single day.”
The concoction was created by Dria Murphy, an NYC-based wellness content creator and entrepreneur, and combines colostrum, electrolytes and creatine.
Murphy told Laugh Lines that she came up with the drink after “feeling overwhelmed by how many supplements I had on my counter and wanted to simplify everything.”
But how much of that benefit is backed by science?
Electrolyte supplements and sports drinks are generally unnecessary for healthy people eating a balanced diet, since plain water provides sufficient hydration for everyday activities and desk work.
Colostrum supplements, meanwhile, have surged in popularity but haven’t been conclusively shown to directly boost energy or improve recovery.
Creatine has stronger scientific backing. Mountains of research suggest it’s particularly beneficial during perimenopause and postmenopause, helping support muscle recovery, strength and brain function.
Sims also swears by melatonin and vitamin B-12 shots. Her other wellness staples include turmeric, massages, cold plunges and sauna sessions.
However, one practice stands out above the rest.
“I think one of the biggest things that helped me is probably Pilates,” Sims said.
Sims has practiced consistently three times a week since July, working with Beth Rodbell, a former professional ballet dancer who offers private Pilates classes in NYC, Connecticut and the Hamptons.
“The breathing and stretching and lengthening has really grounded me in a way. That has really helped me. It’s helped me learn to breathe better, take a moment, but it’s really helped my body be in alignment.”
She’s also experimenting with different mattresses to address disrupted sleep, another common perimenopause complaint. “I’m trying a couple different ones, but I love Eight Sleep,” she said. “It really clocks my sleep, and it also has like a cold dial, so it can match your body temperature.”
She’s far from alone in struggling to get quality shuteye. An estimated 40% to 60% of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women experience persistent sleep disruptions and insomnia, a burden heavily driven by fluctuating reproductive hormones.
For Sims, the combination of mental health support, movement, supplements and sleep-focused habits has helped her navigate the transition.
“They do all go hand in hand,” she said. “When they don’t go hand in hand, I think is where you get in trouble.”
