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The Evening Heat: Understanding Night Sweats During Menopause
Night sweats during menopause are real, annoying, and common. Learn what causes them and how to build a cooler, calmer nighttime setup.
The Evening Heat: Understanding Night Sweats During Menopause
Do you repeatedly wake up soaked in sweat? Are you a female in your 40s or 50s? You may be experiencing one of the prime symptoms of perimenopause: night sweats. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Experts estimate that up to 75% of perimenopausal women suffer from night sweats1.
At their core, night sweats are excessive sweating or perspiration, often soaking clothes or bedsheets. They are often severe enough to wake you up from slumber, and make it difficult to fall back asleep. Over time, this frequent sleep disruption can impact your energy levels. While night sweats are extremely common, rest assured, there are a few adjustments you can make to sleep more comfortably again.
Why Night Sweats Happen During Menopause
Before menopause, women experience on average a 28-day monthly menstrual cycle. This cycle is essential for reproduction, preparing the body for a potential pregnancy. However, as you age, your ability to reproduce declines.
Menopause is defined as the exact moment it has been 12 months since you last experienced a period, marking the end of your fertility. For many women, this happens in your 40s or 50s. Perimenopause describes the period of time, around 4-8 years2, leading up to menopause, where your body’s hormone levels are fluctuating. It is during this time that the range of menopausal symptoms, including night sweats, occurs.
Night sweats and hot flashes are essentially the same symptom, just happening at different times of day. However, night sweats may feel even more pronounced as you are often under heavy blankets and comforters and suffer a loss of sleep as a result. Regardless, this rapid rise in body temperature is due to the decrease of estrogen produced during this time3. Without enough estrogen, your body’s inner temperature control, managed by your hypothalamus, is extremely sensitive. It is due to this sensitivity that your body sends out false alarms that your body is too hot and must quickly cool down. As a result, you experience flushing, sweating and other attempts to rapidly cool your body.
Sleep Hygiene Adjustments
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to reduce night sweats and improve overall sleep. Experts recommend tuning into sleep hygiene and addressing the following factors to seek improvement. First, it’s important to establish a regular and consistent sleep schedule. This means going to bed at roughly the same time each day and waking up at roughly the same time each day. This helps your body learn your schedule and fall into a rhythm.
Additionally, your pre-sleep, winding down routine, matters. Make sure you avoid the use of screens, whether that’s your phone, a TV, a computer, or a tablet before bed. Experts note that the light that emits from our screens negatively impacts our sleep quality4. Along the same lines, make sure the lights in your bedroom are dimmed when winding down. Bright lights can signal to our eyes that it is time to be alert.
Some people may benefit from adopting relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation. Stress can be a trigger for restless sleep and can further reduce sleep quality, so it’s important to try our best to decrease the stress in our lives.
Bedroom Temperature and Environment
Besides sleep hygiene, the environment in your bedroom also affects sleep quality, especially when it comes to preventing night sweats. Firstly, make sure to keep your bedroom cool. Experts recommend keeping your bedroom within a range between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit5. This is important to help cool you down when you are experiencing night sweats. Along the same lines, it can be helpful to keep a fan by your bed, should you need to sit in front of it to rapidly dissipate heat. You may even want to keep a glass of cold water by your bed to help you regulate your temperature, should you need it.
While we often sleep under thick blankets and comforters, it’s best to stack thin blankets so that you can easily remove layers if you are experiencing an episode. Having many thin layers as opposed to one-two thick layers can help you fine tune your temperature during the night.
On top of that, there are also many innovative products that are designed to alleviate night sweats. Some include cooling mattress pads, gel pillows, and moisture-wicking sheets.
Breathable Fabrics and Sleepwear
Your bedroom environment isn’t the only factor to consider. It’s also key to evaluate the sleepwear you wear to bed to ensure you aren’t making night sweats worse.
Avoid sleeping in fabrics like polyester and nylon as they tend to trap heat. Instead, choose light and loose sleepwear as they are often more breathable. If necessary, try “cooling” sleepwear specifically designed to address night sweats. Additionally, you may even want to keep an extra set of sleepwear nearby for quick changes overnight.
Hydration and Nutrition
Outside of your bedroom environment and your sleepwear, hydration and nutrition also play a role. All of this sweating can leave you feeling a bit dehydrated. To combat this, aim to stay well hydrated throughout the day, not just before bed. This may look like drinking a cup or two of water each hour.
In terms of diet, limit sugary or spicy foods, as these can sometimes cause disturbances in our sleep. Additionally, avoid the consumption of alcohol6 and caffeine7 too close to bedtime as these have both shown to impact sleep quality. It’s also best to avoid eating heavy meals8 before going to sleep as metabolizing these meals can cause your body temperature to rise.
When to See a Doctor
While night sweats are common for women experiencing perimenopause, you should seek out a doctor’s advice if they are accompanied with unexplained weight loss or fever, or are negatively impacting your overall quality of life.
When meeting with your healthcare provider, you may discuss your symptoms and review your treatment options. Your doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT), non-hormonal medications, or even supplements.
Disclaimer: This blog contains promotional content about our products. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your wellness routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
References:
1. Faria Athar, Sarah Gregory, Emma J Houston, Nicole M Templeman, Insulin Levels Early in Perimenopause Inform Vasomotor Symptom Incidence Across the Menopausal Transition, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 111, Issue 6, June 2026, Pages e1544–e1553,
2. Delamater L, Santoro N. Management of the Perimenopause. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2018;61(3):419-432.
3. Zhang Z, DiVittorio JR, Joseph AM, Correa SM. The Effects of Estrogens on Neural Circuits That Control Temperature. Endocrinology. 2021;162(8):bqab087.
4. Holzman DC. What's in a color? The unique human health effect of blue light. Environ Health Perspect. 2010;118(1):A22-A27.
5. Best bedroom temperature for sleep. Cleveland Clinic.
6. Zheng D, Yuan X, Ma C, et al. Alcohol consumption and sleep quality: a community-based study. Public Health Nutrition. 2021;24(15):4851-4858.
7. Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, et al. The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2023;69:101764.
8. Basolo A, Bechi Genzano S, Piaggi P, Krakoff J, Santini F. Energy Balance and Control of Body Weight: Possible Effects of Meal Timing and Circadian Rhythm Dysregulation. Nutrients. 2021;13(9):3276. Published 2021 Sep 19.
By Kristen Carli, MS, RD
Kristen Carli is the owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, a private nutrition practice and consulting firm. She graduated from University of Arizona with a BA in psychology and then received a BS in dietetics from Arizona State University. After completion of the dietetic internship, she continued her education by receiving a MS in Human Nutrition from University of Western States. Having a passion for nutrition communication, she writes for many food and nutrition outlets as well as regularly develops recipes for food brands and media companies. Her nutrition expertise has been featured in InStyle, Bustle, Livestrong, The List, MyFitnessPal and many others. Additionally, Kristen is often featured via local TV segments sharing nutrition tips and tricks. She was selected to act as a Produce for Better Health Foundation Fruit and Vegetable Ambassador in Action, helping to promote the health benefits and importance of consuming fruits and vegetables, as well as a FoodMinds upwaRD winner for 2022, honoring up and coming media dietitians. You can find her reading, running, and exploring new restaurants with her husband and baby boy.
Nightcap
Nightcap
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Nightcap contains fairly traded organic dark chocolate, organic Reishi from 100% fruiting body mushrooms, chamomile, L-theanine, magnesium malate, and zinc citrate.
Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and OU-D kosher certified.
Other ingredients: organic semi-sweet 72% dark chocolate (organic unsweetened chocolate, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter), coconut oil, cocoa butter
Allergens: Coconut, Soy
Processed on shared equipment and may contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, or soy.
Nightcap is formulated with Reishi mushrooms to regulate sleep cycles and support stress levels, while also delivering an immediate feeling of nighttime relaxation from magnesium malate, l-theanine, zinc, and chamomile.
The real magic is in the long term benefits of the Reishi mushroom which, when taken regularly for about 3 weeks, can help manage stress levels and improve overall sleep cycles by down-regulating the nervous system.
Zinc and magnesium have been shown to increase the body’s levels of naturally circulating melatonin to regulate your circadian rhythm from within. Zinc has also been shown to quiet the mind after periods of mental stress.
Chamomile has long been used in calming nighttime rituals, while reishi's adaptogenic roots are linked to relaxation and overall balance. Together, they help set the stage for restful nights and refreshed mornings.
Magnesium is often associated with helping the body relax and ease into rest, while l-theanine is connected to a calm, balanced state by influencing mood-supportive neurotransmitters.
What to expect:
- In 30 minutes, fall asleep easier and sleep better
- In 30 days, notice restful sleep, sleep through the night, and experience a faster sleep onset
- After 3 months, enjoy healthy sleep cycles, increased sleep quality, and wake up rested
One square suits most.
Eat 1-2 squares of Nightcap an hour before bedtime to support sleep and relaxation. With nightly use, Nightcap will help to foster healthy sleep patterns and deeper sleep.
We exclusively use organic, fruiting body Reishi mushrooms that are hand-harvested when their medicinal compounds are at peak concentration. Our mushrooms are dried in the sun to soak up Vitamin D before undergoing a pure, starch-free extraction process.
All ingredients are third-party lab tested for safety and stability, and mushrooms are third-party lab tested for potency.
