Night sweats are one of the more unpleasant side effects of menopause. Sometimes called vasomotor symptoms, they are sudden, intense feelings of heat that happen when blood vessels expand, which increases blood flow, and then the vessels contract. They can often feel similar to a panic attack and can last a few moments or longer. Afterward, you might feel a little chilled.
These symptoms are common though often misunderstood. Here are seven facts about night sweats that may surprise you.
1. Some People Can Experience Night Sweats for More Than 9 Years
It has been reported that around 75 percent of menopausal people go through hot flashes and night sweats; however, they can start years before your last menstrual period. While the duration of night sweats can vary drastically from person to person, the average is seven to nine years.
2. Night Sweats and Hot Flashes May Not Be the Same Thing
According to some
research, night sweats caused a higher level of stress compared with hot flashes alone, whether during the day or night. People who had more hot flashes at night rather than the day were at a greater risk for depression. Night sweats also last much longer and produce much more sweating.
3. Some People Are More Predisposed to Night Sweats
A study published in
Women’s Midlife Health found that night sweats tend to happen earlier and more intensely for Black women compared with white women.
While researchers aren’t clear on the exact cause, they argue that it is likely in part due to structural racism. Another study suggested that the “same genetic variants that help to predict reproductive aging are associated with frequency and severity of hot flashes.”
4. No One Knows the Exact Trigger for Menopausal Sweating
Night sweats are caused by declining estrogen levels, but the actual mechanism isn’t fully understood. It may have to do with estrogen’s effect on your hypothalamus, the part of your brain that helps control your body’s temperature. Fluctuations in your estrogen levels may reset your temperature center and trigger a drastic temperature increase in your body, followed by a dramatic attempt to cool itself down.
Regardless of the cause, this sharp temperature increase and decrease can be very uncomfortable and distressing.
5. Night Sweats Aren’t Always Caused by Menopause
Many nonhormonal issues can cause night sweats. These include things like infections, endocrine tumors, and anxiety. Night sweats can also be side effects of therapies such as pain relievers, narcotics, antidepressants,
high blood pressure drugs, and diabetes medications.
If you’re experiencing night sweats, see a healthcare provider to establish the exact cause.
6. Slow Breathing May Help Ease the Frequency and Intensity of Episodes
Breath work could help you manage your hot flashes. Deep breathing can help you relax and may even help reduce the number of hot flashes you experience. You can do them several times per day or when you feel a hot flash starting. Try breathing in slowly through your nose, pausing, and then breathing out slowly and completely through your mouth. Repeat this 5 to 10 times.
7. Not All Treatments for Night Sweats Are Hormonal
The most effective way to deal with disruptive night sweats is hormone therapy. However, not everyone wants to or can take it. Nonhormonal medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include fezolinetant (Veozah) and elinzanetant (Lynkuet). Healthcare providers may also prescribe oxybutynin (Ditropan) off-label for hot flashes. Antidepressants like escitalopram (Lexapro) and paroxetine (Paxil) are sometimes used to treat hot flashes, but only paroxetine (Brisdelle) is FDA-approved for this purpose.
Rachel Green
Rachel Davis
Derek Schulz
Sophia Martinez
Dr. Amara Okafor