What to Do at 5pm When Triggers and Cravings Collide

There’s a moment almost every woman in perimenopause can point to — that strange, vulnerable window somewhere between 4:30 and 6:00 pm.

You’ve held it together all day.
You’ve ticked the boxes, answered the emails, fed the family, kept the peace, kept yourself moving.
And then suddenly, right around 5 pm… the cravings hit.

The wine urge.
The sugar urge.
The “I just need something” urge.
The “screw it” urge.

You’re not weak. You’re not failing.
You’re human — and your 5 pm biology is simply louder in perimenopause.

So let’s unpack why the 5 pm crash happens and what to do about it (using real neuroscience, not willpower).

Why 5 pm Is So Triggering in Perimenopause

1. Your cortisol is naturally dipping

Cortisol has a beautiful daily rhythm: highest in the morning, lowest at night.
Around 4–6 pm, your cortisol slides — which means:

• lower energy

• lower mood

• less self-control

• more irritability

• stronger desire for “quick relief”

Wine, chocolate, chips, and sugary snacks all promise fast dopamine and the illusion of “feeling better.”

2. Your willpower is biologically spent

Willpower is not a character trait — it’s a brain resource that depletes across the day.

By 5 pm, your prefrontal cortex (your decision-making, rational, sensible part of the brain) is tired.
Your limbic system (emotion + impulse) is wide awake and screaming for relief.

If you’ve been “holding yourself together” all day, the crash is magnified.

3. Perimenopause makes you more sensitive to stress

Shifting estrogen affects your:

• nervous system

• blood sugar stability

• serotonin levels

• ability to cope with stress

This means the late-afternoon overwhelm or overstimulation hits harder than it used to.
A normal stressor becomes a trigger.
A normal craving becomes a compulsion.

4. Low blood sugar is common at this hour

If lunch was small, rushed, late, or carb-heavy (or if you skipped an afternoon snack), your blood sugar dips around 4–5 pm.

Low blood sugar =

• irritability

• brain fog

• fatigue

• and intense cravings for carbs or wine to lift you back up

It’s your physiology talking — not your lack of control.

5. This is the emotional transition hour

You’re shifting from “doing mode” to “evening mode.”
Your brain hates transitions.
And in midlife, your nervous system is more triggered by them.

This is why so many women say:

“I’m fine all day. Then it unravels.”

What You Should Actually Do at 5 pm (Instead of Fighting Yourself)

You don’t need superhuman willpower.
You just need the right tools at the right moment.

1. Have a high-protein afternoon anchor (non-negotiable)

Eat 20–30 g protein between 3–4 pm.
This stabilises blood sugar, increases dopamine steadily, and prevents the 5 pm crash.

Ideas:

• Greek yoghurt + hemp seeds

• Protein shake

• Boiled eggs

• Tuna with crackers

• Cottage cheese + berries

• A handful of nuts + a Babybel

This ONE shift cuts cravings by up to 50%.

2. Change your state before temptation hits

At 4:45 pm — before the “witching hour” — do something to shift your biology.

• Step outside for 3 minutes

• Slow walk around the block

• Put your feet on the grass

• Breathe in for 4, out for 8

• Get natural light on your eyes

These actions lower stress hormones and interrupt the craving loop before it peaks.

3. Create a ritual that soothes your nervous system

Your craving isn’t really for alcohol or sugar — it’s for regulation.

Give your body the same soothing effect, without the crash:

• Magnesium powder in sparkling water

• A herbal tea in your favourite mug

• A warm shower to reset your body state

• Noise-cancelling headphones + calming music

• A 5-minute tidy or reset of the space

Your nervous system calms when your environment shifts.

4. Pre-plan your 5 pm drink

Make your replacement enticing:

• AF spritz

• Kombucha

• Soda water + lime

• A beautiful glass with ice

• A ritual mocktail

• Electrolytes in pretty glassware

Your brain craves the cue more than the wine.
Give it the cue — change the content.

5. Tell yourself the truth: “This feeling peaks at 12 minutes.”

Cravings have a measurable arc.
They rise, peak, and fall — usually within 8–12 minutes.

If you ride the wave, it dissolves.

If you panic, resist, or distract with food/drink, it intensifies.

A craving is a sensation, not a command.

6. Pre-decide your evenings

Decision fatigue is brutal at 5 pm.
Make decisions earlier in the day:

• what you’ll drink

• what you’ll cook

• what time you’ll eat

• what you’ll do after dinner

• where you’ll walk

The fewer choices you have to make at 5 pm, the calmer you’ll feel.

7. Eat dinner earlier if possible

For many women, late dinners = late crashes.
Eating between 5–6 pm stabilises blood sugar and reduces the vulnerability window.

8. Give your brain a dopamine hit that doesn’t involve eating or drinking

You need dopamine.

Give yourself a healthier source:

• Music you love

• A funny reel

• A warm hug

• A 5-minute declutter

• A tiny win

Small wins release dopamine.
And dopamine is what you’re actually craving — not the wine.

The Most Important Reframe of All

When 5 pm hits hard, it’s not because:

• you’re weak

• you “sabotage yourself”

• you don’t care

• you lack discipline

It’s because your biology, nervous system, and hormones are colliding at the exact same time.

Your triggers are real.
Your cravings are real.
But they are also predictable, explainable, and manageable — especially when you understand the science behind them.

Perimenopause isn’t the end of self-control.
It’s the beginning of self-awareness.

And when you support your 5 pm brain with protein, light, movement, predictability, and soothing rituals, the cravings soften.
The triggers quiet down.
And you begin to feel capable again — not out of control.

And lastly, your 5 pm self deserves compassion, not criticism. 💛