"When did the night sweats start?" Know the answer.

Five minutes, once a month: · How many hot flushes or night sweats this month, roughly? · Sleep: better, same or worse? · Periods: dates, flow, any gaps or unusual bleeding? · Mood, brain fog, joint aches, anything new?

Quick log for the week: sleep, hot flushes, mood, energy, cycle. Patterns are much easier to spot (and to explain at an appointment) when they're written down weekly instead of remembered.

October 18 is World Menopause Day, promoted by the International Menopause Society. A good day to book the check-up you've been putting off, or to share what you've learned with a friend.

New year, new appointment? Bring a one-page summary: symptoms with rough frequency, cycle dates, sleep, medications and supplements, and your top 3 questions. It makes a 10-minute appointment far more useful.