Hot flashes and night sweats are very common, but there are a few ways you can help stop them. Read on to find out more about putting an end to the heat.
Common symptoms include night perspiration, chronic insomnia, memory problems, anxiety or depression resulting from lack of rest. Hot flashes usually include a feeling of warmness spreading over your body (particularly your upper body and face), perspiration, a flushed appearance and a rapid heartbeat. They can come and go quickly, and occur most frequently at night.
Are hot flashes and night sweats common?
Three out of four women will experience hot flashes to some degree during menopause. Those who do will usually have them for over a year, and they may last up to four or five years.
Hot flashes occurring at night are often called night sweats. They can make falling asleep difficult and can wake you up during the night, making it almost impossible to get a good night’s sleep.
Night sweats are also common during pregnancy and experienced by people suffering from sleep apnea or taking certain medications or antidepressants.
If you’re experiencing hot flashes or night sweats, here are 10 ways to help deal with them and reduce their frequency and intensity or stop them all together:
- Keep rooms cool by using fans, air conditioning or opening windows. This is particularly important to do in your bedroom if most of your hot flashes occur at night.
- Take a cool shower before going to bed.
- Dress in layers so that you can easily remove some clothing when a hot flash strikes.
- Limit or avoid eating spicy foods which can be a big trigger of hot flashes.
- Reduce your alcohol consumption.
- Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation or yoga. All of these strategies can help reduce your stress and anxiety, decrease the intensity of hot flashes and contribute to a better sleep.
- Quit smoking.
- Cut back on the amount of coffee and other caffeinated beverages you drink, especially in the evening. Hot drinks and caffeine can both trigger hot flashes.
- Lose weight.
- Supplement your diet with foods that may help with hot flashes, including soy foods, vitamin B complex and vitamin E.
For menopausal women, doctors may prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) using estrogen and progestin to help stop hot flashes. However, HRT can have serious side effects and increase your risk of other health problems, so it is not as commonly prescribed as it used to be.
Medications such as antidepressants or anti-seizure drugs may also help reduce or stop hot flashes and sweats, but come with many possible side effects.
There are many things you can do to relieve the intensity of hot flashes. Do not hesitate to try different methods to see what works best for you.
