What are Menopause Night Sweats?
Night sweats, or hot flashes which you experience while sleeping or trying to get to sleep, are the most frequent symptom of menopause. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of help on the market today for those sometimes debilitating symptoms. Read on to find out just what options are available and get the information you need to decide which treatments are best for you. Don't wait one more minute to start getting the relief and improved sleep you deserve!
How Can We Get Relief?
Hot flashes, just like the women who experience them, come in all forms. Some women feel it as a flush that starts slowly and builds, sometimes accompanied by a red, warm face as well as a flushed upper body and even arms. Some women have profuse sweating, others have very little. For some women, the episodes end as quickly as they begin, and they almost don't know they've had it until it is over. Lucky them!
Some studies have shown that up to 2/3 of women during perimenopause, and almost all women who enter menopause prematurely because of illness or surgery, will experience night sweats. While black women seem to have greater problems with these than white women, other minorities seem to have less complaints, with Asian women reporting the least amount of problems. Younger women also seem to have a higher incidence than older women.
What Are The Causes of Menopause Night Sweats?
No one is certain why nighttime hot flashes occur. Some reasons are thought to be related to hormonal fluctuations and changes which confuse the part of your brain that regulates your temperature. Your body dilates the blood vessels near the skin's surface trying to cool down. This is why your face may appear red. This may also be why you perspire, all in an effort to cool yourself down and be more comfortable. This can also lead to a rapid heart rate and even chills for some women.
The duration and severity can be different for every woman. Some women have them only for a short time, others may have them to some degree and in some form for life. Thankfully for those women, the episodes tend to lessen as time goes on.
What About Prevention?
There are many ways to try to avoid or lessen menopause night sweats, especially with lifestyle changes. Certain things have been found to trigger episodes in the majority of women who experience them. So to try to prevent or lessen nighttime hot flashes, start by avoiding the following, especially close to bedtime:
- Stress, mental or physical, although light exercise can be helpful.
- Caffeinated foods and beverages.
- Alcohol.
- Spicy foods or hot beverages, soups and stews.
- Tight or uncomfortable clothing.
- Warm temperatures, either with hot showers or baths, or in your home.
- Cigarette smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.
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