Hot flashes and night sweats occur before, during, and after menopause — due to changes in the levels of hormone levels, like oestrogen and progesterone, circulating in your blood. This is thought to affect your hypothalamus, the part of your brain that regulates your body temperature.
Night sweats can be quite uncomfortable and disrupt your sleep but there are a number of things you can do to try to prevent them.
Night sweats can be triggered by a number of things, so if you're struggling it might be worth cutting down on these. These include:
Some other things you can try include:
Chen, M. N., Lin, C. C., & Liu, C. F. (2015). Efficacy of phytoestrogens for menopausal symptoms: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Climacteric, 18(2), 260-269.
Makara-Studzińśka, M. T., Kryś-Noszczyk, K. M., & Jakiel, G. (2014). Epidemiology of the symptoms of menopause–an intercontinental review. Przeglad menopauzalny= Menopause review, 13(3), 203.
National Health Services (2017). Conditions: Night sweats. Retrieved 26 November 2018 from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/night-sweats/.
National Health Services (2018). Treatment: Menopause. Retrieved 26 November 2018 from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/.