I definitely had an increase in mood lability during menopause - some depression and some anxiety. I was not sleeping well and not feeling comfortable during the day due to frequent hot flushes. I think lack of good rest made the mood issues worse. I had the 'brain fog' issue also but that was also probably due to lack of rest.

My sleep has not been as good since I went through menopause but the symptoms are much better. As for how long it lasted, the worst part of it was about 6 - 12 months.

I did not use hormone replacement during but there is good clinical evidence now to support using use HRT on a short-term basis during the early phases of menopause.