Will your cycle length change as you age?

Your cycle length will most likely change as you age however, since this is very person-dependent, it is worth explaining what tends to happen while noting that this doesn’t mean you will definitely experience this, or that it means anything is wrong if you don’t. Remember a woman’s cycle can last anywhere between 21-35 days and some women are very regular and some women less so, so there is quite a lot of room for variation between each woman.

The general theme is that in the first few years after menstruation begins, long cycles are common (average is 29 days between the ages of 18-24). However, menstrual cycles tend to shorten and become more regular as people age (average is 27 days for women over 40). When you get closer to the menopause, your cycle might become irregular again. More recent research suggests that women notice changes to their periods, either getting shorter or longer, around five years before they stopped entirely due to menopause. The average age when menopause occurs is 51, so this would suggest menopause-related period changes start in our late 40s.

Certain kinds of birth control, such as extended-cycle birth control pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs), will change a menstrual cycle so you may need to check with your doctor to understand better what is going on in your body.