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Symptom

Night sweats

Hot flushes that happen while you sleep, often enough to soak your nightclothes or sheets and wake you up.

When it starts
Often in perimenopause, before periods stop1
How long it lasts
A median of 7.4 years across the transition in one large US study3
Most effective treatment
HRT, for those it suits4

What it can feel like

  • Waking hot and damp, sometimes needing to change clothes or sheets
  • A rush of heat, then feeling cold and clammy as it passes
  • Broken sleep and tiredness the next day

What guidance says can help

A cooler bedroom

The NHS suggests lightweight clothing, keeping the bedroom cool at night, and a cool shower, a fan or a cold drink.2

Knowing your triggers

Alcohol, caffeine, spicy food and stress can set some people off. A log helps you see your own pattern.2

HRT

NICE recommends offering HRT for hot flushes and night sweats, after talking through its benefits and risks.4

Other options

If HRT is not suitable, a doctor can discuss non-hormonal medicines and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).5

When to see someone

  • Urgent:Night sweats with unexplained weight loss, fever, or swollen glands. These need checking whatever your age.
  • Sweats that are affecting your sleep, work or mood.
  • Night sweats after starting a new medicine.

For symptoms that can’t wait, see Get help now.

Questions to ask

  1. Could my night sweats be related to menopause, or should we check for anything else?
  2. Would HRT suit me, and what would you recommend if it does not?
  3. How long should I try a treatment before we review it?

Often comes with

Hot flushes →Brain fog →
Full guide · 7 minHot flushes and night sweats: how long they last and what the guidelines say

Sources

  1. NHS. Menopause and perimenopause symptoms.
  2. NHS. Things you can do to help with menopause symptoms.
  3. Avis NE et al. Duration of menopausal vasomotor symptoms over the menopause transition (SWAN). JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015.
  4. NICE guideline NG23. Menopause: identification and management.
  5. NHS. Menopause and perimenopause treatment.

General information, not medical advice. It can’t tell you what is causing your symptoms.