5 Ways to Stop Night Sweats and End Sleepless Nights

By Colleen McCleery, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN—Exuberan® by Virtua 

Women experience many symptoms during menopause, but sleeplessness may be the worst.

Lack of sleep impairs your attention, alertness, concentration and can make you accident prone. Not only that, chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for heart issues, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes.

The main cause of sleeplessness during menopause is night sweats.

When the body heats up, you wake up. So, the key to a better night’s sleep is being mindful about controlling your body temperature.

Below are some ideas for staying cool. 

Avoid alcohol and spicy foods

Spicy food and alcohol increase your body temperature, making it more likely that you’ll have night sweats. Instead, drink a cool glass of water to start your bedtime routine. Remaining well-hydrated helps keep the sweats at bay.

Don't exercise in the evening

A sure way to elevate your body temperature is evening physical activity, which increases night sweats. Schedule your cardio for earlier in the day, and instead plan for stretching or gentle yoga at night to to relieve stress and lower your body temperature.

Take a cool bath or shower

Showering or bathing in cool water will lower your body temperature and minimize your chance of having night sweats.

Optimize your bedroom conditions

Avoid using polyester sheets, as they hold heat. Use cotton sheets instead and run a fan. The cotton sheets can breathe and the fan will keep cool air flowing around you all night.

Try bioidentical hormone replacement therapy

While you may be able to keep your night sweats at bay with the above ideas, you could also eliminate them all together with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.  

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is proven to relieve symptoms of menopause in women (and andropause in men) by restoring lost vitality due to age-related hormone changes. It's designed to replenish the testosterone and estrogen that both men and women progressively lose after they hit their mid-40s.

Each pellet is custom made to fit an individual's unique body chemistry and is based on overall well-being, physical exam, lab results, gender, age and weight.

If you're a menopausal or peri-menopausal female, are experiencing hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, irritability, worsening memory and lack of mental clarity, and have a decreased or absent sex drive then bioidentical hormone replacement therapy may be for you.

To schedule a consultation, call 1-888-982-3726.

Updated May 29, 2019